Thank you to St. Martin Press for the ARC of this book. Ginny Richardson gives birth in 1971 to a baby with Down’s Syndrome. Her powerful father-in-law has the baby sent to Willowbrook School telling Ginny and her husband it’s the best thing. Two years later Ginny’s friend Marsha brings her newspaper articles detailing the horrific conditions and abuse at the school. Ginny sets out to check it out herself and what follows is a harrowing and heartbreaking tale as Ginny tries to save her daughter. This story had me on the edge of my seat and I read in one day as I could not put it down! This should be on your must be read list! Five stars all the way!

An interesting novel that takes place in the late 60s and early 70s about a mother and her fight to take back her daughter borh with Down Syndrome, who was taken and institutionalized at birth. I found the details horrifying. That this was commonplace around the time I was born makes me so sad and yet glad to see progress is being made. The story also touches on the role is women in marriage and the legal system at that time. That a husband could make decisions without any required or expected input from his wife is shocking. I enjoyed the story and characters and overall thought it was thought provoking.

*Keeping Lucy* is a book bound to get anyone out of a reading rut! It certainly did for me. T. Greenwood, author of fan favorite *Rust & Stardust*, is back and pulling at readers' heartstrings with this captivating novel.

Characters Ginny (mother), Lucy (daughter), and Martha (BFF) spring to life on these pages as readers leap back to 1969. This is a story of a mother's love and how far she'll go for her daughter. Lucy is institutionalized at birth, as she is born with Down Syndrome. While Ginny was told this was best for her daughter, her best friend Martha shares with her the many atrocities happening at the "school."

Overall, it's an incredibly engaging books. Some readers may be put off by the overall narrative arc of the book, but it's historical fiction, and it's exploring a time when women did not have as much agency as they have in contemporary society (even though we still have a ways to go).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

When Ginny has a baby daughter with Down Syndrome, she's taken away from her immediately . Her husband and father-in-law institutionalize Lucy, insisting that it's for the best. Ginny agrees because she is led to believe it's the only choice.

Two years later, Ginny reads that Willowridge is abusing and neglecting the children. She travels to the "school", takes Lucy, and embarks on a journey that will change her heart and soul.

On the surface this seems that it would have been a book I LOVED.

But something fell flat for me. I'm not sure why this book didn't really do it for me. I feel like I could have learned so much more about Down Syndrome and the horrors of institutionalization but that part was kind of a minor story compared to Ginny and Ab. I found Ginny so ridiculously week. Yes, I know this was the 60s/ 70s and she seemed to have some feminist thoughts (never mind the totally ridiculous portion where she goes off on a tangent about lesbians) but she cannot do anything for herself. Even at the end of her "awakening", a male police officer has to make all of the decisions for her.

Ab doesn't ever read as the great man Ginny wants you to think he is. He comes across as incredibly spineless and intentionally clueless.

I did enjoy the parts that painted Ginny as a fierce mother. I also liked her friendship with Marsha, but I feel like Marsha cursed constantly to prove that she was a liberated woman. So unnecessary. Their road trip was heart warming and laugh out loud funny in places. I just wish I liked the characters more.

3 stars.

T. Greenwood has done it again, she brings the pages to life for me when I read her books. However, this book was not a happy page turner for me. Ginny's major struggles begin when her baby is born with Down's Syndrome and the story centers on what happens to that baby, Lucy. It is hard to read about at times. It is also hard to believe how close minded and self centered some people are when it comes to supposed disabilities-Furthermore, it is not easy to read about it as you get so frustrated at how Ginny's bond with her daughter is almost destroyed.

I highly recommend to anyone-T. Greenwood is an author to watch! Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

I was unable to become invested in this story as much as many readers. I thought the plot was compelling but did not care for the writing style which seemed to me to be melodramatic, simplistic and with cliches. I am old enough to remember the horrific conditions in institutions similar to the one in which Lucy was placed. In fact, as a young student, I worked for part a summer in such a place, which in some ways was even worse than the neglectful and atrocious conditions described here. The plot to rescue Lucy, a child with Downs Syndrome had great appeal.

I did not connect with, or care for the characters. I had sympathy for Ginny, Lucy’s birth mother, but found she was too passive, lacked assertiveness, and had a poor self-image. She was completely under the control of her husband, Ab, was given an allowance and spent her days in a comfortable home caring for her son, Peyton. Ab, himself, was controlled by his dominating father, a prominent and wealthy attorney. When Lucy was born Ab and his father relinquished Lucy to the State without Ginny’s knowledge or permission.

