T. Greenwood has done it again. She's written a story so complex, so emotional that it sticks with you long after the last page has been turned.
The year is 1969. A different time, different beliefs. Ginny is heartbroken when her newborn is ripped from her arms and given over to a "special school" before she even knows what's happening. Her husband, Ab, and his father convince her it's for the best. After all, what do they know about raising a child with Down Syndrome?
So Ginny tries to move on. She continues to be a good wife and mother to their other child. But Lucy is always in her heart and on her mind. Then she sees an article on Willowridge, the school where Lucy has been sent. And the stories coming from Willowridge are not good.
Acting on instinct, she takes a trip to see it for herself. What she sees isn't good. It certainly isn't a place anyone should willingly want their child to live. Determined to save Lucy this time, she sets out on a cross country journey while trying to convince Ab that their baby belongs at home with them. Along the way she finds that, while Lucy may have been out of her hands for the last two years, she's never been out of her heart.
This is another outstanding story from one of my favorite authors. It's heartbreaking but also historical in that it captures the attitudes from the time period perfectly. It's a story of despair and hope, a story of family and love. This is one I won't soon forget!

This was not what I expected and I mean that in a good way! This book is about a mother and the incredible journey and lengths she goes on to protect her daughter.

The description says that this is based on a true story and I would love to know what story it is based on because I found it fascinating. Ginny has a young and healthy son, Peyton and lives a happy life with her son and husband, Ab (short for Abbott). They are overjoyed to find out Ginny is expecting another child.

However, when Ginny and Ab's new daughter, Lucy, arrives, she is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. That doesn't sound too hopeless in our day and age, but this story takes place in 1969 when children with different disabilities were whisked away and placed in facilities.

Lucy remains in the state run facility for 2 years before an expose in a paper shows the horrid conditions of the home. Ginny, who has suffered with the guilt of her daughter being placed in the facility, launches into action to rescue Lucy. With the help of her best friend, Marsha, a whirlwind journey takes place. Ginny is up against her very powerful father in law and in for the battle of her life and that of her daughter.

This was a book I kept coming back to as soon as I could. I really wanted to find out what happened and how it would all turn out. When I got a copy of this from the publisher and first read the description, I was a little leery. At first, I didn't think that it would be something I would have picked up on my own. But, it turned out that it was a very good read and I highly recommend it. This book will be available August 2019.

Thank you to the publisher for this opportunity.

This was a conflicting book for me. I liked the premise of the story, but felt the timelines might be a little out of wack. That type of thinking and prejudice toward Downs children, seemed to be much more appropriate to the 40s or 50s.
I found Ginny to be very weak and submissive for a woman in the 60’s and 70’s. Not to know how to use a credit card, was unrealistic. The woman’s movement was certainly well on its way by then.
I basically liked the story, The effort to remove the child from a horrible situation and showing Lucy to be a sweet child, capable of living with her family and bringing them pleasure. I liked the support of her friend Marsha
and others along the way, that helped them out. It was an page turner and easy to read. I just felt it was too predictable and left nothing to the imagination.
Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the ARC for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I'm sure places like Willowridge and stories like that of the Richardson's were very prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s and I'm thankful T. Greenwood brought one to life to make it more personal! I really empathized with Ginny. Her passion and love for her children was at the forefront of her mind in all of her decisions and her maternal instincts just went to show that mothers will do anything for their children. Her relationship with Ab and her in-laws was raw and captivating, and one I enjoyed following along with. I read the book in a day as the story is both captivating and heartbreaking from the beginning. Super easy read and well written! After reading this, I want to check out more by T. Greenwood. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Amazing writing, amazing story telling and I could not stop reading it until the last page!

Honestly, I was just going to "preview" a bit of this novel, and planned on reading it next month. That never happened. - I became so absorbed in the story and so invested in the characters that I simply couldn't put the book down !

It was such a compelling story line and I just fell in love with little Lucy and truly cared about her and her mom, Ginny. I had to see the story through to the end.

