Downsyndrome――TheMemoryKeeper’sDaughterDestinies,familialsecrets,andtheredemptivepoweroflove……Thisstunningstorybeginsonawinternightin1964,whenablizzardforcedDr.DavidHenrytodeliverhisowntwins.Hisson,Paul,bornfirst,isperfectlyhealthy,butthedoctorimmediatelyrecognizedthathisdaughter,Phoebe,hasDownsyndrome.Hemadeasplit-seconddecisionthatwillhauntalltheirlivesforever.Heaskedhisnurse,Caroline,totakethebabyawaytoanotherplace.So,shedisappearedintoanothercitytoraisethechildasherown,whileMrs.Henrythoughtherdaughterhadalreadydied.Then,Carolinegotmarried,anddidn’tbearanyotherchild.AsPhoebeconsideredCarolineasherrealmom,Carolinetreatedherasherowndaughteraswell.Butmeanwhile,Davidandherwifewereingreatgrief.So,Mrs.Henry’sheartwashanginglow.Andshedrank,smoked,allthedayround.Atlast,theydivorced.Inordertofindthesenseofowningadaughter,DavidtookmanypicturesofgirlsinthesameageasPhoebe’sbyacameranamed“memorykeeper”.That’swhythebook’snameiscalled“thememorykeeper’sdaughter”.AfterDaviddiedforfixingasink,Mrs.HenryandPaulfoundsomeletterstoCarolineandpicturesaboutPhoebe.So,finally,theyfoundCarolineandPhoebe.Totheirsurprise,Phoebeaccepted“twomothers”easilyimmediately.Inmyopinion,peoplewithDownsyndromearepathetic.Theywereborntobelikedifferentfromothers,theyaren’tguilty.Buttheworldisnotfairtothem.It’sdifficultforthemtostudy,ortofindajob.Manypeoplesquintatthem,justbecauseoftheirphysicaldefects.It‘snottheirfault,buttheystillhavetosufferthese.Ihopethattheworldcangivethem,peoplewithDownsyndromeabetterenvironment.Iknowthatmanycountrieshavespecialschools,neighborhoodsbuiltforpeoplewithDownsyndrome.Andnow,theycanearnmoneyontheirown.Theteachersintheschoolsteachthemhowtomakeexquisiteaccouterments,andthensellthesethings.Butstillmanypeoplecannottakethemin,unfortunately.Iwishthemnottobelikethisanylonger!ClassOneGradeSixFionaIon