Keeping Lucy is the story of Ginny, a wife and mother who gives birth to her second child, Lucy, who is born with Down Syndrome. It’s the 60’s, and against her will, the child is sent away. Two years later the “school” is in the papers due to the horrible conditions the children in its care are living in. Ginny and her best friend, Marsha, remove the child for the weekend. Once she sees for herself how bad it is, Ginny insists that Lucy will never go back. As the situation escalates, Ginny and Marsha find themselves on the run with two small children. This was an eventful page turner, what Thelma and Louise would have been if they had children in tow. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Thank Wow ! Tears will be in my eyes for days! What a story of a different time in our lives. The way things were in the early 70s and the way the world viewed woman and children with special needs .
The story of a mothers love that made her braver than she ever was !
Ginny was told her daughter needed to be institutionalized because she was born with Down Syndrome. 2 years later her daughters “school” is the subject of an expose revealing the horrific conditions these children are living in. Ginny travels to see and finally meet her daughter and discovers the conditions are exactly as they have been described.
The author wrote the harsh reality of the time and this beautiful story of acceptance and love !

Keeping Lucy was undoubtedly an eye-opening novel and T. Greenwood provided insight into the time prior to the paradigm shift in the treatment of individuals with disabilities. I certainly enjoyed her skillful storytelling that allows the reader to appreciate what a long way we've come from our ignorant views about basic human rights. Her novel prompted me to further research this heinous history, and I was interested to find that the occurrences at the Belchertown State School for the Feeble-minded circa 1971 very closely paralleled those of her novel. I had heard of institutions such as these, but had no idea that children with Down's Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities were ever relegated to such places, nor was I aware of the abhorrent conditions and inhumane treatment of patients. In writing this novel, Greenwood highlighted the importance of investigative journalism in our history, and how it has lead to major reform in both the public and private sector.

I also appreciated her nod to women's liberation, which was still in its infancy in this not-so-distant past. I'll admit that Ginny & Marsha's relationship made my heart swell. I would've preferred knowing what exactly happened to Marsha in the small town where their car broke down... that drama seemed a bit out of left field. Additionally, some of the writing seemed rudimentary: "Her mind spun like the lazy Susan she kept on the dining table at home." But generally speaking, this was a very valuable read, and one that I genuinely enjoyed.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! A well written moving story of the lengths a mother will go to for her child. Outstanding writing and the characters were very true to my memories of that time. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

What a beautifully tragic book, but so well written! I read it over the course of two days and as a new mom, it was a heartbreaking read.

After the birth of Ginny’s daughter, Lucy, the doctors determined she is born with Down syndrome. Against her will, her husband and his father sign parental rights over to the state and Lucy is shipped off to a home for children with special needs.

Two years later and not a single visit to see her child, Ginny reads a newspaper article about the home Lucy lives in. Parents of other children there have started a law suit against the home for the mistreatment of their children and harsh living conditions. When Ginny decides to see for herself if it’s true, she’s in for a shock. Her daughter Lucy has been mistreated, abused and neglected.

With the help of her best friend, Ginny and Marsha flee the state with Lucy in tow with no means of returning her.

I LOVED this book!!! So so good. I would definitely recommend!

What would a mother do for her child? Anything. The characters in this book were so well developed and it was a story that was very emotional. I found it hard to put this book down. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Keeping Lucy is a powerful story of love, hope, courage, distress, tragedy and inspiration. A baby was born with Down syndrome in the 1960s. It was a time when children who were not born “perfect” were sent away never to be seen again. Her husband, in order to protect the family, gave up parental rights the day she was born and placed her into an institution. This is a story of a mother who could not forget her little girl. This heart wrenching story is expertly written and made me alternate between extreme sadness and serious anger. This one should be on everyone’s list to read. I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

After reading (and enjoying) Rust & Stardust in 2018, I was excited to get another ARC by T. Greenwood. I enjoy how Greenwood’s writing take the reader back in time.