It was 1969 and Ginny's baby girl, Lucy was born with Down's Syndrome. Ginny was tricked by her high and mighty family into committing Lucy to an institution named Willowridge .

Oh, the horrors that come out about what has been taking place at Willowbridge, prompt Ginny and her bestie, Martha (who I also loved)! to grab baby Lucy and take off on a Thelma and Louise inspired road trip! I found myself cheering these ladies on and wanting to cuddle Lucy myself!

I teared up, I took deep breaths, I whooped, and I delighted in everything Lucy!

Okay..... I Loved Lucy! xoxoxo

Highly recommend you read it and fall in love too.

Blog review to come....

I have loved each book I have read by T. Greenwood, Finding Lucy was no exception. A mother’s love is incomprehensible and there are no boundaries on what she will do to protect her children. Ginny went to incredible lengths to keep her daughter Lucy from harm, and the story is amazing! Highly recommend!

This book captivated me from start to finish!

Very mild spoiler(s)

It's 1969 and Ginny has just given birth to her second child, a baby girl with down syndrome. The moment she's born, Ginny's doctor tells her that she won't be able to keep the baby, and that her baby will likely die within a few years from a heart condition or something else. Her husband wants to protect the family by sending the baby to a school for children with needs. Ginny doesn't agree with her husband Abbott, but she feels she has no choice and all of it seems to be facilitated by her horrible, controlling, father-in-law. The baby is snatched away while everyone but Ginny seems to forget it ever happened. Over the next few years, life moves forward, but Ginny hasn't forgotten about her daughter Lucy. It still eats at her as she continues to wonder about the condition of Lucy and if this was the right choice. She tries to be a satisfactory mom and wife regardless of all her concerns. In 1971 a report surfaces with claims that Willowridge--the school where little Lucy lives-- has been neglecting the children. The report is horrible and parents have now filed lawsuits against the school. It rips at Ginny's heart and she knows she has to make haste and get to the school to find out the condition of her daughter. Against her husband's wishes, she heads on a trip with her friend Marsha to examine the conditions of the school and to check on Lucy. It turns out the report is true, and Ginny is shocked. She resolves that there's absolutely no way she can allow Lucy to stay at Willowridge any longer. What will Ginny do? With no job and not much money, how can she fix this situation? How can she be the mother Lucy needs and still care for her six-year-old son without the support of her husband?

I felt so much emotion with this story because of how well-developed the characters were. I grew to really love Ginny after her character flourishes and she finally gets enough courage to stand on her own two feet. I could even relate to the in-law pressure. Marsha (Ginny's best friend) was one of my favorites as well. She's the kind of friend everyone wants, one who's there when you need her, and one who would sacrifice anything for you. My only issue with her was her irresponsibility when it came to her reckless behavior. With that said, there were other characters in the story that I had extreme dislike for and even hate at times. I had to reluctantly put the book down more than once and ask myself repeatedly: What in the world is wrong with these people? It felt that real to me.

At times the book reminded me of one of my favorite movies Thelma and Louise, primarily because of Marsha. I couldn't help but think about these two characters and how their 'trip' felt similar. I was on edge often, as the book just kept getting better and better. I was captivated and it felt believable. The writing has a sense of urgency to it and I just couldn't stop until the end. I also loved that the author went back into the characters' histories so that you learn about their family relationships from the beginning. This jumping back and forth between the present 1971 and their past kept it interesting and yet the story remained seamless.

My absolute only complaint with this book was the ending which felt really rushed after how drawn out the story was, however, I did appreciate the conclusion with how everything turned out. I was willing to overlook the rush, but it just seemed like a few of the characters have a change of heart in an instant--which isn't impossible--just highly unlikely so quickly after how they'd been throughout their history. It was wrapped up so quickly after all that intensity and just seemed a tad too abrupt.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and think I may have found a new favorite author, even with this being my first book by T. Greenwood. I loved the articulate writing and how I was pulled in to this story. There's nothing better than a book you simply can't put down--one that you can't wait to gush about to everyone. This is that book. I couldn't resist spilling the entire story to my mom after I finished. With themes of love, friendship, courage, fear, family, and most of all, hope, this is a favorite for 2018!