Ginny was told that Lucy was in a school to meet her special mental and medical needs and was dissuaded from visiting her. It was not until someone made Ginny aware of a series of newspaper articles exposing dreadful conditions at the institution that Ginny decided to act.

Ginny sees the squalid conditions and the neglect of Lucy and others when she visits the institute with her friend, Marsha. She signs Lucy out for the weekend and is determined to never bring her back to the wretched place. Due to Ginny’s lack of decisiveness, she and Marsha start out on a badly planned road trip. It is difficult to believe these two women could ever be friends in real life. Whereas Ginny has become an isolated and devoted mother to Peyton and housewife, Marsha is single, impulsive, hard living by partying, drinking and flitting from man to man. She packs a gun and frequently swears in front of children.

They start out in a dilapidated car, without much forethought or money in order to rescue Lucy from authorities and Ab’s family. When Lucy is not returned on time, Ginny could now be considered a kidnapper and fugitive. Peyton should be starting first grade but is now in the car and staying with Marsha’s friends or in sleazy motels. Many stops are made to change Lucy’s diapers, with much description of what is discovered about her neglected condition.

I felt that this was a story about Ginny’s personal growth with a fierce love of her daughter she was rescuing and sudden courageous development of self-assertiveness. Most of the characters end with admirable, if unbelievable, changes in their beliefs and lifestyle.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for an unbiased review. I don’t think prospective readers should be dissuaded by my misgivings, and feel it is a story which will grip their emotions and that many will enjoy.

This book captivated and moved me. To think of how things have changed in the world for women and for children with special needs. How it still has changed to be made, but to have faith those changes will come to fruition is moving. This book is heartwarming and heartfelt. It’s the journey of so many lessons and of great love, devotion and courage. I love how Ginny gains herself by trying to get her daughter. It’s all about being willing to take the risks necessary to create change. I’m so glad NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this early edition of this book. I’m liking reading books more for their content and the power within their pages than to follow trends blindly. This was an emotional and powerful read. I loved the format, the characters and the heart behind the story and writing.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This heartbreaking story—inspired by true events—is a tale of how far a mother will go for her child. In 1969, Ginny Richardson gave birth to a baby girl with Down Syndrome. Her husband's family arrange to have the baby sent to Willowridge, a state-supported institution for children with intellectual disabilities. Abbott, her husband, tries to convince Ginny that it is for the best and that they should move on after they grieve for her daughter whom, they were going to claim, died at birth.

Two years later, Ginny's best friend, Marsha, shows her articles about Willowridge—the living conditions are nothing short of horrifying, and the children are severely neglected. Ginny, Marsha, and Ginny's six-year-old son visit the school to see for themselves if there is any truth to what is being reported and how Lucy is being cared for. With the circumstances being exactly as described, Ginny takes Lucy and flees. For the first time in her life, she is in control and in for the fight of her life against Ab and his powerful family.

Greenwood's writing is great, in fact, it's better than great. She effortlessly draws the reader in and deftly balances the delicate subject matter with the story—based on real events—that needed to be told. I felt that she kept the writing light on purpose given the horrific reports of institutions, like Willowridge, that actually existed. It could be argued that this did the novel a disservice however, in this case, I think it worked. Ginny was naive and passive and this type of character couldn't shoulder a heavier plot with a deeper exploration into both the depression that Ginny experienced as well as the deplorable conditions that Lucy was living in.

At first, I was a little thrown by the third perspective, and the sentence structure was distracting because every sentence seemed to start with "Ginny". Once I got past that and into the rhythm of the writing, I devoured this page-turner.

I read Rust & Stardust last year and really liked it, so I was excited to receive a copy of T. Greenwood’s newest book, Keeping Lucy, in hopes of learning more about a period of history I didn’t know much about. I did like this book and I did learn something, but I didn’t like it quite as much as Rust & Stardust because I felt it lacked in plot.