Ginny gives birth to her second child in 1969 and is devastated to learn her daughter has Down Syndrome. As a homemaker and wife to a powerful and wealthy lawyer, she’s convinced that the best course of action is to send her baby, Lucy, to a school for the ‘feeble-minded.’ Ab, her husband, first convinces her that they shouldn’t see Lucy for 30 days, and when that comes, convinces her that they should grieve for Lucy as though she were dead. That it’s the best thing for their son, their family, and even Lucy.

Fast forward a couple of years when Ginny’s best friend Marsha, a spit fire nurse, calls Ginny to share an exposé written in the paper about the atrocities of the school, Willowridge. Marsha and Ginny jump into action going to the school to see if it’s really that bad, even though Ab says it’s been sensationalized. While Ginny is allowed to sign Lucy out for the weekend, she quickly learns the true depravity of the situation and simply can’t take her back. Thus begins Lucy’s kidnapping and a long trip on the run, from Ab, AB’s family, the school, and authorities.

I enjoyed this book, but felt like it slowed significantly part way through (around half way).

This was an disappointment.I have a fascination with old mental hospitals,TB wards and homes for the disabled so the inclusion of it peaked my interest.I could never connected with the story or the characters.

Ginny kind of floats through life after her daughter gets sent to the Willowridge School (based on the infamous Willowbrook school) until she reads about and sees the horrific treatment the residents are subjected to.Then she does a 180 and runs off with her son,daughter and best friend,

Ginny is the down trodden wife who find power..Her husband is under the thumb his overbearing father.Marsha is the wild crazy friend that is a little too reckless. There actions didn't seem to be authentic,it was as if they were following a pre- planned path rather than reacting naturally.The writing seemed distant but mostly well written.

I can see people loving this,I wasn't one of them,

I received a copy through Netgalley.

I was a big fan of Rust & Stardust, also by T. Greenwood, so I was really looking forward to this one and I was not disappointed! I love the authors writing style and the way she gives depth to characters without getting too slow or overwrought. I will continue to read all of T. Greenwood's books!

Oh my, I think I loved this book (it doesn’t happen that often as I find love to be a very strong word, hence the uncertainty). It was beautifully written and gave me a new perspective on motherhood and a not so long-ago time - so many feelings! And I loved the diverse cast of character personalities - it showed that most people truly are good. Would definitely recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and ARC on Kindle of T. Greenwood's newest book, Keeping Lucy. One of the best books I read in 2018 was Rust and Stardust, also by the author. T. Greenwood is the master of a heart-wrenching tale. Keeping Lucy is the story of Ginny, who is married to Ab. They have a son and then Ginny gives birth to Lucy. Lucy is born with Down's Syndrome and Ginny is told that Lucy also has a heart defect that will shorten her life drastically. After the birth, Lucy is taken (without Ginny's consent) to a facility for children with disabilities. Two years later, Ginny reads a news article, stating the facility where Lucy was placed is filthy and the children are neglected. Without telling Ab, she enlists her best friend, Marsha, to check the facility out to see the conditions. As stated in the news article, the conditions are abhorrent and Ginny checks Lucy out of the facility for a weekend visit and decides to leave the state with her son, Peyton, and Marsha, in order to keep Lucy from having to go back. The story of the friendship between Ginny and Marsha, their run from the authorities, Ginny's loving mothering skills and her 1960's type marriage to Ab are all so well-stated that I felt as if I were right there with the characters. Keeping Lucy is an absolutely absorbing book that I couldn't put down. Keeping Lucy has completely different characters and setting from Rust and Stardust but is an excellent companion book for it. T. Greenwood's writing style is absorbing and interesting. I can wait for the next great read by this author.

Dover, Massachusetts, 1969. Ginny Richardson's heart was torn open when her baby girl, Lucy, born with Down Syndrome, was taken from her. Under pressure from his powerful family, her husband, Ab, sent Lucy away to Willowridge, a special school for the “feeble-minded."
But two years later, when Ginny's best friend, Marsha, shows her a series of articles exposing Willowridge as a hell-on-earth--its squalid hallways filled with neglected children--she knows she can't leave her daughter there. Keeping Lucy is a searing portrait of just how far a mother’s love can take her.

