I got hooked by the story, but I don't think there was enough emphasis on why David did what he did ie there could have been more detail about his sister and the impact on his family. And this part didn't get told to Norah and Paul when they found out about Phoebe, which prevented them really understanding and forgiving him. I thought perhaps they would get the whole story from Rosemary, as she was told it by David but that didn't happen.

I felt that Norah's reaction to finding out that Pheobe was alive and well after all those years was quickly washed over. I also would have liked more of the book to be about the development of Paul and Pheobe's relationship. I felt that too much of the book (which felt too long, at only 400 pages) was spent on areas that felt irrelevant to the rest of the book. Also areas of their lives were quickly mentioned ... eg. Paul's adolesence ... experimentation with cannibas/train dodging and then just left hanging. Paul's relationship with Michelle seemed awkard too. And then Norah's affairs, why would the relationship with the french guy be any difference to her other 4 affairs that are casually mentioned.

Like everyone else I found faults with the book also. I'd heard about it but not not too much hype so wasn't expecting too much. It wasn't as exciting as I'd expected but I enjoyed it none the less. I found the last few chapters gripping as I didn't know whether Norah would ever find out about her daughter & that kept me hooked. I do agree that the part where Norah finds out is not as detailed or emotional as I would have liked. She seemed too calm for me. I also thoroughly agree with the statements that the most interesting characters were defo Phoebe & Caroline. Why David gave the baby away I can understand as the stigma of having a retarded child would have been diificult & I believed what he believed that he was sparing Norah from pain & anguish, but also at that stage of their relationship he seemed to adore Norah, like the first time he saw her & was struck by her & followed her. He & Norah then had the "perfect life" & he didn't want to ruin it for her, more than for him. He definitely loved her more than she loved him.
The issue with Down's syndrome sadly wasn't explored or explained enough for my liking. I know nobody with Down's but have met children/people with Down's through friends. Phoebe imo was a very highly functional Down's syndrome person. I have met others with this disorder who would never have been able to attend school or hold down a job so I think Phoebe wasn't exactly represential of this group of people. Then again I don't know enough about Down's to be an expert or anything about the syndrome except that alot of Down's children do have heart defects that require surgery. So David's fears about heart defects & dying young in the 60's was genuine. I did feel for Norah on so many levels. One as a mother who lost her child, because she never saw her child I think that if Norah had seen a baby who had really died she could have grieved & recovered sooner. The fact that David didn't want to discuss this baby never gave her an opportunity to mourn & also the fact he didn't want any more children without discussing it with her created the wall she spoke of & i could really feel her isolation & loneliness. I also saw her a 60's housewife who's role was to be a homemaker. She couldn't fulfill that because she wasn't allowed to have any more children & thankfully she found a substitute in her business, because I wouldn't have been surprised if she had thrown herself into the Ohio river she kept visiting. I also wasn't surprised when she had affairs, not that I condone it!! because she had no emotional support from David & she felt the wall/guilt he had built up around him, which he probably had hoped would protect her as well, but eventually drove her away. The chactacter of Rosemary i must say I thought was completely uneccessary. OK we all get it David saw her as a substitute for the daughter he gave away & fathered her & her son because of it, but didn't think she was necessary to point this out & added nothing to the novel. As others have said could have concentrated on other issues i.e. Down's. The questions that really stood out for me at the end of this novel were this:
(1) If Norah had been given her daughter after she was born & told her condition how would she have reacted?
----I think she may have been influenced by David & her own insecurities & sent the child to a home without ever knowing how awful the home was & maybe never even visiting, as David would have told her it was for the best.
(2)Would the outcome of this novel have been any different because of this?
----No. I think Norah & David's relationship would have disintegrated anyway. She feeling guilty for giving him an imperfect child & with him vice versa. He'd probably feel guilty for giving the child away & inlfuencing her decision to do so & she for giving the child away.
(3)Out of all the scenarios that could have occurred what was the best for Phoebe?
-----Absolutely & without a doubt the life she had with Caroline. It's like in some ways the stars were looking out for Phoebe & she prospered the most. She had a loving mother & father which she may not have had if she'd stayed with David & Norah. I honestly can't see Norah & her perfect life ever really accomodating Phoebe. If Phoebe had lived with her I reckon she'd have resented her & all the work a Down's child would entail esp. as a twin. Paul would probably have benefited & loved her regardless but his father would probably still pressure him into having a normal career & give up his music, as he would have been the only sibling capable of doing so. All in all the crux of the story is really not on David's
actions that night, but on people's views/attitudes to disability in society then & how acceptable a retarded/ill child is in one's life. Although I must admit I am forgetting David's grief over the loss of his sister June but we must also remember that he loved her as much as he missed her & it was unfair of him to deny that relationship to Norah & Paul.
Phew! that's enough!!

you may be right about Norah's perfect life not accomodating Phoebe, but she never had the chance to prove whether she could be a good mum to her. It could have been that she would have put her own life to one side to accomodate the needs of her disabled child. Phoebe's disability seemed fairly accurately portrayed to me (I did a lot of voluntary work with Downs Syndrome children in my teens - which were admittedly a good few years ago now )