Best selling novel with Down's Syndrome as its subject.

[moondog]

Observer review of best-seller about a child with DS.

The Memory Keepper's Daughter

I have fired off letter of complaint about annoying references to Down's Syndrome,used immediately before a quote about the fact that a baby is a baby first and has Down's Syndrome second.

What a pity, the reviewer just hasn't got a clue about the nature of the book that is being reviewed.

Not at all Fio.
Very relevant.

I saw this and was very about those references. Thoughtless and lazy writing.

oh I have seen this book and have thought about buying it to read but just can't being myself

Has anyone read the book??

Just noted that its advertised at the top of the page.Richard and Judy summer read apparently.

you are right moondog - I noted that statement and then the one that followed.

Fio - if I had a quid for the no of times I have been asked if we knew dd1 had ds before she was born - i'd be doing all right. I am always tempted to ask if that makes a difference somehow.

I have come to the conclusion - two observations can be made

YES - we did know - must be right to lifers or of that ilk - or martyrs taking on the 'burden' of a child with sn

NO - poor people - fancy giving birth to a wee babe and then finding out - brave souls we are - but to be pitied.

So I always say YES rather than explain and pointedly look at them as if to say and your point is....

I know of a mother who was told to leave her son with ds at the hospital and go home and try to have another child and forget about her son.

Another who was hand delivered a letter saying her son was 'indeducable' and so would not have a place in a school - this was around 40years ago - BUT this mum homeschooled her son, taught him musical instruments and so on - never believing that he was incapable of being taught. This mum has since died but she was so inspirational just sharing her stories and how she fought for her son to be seen as a boy/man rather than the ds. I am sure she also told me it took a few years of her saying - something did not seem quite right before someone took notice and he was diagnosed with down syndrome!!

Not read the review - picked up the book in Borders yesterday and my stomach churned just reading the back of it

I bought the book a couple of weeks ago but haven't felt brave enough to read it yet.

I agree with you about the terminology in the review MD. I have seen the book but like FS just don't have the stomach for it. I have a feeling that one of the endorsements on the cover for it is by Jodi Picoult, which I don't see as being any great incentive to read it