Finding Lucy is about a family from Massachusetts in the 1970’s whose second child is born with down synodrome. Down syndrome has a sad history in the United States and the delivery doctor strongly recommended enrolling the baby, Lucy, in an institution that could better see to her needs. Her mother, Ginny, was excluded from the decision to give up the baby and years later, she struggles with the loss of her little girl. When Lucy is two years old, a journalist publishes an expose about Willowridge, Lucy’s school, that reveals the deplorable living conditions in which the children are kept. Ginny is horrified and upset by the article and travels to Willowridge for the first time to see the conditions for herself and meet her daughter.

Greenwood definitely has a unique style of writing. It is very simple and straight forward, but does an excellent job of making you feel acutely uncomfortable and anxious. Rust & Stardust was about the kidnapping of Sally Horner, the young girl who inspired Lolita, and made me feel so anxious and frustrated about the way Sally was manipulated and treated. I had a similar reaction to Keeping Lucy in that I found this part of history shocking, I was frustrated by the way the health and justice system worked in the 1970’s, particularly in how it ignores the agency of women, and I was so anxious about the decisions the characters made and the potential ramifications. I flew through the book, reading about 75% of it on a lazy saturday.

I liked that this looked at a disturbing and lesser known part of history, but unfortunately I was a little disappointed in the execution. I was expecting this book to focus on Willowridge, the poor living conditions, the pursuit of justice against the institution, and the fight for custody of the children and for people with Down Syndrome to be recognized as people with a full set of rights. Willowridge is not a real place, but I trust it was imagined based on other similar institutions. Likewise, Ginny is not a real person, but I imagine there are parents out there who unknowningly were advised to send their babies off to similar institutions. In Ginny’s case, she was more or less blindsided by her husband and father-in-law, which plays a large role in the story.

I liked Ginny’s story arc in that it highlights how little agency women had in their lives and relationships. But overall I felt the author missed an opportunity to write a more historically meaningful plot. In order for the babies to be committed to the institution, parents essentially gave up their custody rights to the state. Once the story got going, I was expecting for this to be a story about Ginny’s battle with the state to save her daughter and regain custody while fighting against the antiquanted and sexist beliefs of her father in law, who thought he was entitled to make decisions for his son and family. The story provided a great look at how the patriarchy robbed women of any power or agency and the gender dynamics that often existed in families at this time. But ultimately this story was not about a custody battle, but rather was a drawn out road trip in which Ginny tries to escape with her daughter and the trials she faces as a single woman/mother in rural America. It was an interesting story with a surprising amount of action, but meaningless in that while I understood Ginny’s desperation, her actions were drastic and not realistic. I know Ginny was only try to save her daughter from being returned to Willowridge, but her actions were short sighted and actually really harmful to the result that she wanted. She’s applauded at the end for her good motherly instincts, which I thought pretty rich because she basically just ran away from any responsibility.

Ginny and Martha made a lot of bad decisions that I felt there was really no coming back from. I disliked the ending because I thought it was extremely unlikely and absolved Ginny of any wrongdoing. (view spoiler) What I really wanted to hear about was the struggle all those other families went through in gaining custody of their children and what legal actions were taken against the institutions for their neglect. People with Down Syndrome had to fight for their legal rights, care, and education, and I would have much preferred to learn more about that.

The story did hold my interest throughout the whole book and I sped through it, but the longer GInny and Martha spent on the road, the more I wondered what the whole point was. I didn’t expect them to be on the run for so long and I was really surprised when it ended up being the main plotline of the story. This is a fascinating part of history and I really just wish we had gotten a different story. I won’t fault the author because she did still deliver on a fast paced and interesting story, but personally, it just wasn’t the story I was hoping for and I thought it was a bit of a missed opportunity. I’m still giving it 3 stars because I did learn something and I thought the writing was pretty good, but overall it just left me wanting more.

This was an incredibly emotional story to read following a mother's harrowing journey to reclaim her daughter. Several times (reading on my subway commute) I had to catch myself from spilling tears from the overwhelming emotions in this book.

The novel did a good job of demonstrating some of the stereotypes and prejudices that people with a disability must have endured in the 60s and 70s. It also did an incredible job of depicting the main character Ginny and demonstrating how this could have easily happened during the time period - losing the rights to your child thanks to a husband's decision.

What is really eye-opening is realizing that this didn't take place so long ago even though it feels like our society has changed and evolved so drastically. At the same time, it hasn't and most mental disabilities are still very misunderstood.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.*

Keeping Lucy is the third book by T. Greenwood that I've had the pleasure of reading. I LOVED Rust & Stardust, her 2018 offering and was hopeful that Keeping Lucy would be in the same vein.