5*****

I received this book "Keeping Lucy" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I did like this book. This was a quick read and I looked forward to reading it each day. A traumatic and heartwarming story of losing your child only to find her again. Very sad to think that people had to live in these institutions.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed Keeping Lucy. It was heartbreaking to read about the conditions of the institution and cheered on Ginny as she developed her backbone. I think some of it seemed a little too unbelievable and that Ginny could be so naive and trusting...

It was a quick read and I didn't want to put it down!

I very much enjoyed Rust and Stardust, the author’s last book, so I was excited at the opportunity to read this one.

When Ginny’s second child is born, a daughter with Down Syndrome, the baby is whisked away by her husband and sent to a residential home, Willowbrook. Ginny never laid eyes on her daughter or held her. She grieves the baby she never met but is subservient to her husband to a fault and the subject is never discussed in their household.

Two years later the school is the subject of an investigative article alleging abuse and neglect. Ginny decides to go on a road trip with a friend to rescue her daughter and takes her young son with her.

I’m sorry to say I found the writing simplistic with tired tropes and eye-rolling scenes. Plus, Ginny was infuriatingly passive, naïve and clueless. It was 1971 people! She drove me nuts. And her companion was supposed to be her opposite, progressive and liberated. How do we know she’s such a liberated lady? She’s promiscuous, smokes, and curses a lot, including in front of the children. Oh and she’s a nurse. How’s that for a cliched stereotype? (full disclosure: I am a nurse). Reading this book was like reading a Lifetime movie, a bad one. I gave up at 75% and just didn’t care anymore. I guessed how it would end and a friend who also read this book confirmed that I was correct.

Heartbreakingly, places like Willowbridge, the school for the mentally disabled did exist. An institution in New York, Willowbrook, was the inspiration for this story, a place Robert Kennedy called a “snake pit”. He is quoted as saying the people living in the overcrowded facility were “living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and cheerful than the cages in which we put animals in a zoo.” Thankfully, it closed in 1987 and led to legislation for people with disabilities.

I wish the focus of this book had been on facilities like this and the treatment and prejudices that surrounded the mentally disadvantaged.

This was a great story. It had me at the first chapter! It was a great reminder of how much change has happened for women in society in the last 50 years. It is hard to imagine not having any control of your life outside of your kitchen. I can’t believe that a woman could have a child and not have any say to their well being even from the delivery room. I really loved Ginny and her will to fight for Lucy. There were also many great supporting characters in the book that you wanted to hug, cheer on or slap across the face throughout the book. It was heartbreaking to read about the treatment and dismissal of special needs children. You know it happened in real life and I It has hard to believe humans were treated that way. The author did a good job organizing the book back and forth between flashbacks and the present.. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Keeping Lucy is such a powerful story. Learning about Ginny, her powerless loss of Lucy as she is sent to a school for the 'feeble-minded' at birth, and her struggle to get Lucy back while fighting her family and the law is such a strong story of redemption and love. I have noticed that some reviewers who disliked Ginny for her initial passivity; however, I couldn't disagree more. Ginny was a victim of the times, societal ignorance, and the power of her family. Through finding herself, she rose above these issues and had a strength like no other.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

When I review a book, I do not describe the story, as the description can be found on the inside jacket cover or in the synopsis on reader sites. I also do not want to reveal any plot elements that threaten to give away details. I liked this book but I didn’t love it. It was touching and heart wrenching at times. Other times, I was frustrated with the acquiescence and passivity of Ginny, the mother of the special needs child named Lucy. Some of the situations Ginny plunged into, were too far fetched for me to accept. I was a mother in the early 70s, I did not give up my voice simply because I was married. I know one’s own moral constitution and attitude can influence one’s opinion of a book, and that can be problematic for an honest review of the work. Having opined, I still thought much of the story was trite. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The idea of giving up a child to an institution sounds so sad. To have your child taken against your will and sent to a home sounds horrifying. This is the story of one such situation, based in the late 60's/early 70's. Sure, times have changed and doctors (hopefully) no longer refer to children with disabilities as imbeciles, but it was hard to read anyway. Yes, it is a novel and not one person's true story, but it was not a book to enjoy if that's what you are looking for.

