The Memory Keeper’s Daughter: Chapter 11: July 1977 Summary & Analysis

Norah, David, and Paul are on vacation in Aruba—a vacation Norah has won through work as a reward for selling the highest number of cruise packages in the whole state of Kentucky in her job at the travel agency. Norah lies on the sand posing for David, who is photographing her, while Paul, now thirteen, runs along the shoreline. Norah is uncomfortable with the position she’s holding, but there’s a certain shot David is after, and he promises her that in just a few minutes he’ll be done.

Norah looks back on the early years of her marriage, and realizes she never imagined the life she’s living now. Over the last several years, Norah has learned the ins and outs of the travel business and risen to prominence as a travel agent—she bought the business from its former owner, and is now in charge of the entire agency. David, meanwhile, has become a devoted photographer.

Norah asks David why he’s so obsessed with putting her in the photo, when the goal is to get her to “disappear into the landscape.” David insists he’s trying to play with people’s perception and expectations—he wants people to have to “find” Norah in the photograph. As Norah listens to David describe his intent for the photograph, she feels sad—he used to talk about medicine, or even about her, in such reverent terms. Now, most of their conversations are “perfunctory” and devoid of passion. She has brought her family on vacation in hopes of restoring a sense of closeness between all three of them—but even here, they’re spending all their time doing separate things.

David finishes up the shot, and then begins talking to a man who has been running on the beach and stopped to admire David’s camera. The man introduces himself to Norah and David as Howard, and the two of them invite him to come by their bungalow later to have dinner and look at some of David’s work—he’s brought his portfolio along with him. Paul, who has been on a run down the beach, sidles up to the group and introduces himself. David compliments Paul on his athleticism and says he wishes Paul would give basketball a shot. Norah rolls her eyes—David has been harping on the issue for months, but Paul is only interested in music and running.

Back at their beach house, as Norah slices cucumbers alone in the kitchen, she thinks of the last several years and all her family has been through. The daughter she and David “lost” has hung between them and “shaped” their lives—she has begun to feel like their shared loss is the only thing holding them together. Norah thinks about Howard and how attractive she found him. She imagines Bree’s voice in her head, telling her to “have some fun.” After lunch, as the sounds of Paul’s guitar drift down from upstairs, Norah falls into a nap.

Later that evening, Norah wakes up, changes into a sundress, and begins preparing a seafood feast for dinner with Howard. Paul and David fire up the grill, and soon Norah hears Howard’s voice join theirs outside on the porch. She goes out to say hello, and only Howard looks up at her—Paul and David barely register her presence. As she meets Howard’s eyes, she feels a moment of “communion” pass between them. The moment passes, though, and as dinner begins, the night feels ordinary and comfortable. Norah listens to David and Howard talk about their shared passion for photography, but feels she has nothing to contribute.

After dinner, Paul goes upstairs to play guitar. Norah feels bad for her son—he’s so passionate about music, but David discourages him from pursuing it at every turn. As David and Howard continue discussing photography and turn to looking at David’s photographs, Norah is struck by the realization that although all of David’s photographs are of her, she’s an object alone in their conversation—not a participant. She understands that, in spite of photographing her regularly, David doesn’t “really see her.”

Norah goes inside to clean up and take out her anger on the dishes. Afterwards, she brings the trash outside to the dumpster. David and Howard are still on the porch, talking, even though it is completely dark outside. They call Norah over and she stands with them in the darkness and listens as they continue talking. She is shocked when she feels Howard’s hand reach out and grab her leg. She feels overcome by desire as he strokes her thigh, in full view of David but obscured by the darkness. The two men discuss alternate photography techniques, including pinhole cameras, while Norah grows faint. She says she’s going to go inside—Howard invites her to come take a look at his camera obscura the following morning.

In the morning, David and Paul leave before dawn to take a fishing trip out at sea on the other side of the island. Norah showers and dresses and then heads over to Howard’s bungalow, steeling herself. Howard greets her warmly and offers her coffee, but does not make any reference to their charged interaction the night before. He shows her his unique pinhole camera, and then Howard asks if he can draw Norah as she lies on the beach. Norah agrees, and lies down in the sand. She takes off all of her clothes, and Howard stops drawing her and approaches her. He embraces her, and then the two of them retreat inside the bungalow to make love. Norah leaves her clothes on the sand, unafraid of being spotted or caught. For once, she feels she is the one “who ha[s] stopped time.”

For the rest of the vacation, Norah continues sneaking off to make love with Howard. She is surprised to find that her secret makes “the distance between herself and David seem more bearable.” She knows that their affair is impermanent and only physical, but she is so happy to finally feel seen that she returns to Howard again and again.