It's unusual for a novel to reach bestseller status on the New York Times bestseller list by virtue of the sales achieved by word-of-mouth, but that is exactly what happened in the case of Kim Edwards' novel The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Published in 2005, the novel tells the story of a couple who find themselves the parents of twins, one girl, one boy; the boy, Paul, is a healthy, vibrant little baby but the girl, Phoebe, has Down Syndrome. Still traumatized by the loss of his sister at the age of twelve because of a heart defect, Paul gives Phoebe up to the maternity ward nurse who helped with the birth whilst telling his wife that sadly, their little girl died shortly after she was born. The novel follows both Paul and Phoebe's journeys into adulthood.
The book was both a critical and commercial success and was also popular with parents of children with Down Syndrome for it's positive presentation of experiencing life with a Down Syndrome child, and also for showing that it was possible for children diagnosed with Down Syndrome to live a happy, productive and perfectly normal life.
In 2008, the novel was adapted for television with Dermot Mulroney, Gretchen Mol, and Emily Watson heading the cast; Phoebe as both an adolescent and an adult was played by Krystal Hope Nausbaum, an actress with Down Syndrome. The movie was the most watched show on cable during the week of its release.
