The Memory Keeper's Daughter

On a family trip to Aruba that Norah won from her work, David photographs Norah at the beach. Norah watches Paul running as she tries to remain still. Norah complains, but David urges her to keep still, and Norah contemplates the early days in their marriage. She thinks about how she took over the travel agency where she started working. Norah asks David about why he’s trying to make her disappear into the landscape, and he talks about perspective and expectations:“He spoke of photography as he had spoken once of medicine, of their marriage” (175). She thinks about how they don’t talk anymore, and how this vacation is meant to bring them closer together, but they spend their time in silence nevertheless.

A stranger, Howard,comes up to them and begins talking to David about photography while staring intensely at Norah. Howard compliments Norah, blatantly flirting with her, and David seems to regard her in a new light. Norah talks about David’s other photographs, and David invites Howard for lunch. Howard says that he has a meeting and declines, but the men discuss Paul’s athletic ability. David laments Paul’s disinterest in basketball, much to the chagrin of Norah, who knows that “if he wanted Paul to play, he ought to forbid it instead” (177).