T. Greenwood has done it again! I absolutely love the writing style of Keeping Lucy and how detailed it was. This is just about the only author that can get me so engrossed and involved with the characters that they feel like my own family and friends. This was another book that made me reach for the tissues multiple times!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood
Pub Date: 06 Aug 2019

I can easily see why Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood is one of PopSugar’s must reads of 2019. Keeping Lucy tugged at my heartstrings from the moment the narrative began, and I just could not stop reading it. This is a touching story of the strength of a mother’s unconditional love for her children. When Ginny, the protagonist, discovers her daughter, Lucy, has been mistreated at a special school in which her husband entrusted Lucy’s care, Ginny does everything in her power to save her child. My empathy as a mother propelled me through this novel. Keeping Lucy is as much of a page turner as any thriller, and the environment Lucy was living in is depicted as equally horrific. The plot rotates between three parts of Ginny’s life helping the reader to better understand the time period and also Ginny‘s relationship with her husband. This rotation created suspense for me in that I really wanted to ensure that Lucy would be okay, but I also wanted to understand how Lucy had ended up in her horrible school. T. Greenwood did an excellent job of painting the sometimes horrific nature of institutions while also portraying our highly discriminatory society in the late sixties and seventies. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of Keeping Lucy in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free copy of Keeping Lucy from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Keeping Lucy is set in the late 1960s through 1971. Having a child with Down's Syndrome or cerebral palsy or any birth disorder was viewed as a failure and many parents were encouraged to institutionalize their children. Facilities were shockingly rundown and abuse, neglect, understaffing, and decay were the norm. In real life, state schools served to house these forgotten children. The children were housed not cared for. Parents and other family members were encouraged to forget about these children and move on with their lives.

Ginny and Ab are loving parents but they come from two very different worlds. Ab's parents are wealthy and, in many ways, have always controlled their son. Ginny comes from a much more modest background with a working mother and long-deceased father. Together they want a simple life filled with books and love. When Ginny becomes pregnant, he begins law school at Harvard, fulfilling his father's dream but causing Ab to abandon his own. Their son, Peyton, is a joy and they settle into suburban life. Ginny is restless, believing that the life she is living is a little too perfect.

Their second child, Lucy, is born with Down's Syndrome. Ab and his father quickly arrange for Lucy's institutionalization telling Ginny it is for the best. Ginny believes Willowridge to be a real school and a real hospital but she never loses the longing for her child. Two years pass before a friend alerts Ginny to a news expose about the conditions at Willowridge. Ginny knows she must see for herself, see the daughter she only glimpsed when she gave birth. Her first contact with Lucy sets off a multi-state trip to keep and care for her child.

The horrific conditions at Willowridge are based on real state schools like Willowbrook on Staten Island. Many readers may find it difficult to believe the description of Willowridge and the mild-mannered behavior of women like Ginny. It is important to recognize the societal attitudinal changes toward children with disabilities but even more important to realize the power of a mother's love.

A beautifully written story about a mother's undying love to keep and care for her daughter, Lucy, who has downs syndrome in the 1970's.

Keeping Lucy by [Greenwood, T.]

So the character development, especially of the children, was weak in places, but overall a decent read.



Review copy provided by publisher.

I read Rust and Stardust and absolutely loved that book - this one touched close to home - I could not put down this heart wrenching story of a mother fighting for herself and her child - Ginny gives birth to a child with Down Syndrome whom is immediately placed into an “institute.” This is one mother who refuses to be blinded further and once she opens her eyes shows the great lengths she will go to for her child. this was a wonderfully told story and probably eye opening for some as to the lengths people would go and the lack of care individuals received just for being “different” - I smiled - I cried - this should be on everyone’s list to read

It’s the first time I read T. Greenwood, but it won’t be the last. Keeping Lucy captivated me from beginning to end. It’s very well written, it’s intricate and flows wonderfully in a way that each flashback chapter gives a great hindsight on the characters, so well developed.
It’s also Women Fiction as readers dive into what life was like for women back in the 60-70s and therefore what it took for Ginny to take back control. As a mother, you’ll feel for her, you’ll feel for her precious little Lucy, and just keep turning the pages. Highly recommend it.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this advance copy.