While indisputably well written, Keeping Lucy didn't keep me up at night. Whether that is a good or a bad thing, I will leave to you to decide.

Keeping Lucy is the story of Ginny Richardson, a young housewife who gives birth to a daughter (Lucy) with Down's Syndrome in Delaware in 1969. Her powerful father in law and toe-the-line husband swoop in and convince Ginny that the only option is to send Lucy to an institution that can handle her issues. Wracked with guilt, Lucy trudges forward, continuing to raise their toddler son and go through the motions of life. Until her friend shows her an exposé in a newspaper they don't subscribe to detailing the neglect and abuse at the facility where Lucy had been housed.

Ginny and her friend Marsha decide to go to the facility to see for themselves. What they discover is worse than Ginny's fears and they decide not to return Lucy when the weekend is over. Fearing her father in law & husband, they embark upon a journey to safety and security.

I enjoyed this story and will continue to read T. Greenwood's library!

A mother’s love is powerful and this was embodied in Ginny. At times when I was reading this, I found I was questioning the “how’s” and “why’s” of the parental separation and mistreatment of a special needs child but I was doing so through the lenses of 2019, not 1969. Reading of Ginny’s transformation in just a few short weeks was rewarding as was the back story that led to the decisions made by the key characters.

Fantastic book!! I throughly enjoyed every bit of it. Sheds light on a time when women did not have equal rights. A time when women weren't free to make their own decisions, even when it came down to her children or body. The most alarming thing about this story is the truth behind how children born with physical/mental capabilities were treated back then. This story is about the true love a mother has for her children. This particular mother finds her wings and learns to put her foot down when it matters most. It was liberating to see Ginny change throughout the story. There is plenty of drama to keep the rollercoaster going, even in the low points. The best part? Nothing was crazy, out of this world, or unrealistic. This could truly be someone's story and probably was at some point in history. I would definitely recommend this book!

I really liked this book. I already knew, of course, that until relatively recently most kids with Down syndrome and other developmental differences were institutionalized and not given the specialized care and education they needed to thrive, and sometimes neglected, but I didn’t realize the extent of the issues not even very long ago. In that way, the book was hard to read but very eye-opening. At the same time, the story itself was very compelling. I could really relate to Ginny and how it must have felt to be caught between different parts of her family in that way, and I know how hard it can be on a marriage if one spouse isn’t willing to stand up to their domineering family. I felt that the author captured some of the types of common issues that many families struggle with, layered over this well researched recent history, in a way that was fascinating and well written. I also really liked the layer of feminism and women’s empowerment that underscored the whole story. I did feel like some of the plot points resolved a little too easily, that there was room in the story for more complexity and nuance over time, but overall this was a great and captivating read.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This was one I couldn't put down till I finished it. I have a cousin who's down syndrome and it's so touching reading this book

I was looking forward to reading this book because I thought the premise - that the main character had to rescue her young downs-syndrome daughter from an institution was unique and emotive. Having said that I found it came up a bit short for a couple of reasons -
1) the scenarios were rather far fetched. I don't want to give spoilers but I found a couple of the story arcs, including the tied-neat-in-a-bow ending a bit unlikely.
2) the writing was rather pedestrian.
Overall an okay book I won't be raving about.

