this was a very profound an insightful book about a mother and her disabled child and the lengths she will go to protect her child from harm.

Ginny gives birth to her second child a daughter who is called Lucy. She is born with Down's Syndrome and Ginny is told she basically won't live very long and would be best placed in ac school( an institution.

Her husband tells her that visits to the school are discouraged for terminal cases.

Everyone outside the immediate family is told the baby died at birth, including Ginny's young son.

Two years later Ginny's sister tells her about a newspaper expose of the school written by an undercover reporter.
She reads 4 separate articles in 4 separate newspapers. telling of the horrific conditions at the school.
Parents of other children at the school have filed class action lawsuits against the school.

When Ginn tells her husband about this he tells her the school is a state run institution and state funding was cut therefore conditions at the school have suffered. Her father in law knows the state mental health commissioner and together they did what they felt was best for Lucy..

Ginny and her sister go to the school ad observe the conditions and take Lucy for the weekend.
Lucy is still in diapers and doesn't talk..
They take Lucy and her brother to the amusement park and when Ginny changes Lucy's diaper she discovers maggots and a severe and extensive diaper rash. Lucy's teeth are badly decayed and she has lice too.

Ginny wants to take Lucy to their pediatrician and to a children's dentist but in order to do so she has to convince her husband the right thing to do is to bring Lucy home to live.

Her husband tells her his law firm is involved n the class action suit and they are defending the school. which means she can't bring Lucy home.

She calls her mother with the news, her mother tells he that her husband and father in law will be meeting her and bring Lucy back to the school. She tells her that her husband signed away Ginny's parental rights shortly after her birth which means Ginny doesn't have custody of her and if she doesn't return Lucy to the school at the end of the weekend she can be arrested for kidnapping and she could be arrested.

Ginny doesn't take Lucy back to the school and when Lucy becomes very ill and needs to be hospitalized she is informed by the doctor that Lucy has pneumonia due to a compromised immune system typical of Down's Syndrome children and she broke a couple of ribs a few months ago and she has a hole in her heart which can be corrected by surgery.

Ginny has to call her husband with these devastating developments and see what he will be willing to do.

Keeping Lucy is a compelling, heart-achy book about the sacrifices and risks a mother will make for her child. When Ginny gives birth to her second child, a daughter named Lucy, she receives devastating news. Worse than that, she is informed by her husband that his powerful father has had Lucy institutionalized. Two years later, Ginny reads an expose’ about the boarding school in which Lucy resides. Ginny signs Lucy out for a weekend, but when she sees evidence of how badly Lucy was treated, she makes a risky decision to keep her, going on the lam. What follows is a cat and mouse chase, with Ginny evading the law, worried she could lose her children permanently. Ginny proves herself to be resilient and strong—doing everything she can to keep her children safe. This was an extremely poignant book, filled with love and devotion—especially the love of a mother for her child.

Thank you to St.Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Keeping Lucy is available for pre-order and here is a link: Keeping Lucy



Ginny Richardson's is not happy when she goes into labor two weeks early, and has to have a c-section, but to make matters worse everyone is saying something is wrong with her beautiful little girl and before she knows Lucy is gone. Gin's husband maintains it is to a wonderful school for kids like her (Lucy has Down Syndrome) and says that they can't visit for the first 30 days. He also tells Gin that she has a heart problem and that they don't encourage visits for terminal children.



Gin is confused and heartbroken, but she tries to move on and do what her husband asks. That is until her best friend calls her. Marsha has seen articles about Willowridge and thinks Ginny should know what is going on. When Gin confronts her husband he admits that he knows all about it, but that he and his father are the lawyers on behalf of the school and it is not as bad as the papers make it out.



Ginny decides then that she has to see Lucy, so Marsha drives her up with Peyton (Gin's oldest child) and what she finds destroys her. Gin makes the impulsive decision to not return Lucy to the school after she changes her diaper for the first time.



I read T. Greenwoods Rust and Stardust and loved every minutes of it. So when I saw another book by the author I knew I had to request and read this one. This like Rust and Stardust is based on true events. I was horrified and on the edge of my seat! I rooted for Ginny so much and found her to be so amazing and determined. I also sincerely love how her best friend Marsha is like the Thelma to her Louise!



This is a moving story about heartbreak, secrets, and courage and love!

I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't my favorite. I found myself liking it more once Marsha and Ginny finally arrived in Florida. The book was mainly about Ginny and would have loved to read more about Lucy and Willowridge. Why didn't Ginny go and visit Lucy on her own? It took her two years to finally see Lucy!!! If it wasn't for Marsha, I don't think Ginny would have ever reconnected with her daughter. Didn't love any of the characters. Ginny made so many bad choices on her road trip. I was afraid what was going to happen to the children if she got arrested. Lucy would have been sent back to that horrible school and Peyton would have grown up under the influence of her in-laws. I cringed every time she used her husband's credit card. He could trace her path with each transaction. Marsha didn't have much common sense. The license plate and the gun, I was just waiting for them to be pulled over.