Some of the characters, such as Abbott Sr, seemed a bit over the top, making it hard to stay with the story as he was just so unlikable. Overall, I think the story was a good idea to write, but can't say it was better than a 3 star, more like a 2.5 star for storyline inevitability.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

When her baby is born with Down Syndrome, Ginny is convinced that she cannot take care of Lucy and to send her to a school where she will be adequately provided for and educated. Two years later the school is the subject of an investigative article and a lawsuit alleging abuse and neglect. So Ginny decides to rescue her daughter.

Overly melodramatic and predictable for my taste, I only finished the book out of a sense of obligation. Having said that, I can name several teen girls and women friends who would love this book. Although (hopefully) these events couldn't happen today, this is a fast-paced race against time and a tension filled look at marriage and family obligations that will likely become a best-seller.

Just a good old story that is made even more compelling by the fact it was inspired by real events. It's a great reminder of how far society has come in regards to children with disabilities in just one generation. The current day story is interspersed with short chapters providing insights into the characters earlier years that are very informative although I was so caught up in the current day story at times I found the flashbacks a bit intrusive! This is definitely a book that can be read in a day or two - it reads fast and although it is a bit predictable in didn't impact my reading enjoyment at all.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review.

The book was a compelling story about a young mother just trying to be the best mother that she can be. Yet at the time, early 1970's she is controlled by her husband and has to give up her baby daughter because the baby has down syndrome. With heartbreak the young mother is forced to see the institution her daughter lives at.
She steals Lucy and runs away.
With clear, concise writing, the author weaves the story and the heartbreak throughout the book.
A great book.
A champion for challenged babies everywhere.

You HAVE to read this one! So touching, and warm, and special! I fell in love with the story and the characters. The most unusual part for me is a major character who I hated, I actually changed my mind about- now that's a great author! Don't miss this one..

This was my first book to read of T. Greenwood, Keeping Lucy. I loved it! T. Greenwood takes you back to the 60's and early 70's when institutions were the thing to do with your "unwanted" children. We meet Virginia, or Ginny as she is called for much of the book, and she is pregnant with her second child. Ginny and Ab are living the perfect life with one son and another child on the way. Like many women in this time, Ginny was a stay at home mom and she loved the thought of possibly having a daughter soon. Shortly after her shower, her daughter is born and is quickly taken away. Ginny is sedated without her consent and sleeps through most of her time in the hospital. She only sees her daughter briefly. Ginny is told her daughter will most likely die very soon and that putting her in Willowridge is the best for all. Greenwood shows us what a mothers love can do. We find Ginny taking Lucy two years later from the institution and running with her. This book pulls at your heartstrings and doesn't let go. You will root for Ginny the whole way through. I highly recommend this book! I read this book in two days. Very easy read. Greenwood does jump from past to present time, but the chapters are clearly labeled and I was able to keep up with no problem. Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley

I think it might just be me but I realized afterward that T. Greenwood wrote "Rust & Stardust," which I did not enjoy, so it may be that I do not like the writer's writing style. In this story inspired by true events, a mother will go to any lengths to protect her young daughter and ensure a good quality of life her.

I didn't enjoy this book. While I don't doubt that institutions in that day and age, even now, mistreated and abused children, the writing style felt littered with cliches and tropes. I also didn't like Grace and didn't feel any sort of maternal connection between her and Lucy.

The end felt too neat and convenient as well.