It centres on David Henry, a doctor, who gives away one of his twins at birth. One twin is Paul and the other is a daughter called Phoebe. Phoebe is born with Down's syndrome and with David's worry of the possibility of her having heart defects that would limit her quantity of life, he opted to send her away with the nurse (and colleague) present at the birth.
The book follows David and his family through Paul's childhood and early adulthood. Occasionally, we get a glimpse into Phoebe's life too. Set at a time when Down's syndrome was perhaps less understood, the heartache that David went through over the years was really evident. We also learn about how David's past perhaps made him worry more about potential heart defects then the average Joe.
The ending is a little bit predictable but the plot itself is steady. The characters are likeable except from David's wife (at least to me). I'm not really sure what it is about her I dislike but it was hard for me to warm to her character.
Overall, a good, steady read and touching in parts. 7/10.
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