I was not familiar with T Greenwood until reading this fantastic book. What a wonderful story. I especially enjoyed the setting (from Massachusetts to Florida) as well as the late 60s/earl;y 70s time frame. I could not put this down, and read it over the weekend. Our library will definitely be purchasing this title. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
After devouring “Rust and Stardust” (and being both infatuated and disturbed by it), I was excited to get the chance to read T. Greenwood’s newest novel, “Keeping Lucy”.
It’s 1969 and Ginny Richardson is living the life she always dreamed of. She has a loving, wealthy husband, a happy and elegant home, and a young son she adores. When she gets pregnant again, her happiness only continues to grow. However, when the child is born she is given devastating news; her daughter, Lucy, was born with Down’s syndrome. Her husband, Ab, suggests that they put Lucy into the care of Willowridge, a local school for the “retarded”, encouraging Ginny that it’s “for the best”. Two years later, Ginny starts to hear about atrocities being committed at Willowridge; children being abused, starved, neglected, and living in disgusting conditions. Soon Ginny and her best friend Marsha are on the road to Willowride, and when Ginny’s worst fears are confirmed, she takes Lucy with her and they are on the run. As a fugitive, Ginny is forced to think independently for the first time in her life, and make decisions for herself and her daughter.
“Keeping Lucy” reminds us of just how far we have come. Less than fifty years ago, women were subservient to their husbands, relying on them to make the large decisions (and the money), while they cared for the home and the children. It was a time when women having children was expected, when women having full-time jobs was rare and disapproved of by society as a whole, and “retarded” children were shut away in decrepit homes with incompetent caregivers. “Lucy” is a stark reminder of how far society has come in terms of “acceptance” (although yes, of course, we still have a long way to go).
This story started off strong, and I was addicted from page one. The storyline dwindled a lit bit somewhere in the middle, however, but I was so interested in the outcome of this novel that I pushed through. I could not help but cheer for Ginny and the adorable, Lucy.
Greenwood’s characters are honest and dysfunctional, from the stuck up Abbott Sr. and his elitist dreams, right down to Marsha, the unmarried best friend with “loose morals” (HA!). The women in this novel all come together to protect each other and keep the children safe, as the men seek to show that “they know what’s best”. There is no doubt this novel will make you think and self-reflect.
I found the ending to be unrealistic (it played out as a Lifetime Movie of the Week would, not as it would in reality), but it was endearing and charming, and left the reader feeling satisfied and content.
After a novel such as “Rust and Stardust”, it would be challenging to write another novel with the same passion and connection, but “Keeping Lucy” is heartwarming and heartbreaking, and the emotions and thoughts evoked in the reader are the same ones that “Stardust” brought out. This novel will make you think, make you cry, and make you cheer, and this seems to be Greenwood’s M.O. “Keeping Lucy” is a novel that is worth checking out!

This novel takes place in the late 1960s, early 1970's, and is about an infant born with Downs Syndrome, being whisked away to an institution without the mother's consent. Ginny's husband's father, a wealthy lawyer, decided it'd be best for the family. Two year's later, a friend tells her horror stories about this institution that had been reported on the news, and the mother takes her young son and sets off with her friend to find her daughter.

Marsha, her long time friend, is unmarried, independent, and introduces Ginny to her first lesbian, teaches her to drive her standard (Ginny had no license, which seems odd for 1970's), and brings her to her sister's house to hide with the children. I wish Ginny didn't seem like such a weak character since she was intelligent. How she remained so oblivious to the world around her, especially during this time period, is beyond me. She claimed to not like keeping up with the news, though the news was everywhere.

In this brief week together, the daughter says her first words: moon (this is the metaphor to much of the birth-related issues), mama, and Peyton (her brother's name). It seems unlikely she'd learn these three words, especially her brother's name, within that week after lying in a crib covered with lice, filled with parasites, and recovering from broken ribs from the hands of a male attendant with a beard, but apparently this had to happen to keep the novel moving along as she struggled to convince her husband and father-in-law to give her custodial rights again. Even though the novel was far from perfect, I admit that I felt compelled to keep reading. I wish it wasn't quite so cheesy, even though I am glad there was the "happy ending" after the adventurous road trip to reach that point, because the novel covers an issue that deserves to be remembered.

Wow! After reading a few books that were just "okay" I was feeling like I was in a little bit of a reading rut during these last few weeks. I started Keeping Lucy with high hopes and it was everything I hoped it would be. It was my first book by T. Greenwood and certainly won't be my last.

I was immediately drawn into this story and the characters. Greenwood's storytelling was wonderful and her attention to detail made me easily picture the scenes and the amazingly well-developed characters that were based in the 1960s and early 1970s. I have been wanting to read a book that just captivated me and this one did from the start.

I felt emotionally connected to the characters and was rooting for them all in different ways. Within the very powerful main storyline (that was based on real events) were smaller ones that also were very timely and powerful in their own right. Although it doesn't seem that long ago, the last 1960s were shockingly different in many ways and I was impressed at how Greenwood could bring me there with such vividness in her writing.

This book was filled with themes of fear, persistence, friendship, hope and the most wonderful thing of all, the power that we can all learn and change. The ending of the book all came together for me in a very satisfying way and I was sad it was over which is a sign of a book you really loved.

Thanks to NetGalley, T. Greenwood, and St. Martin's Press for sharing a copy of this book with me in exchange for my honest opinions.