As always, I loved the author's writing style and I am a huge fan of the author's previous books (all except Rust & Stardust.) I enjoyed the story but didn't love it. My biggest complaint was I wished it was more about Lucy. The cover of the book is perfect.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

In the same vein as other reviewers, I was completely captivated by the author's previous novel, Rust and Stardust and had selected this book as one of my most eagerly anticipated reads of 2019. It DID NOT disappoint.

Keeping Lucy shows how far a mother will go to protect the children that she loves. It's 1969 and main protagonist, Ginny is devasted when her father in law makes the unilateral decision that Ginny and his son, Ab, will not raise their newborn daughter. Fearing that a child with Down Syndrome will ruin the family image, the baby girl is sent to a state insitution. Two years pass and Ginny cannot get past the pain of not knowing her child. When a childhood friend alerts of the condition of the state institution, Ginny takes her young son and heads to find her young daughter. Soon Ginny and her best friend become a little bit like Thelma and Louise as they head out on the road with the children, but there are people who will do anything to stop them.


What I Thought

Although I had to raise an eyebrow at some of the antics and suspend some disbelief( it is after all a fictional story) at some of the situations, I cannot deny that I was absolutely engrossed in my reading experience. I much preferred the present storyline rather than the flashbacks that did seem a bit repetitive in the angle of Ab's father. I certainly rooted for Ginny as she and her best friend, Marsha take a road trip with the two children in tow. The ending certainly had me in tears!

Goodreads Review 24/07/19
Expected Publication 06/08/19

To be quite frank, I felt like this book is only nominally about Lucy, or "a mother's love." It's really about Ginny and her privilege and narrow worldview. I can muster a bit of sympathy considering how sheltered she's always been, how she grew up knowing she was going to be a housewife and mother; the world is a scary place, especially when you've never actually prepared to face it. But only a bit, because the primary focus of the narrative seems to be Ginny's safe little bubble being popped as she "has to" do dangerous things for Lucy.

The actual writing and storytelling are fine, engaging even, but I took issue with the morality. The narrative, through other characters, repeatedly insists that Ginny can do no wrong, even if she's breaking the law or endangering <i>both</i> her children; while I do believe that her good intentions count for something, they don't justify her every decision.

My first book by T. Greenwood didn't work out to well for me. Great premise, sadly it fell flat. Lucy and finding out her outcome is the only thing that kept my attention. Other than that, this book was sooo slow and there was no real resolution. It was like all was forgiven with minimal effort. I'm glad Lucy didn't have to go back to the State Asylum. However, more consequences shouldn't have been taken when it came to her husband, the Asylum, and her father in law.

As a mom, I can't imagine not trying to find out about my daughter for 2 years. I understand the time and all, but still. I admired her fight to keep Lucy, but for 2 years her child was terribly abused. And she just lived her life.

Also, don't even get me started on all the drinking and smoking the friend did while she was pregnant. Just no.

I'm not sure if I would read another by this author. First impressions and all.

It's so weird how far we've come. In the 1960s and 1970s, when Keeping Lucy is set, children with various diseases and disorders (Down Syndrome, in Lucy's case, but also cerebral palsy and I'm sure others) were institutionalized. Parents were told that they didn't have the resources to take care of the children and that they were sick and would likely just die soon anyway. They were told that it was better for everyone if their child was institutionalized. And the parents believed it.

That's what happened in Keeping Lucy. Ginny was never on board but it happened without her knowledge and approval, and she trusted her husband to do what was best. And then, two years after Lucy was born, her best friend Marsha called. The institution (called a school) was being investigated. Ginny goes to investigate herself and gets to check Lucy out for a long weekend visit. And then she realizes two things: she was lied to about the kind of care that her daughter was receiving and that she cannot, under any circumstances, let her daughter go back there.

This novel absolutely broke my heart. I don't know the true story behind Keeping Lucy (and I imagine there are more than a few that could've inspired it) but I did hear about the one institution that sounds similar to Willowridge. (I'm guessing there's more than one place that could've inspired it, though.)

This isn't an easy read, per se, but it's not heartbreaking the entire time. There's a lot of hope and since, ultimately, this book is about love, it's definitely worth the tears.

Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood. This story grabs you right from the start and doesn’t let go. You will be cheering for Ginny as she grows from a 1960s housewife into a strong, independent woman. Decisions were made for Ginny that she had no control over. When she realizes the devastating effect those decisions had, she sets out to right a wrong, with her friend Marsha by her side. This story is set in the early 60’s when times were different. It is so nice to know that times have changed, as well as attitudes towards the disabled. Ginny was ahead of her times in fighting for her daughter. Read this book, you won’t be disappointed.

Keeping Lucy is a fast-paced novel that both warms your heart and breaks it. Set in the late 1960's and early 1970's, Ginny and her husband Ab welcome their second child, a girl (Lucy), who is born with Down's Syndrome. Before Ginny even gets a chance to hold her, a nurse whisks Lucy away. The doctor talks to her about the difficulty of raising children such as these, but due to her just-gave-birth-and-am-exhausted haze, the words don't really register. When she awakens and asks that her daughter be brought to her, she is told that Lucy is gone, committed by her husband to a "school" for children with birth defects.

Her husband says that it's for the best, Lucy will be well cared for and they should move on with their lives, focusing on their son, Peyton. To please her husband, she tries to do just that, because it's already a done deal, and her husband and his parents won't discuss it. Two years later, a newspaper does a series of articles about the school, bringing to light what a hell-hole it really is. When she talks to Ab, he assures her everything is ok and to forget about it. But Ginny decides she wants to see for herself whether the stories are true, and she, Peyton and her best friend Marsha go to the school to see Lucy.

What she sees appalls her, and she decides on the spur of the moment to sign Lucy out for a home-visit over the long Labor-Day weekend. Knowing Ab won't change his mind about Lucy, she and Marsha go on the run with the children.

It bothers me how recently in our country's society "defective" children were put away as the norm for parents who could afford it - out of sight, out of mind. And that there is still a large stigma surrounding children with birth defects or illnesses, or any child that doesn't fit society's definition of "normal". Ab personifies this attitude in the book. That's the heartbreak.

It is heartwarming to see Ginny standing up against her husband and his family, and taking action to try to protect her daughter. (No spoilers here, all of this is disclosed in the book write-up.) And let me just say, everyone should have a friend as good and loyal as Marsha!

Though a quick and entertaining read, I don't think this is among Greenwood's best works. Thus the 3 star review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read the novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

T. Greenwood has officially become a favorite author of mine. I loved Rust & Stardust last year and also thoroughly enjoyed Keeping Lucy. Greenwood’s writing style has an ease to it and I found this to be a compulsive page-turner. At times I was so drawn into the plot that my heart broke for both Lucy and Ginny. I became completely wrapped up in their compelling stories. Greenwood also masterfully weaves feminism into the plot and emphasizes women helping women throughout this, which I found very refreshing. This one is an all-around winner, recommended to fans of women’s fiction with a touch of suspense.

Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and T. Greenwood for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

So many parts of this book made me both sad and angry but I absolutely loved it. The fierceness of a mother's love is never to be underestimated and Ginny was full on mama bear when it came to Lucy.

I loved loved loved this book!! It was a story of a Mother’s unconditional love for her child. Ginny gave birth to Lucy in 1969 when women were sedated during childbirth and in Ginny’s haze she realized something was wrong during delivery. Later she realized Lucy had Down’s Syndrome and had been sent to an institution. I will not go into how all of that transpired because you need to read the book!!!

Ginny went to find Lucy and when she did she just wanted to hold on and include her in her son, Peytons life and her husband , Ab. This story made me laugh and cry and as a Mother I could feel Ginny’s resolve to keep this perfectly imperfect child no matter the obstacles. Even if your not a Mother, the author sucks you into this book of emotions that you won’t easily forget.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that I have several T. Greenwood novels in my TBR and I've read Rust and Stardust and LOVED it. Do yourself a favor - if you haven't read Rust and Stardust, run out and get it NOW. Anyway, when I received the email from NetGalley that my request for Keeping Lucy had been approved, I clapped my hands and yelled "YAY!"

And this book did NOT disappoint. It is a beautiful, moving portrait of a mother's love, and the lengths to which she will go to protect her child. The story is set in the late 60s/early 70s. Ginny gives birth to Lucy, born with Down Syndrome. Her husband and father-in-law "convince" (force would be a better term) her to put the child in a hospital. Two years later her friend discovers there is a lawsuit against the institution for gross neglect. She signs the child out, and along with her older son and her friend, they set off on a road trip to protect the child.

The story is heartbreaking and beautiful, and ultimately Ginny finds her strength and resilience to do what she thinks is right. Do NOT miss a chance to read this book!

I was actually a little terrified of this novel at first. I have a cousin and a sister in law with Down Syndrome and I thought this would be so hard to read . But the author didn't spend too much time on the school and the horror that awaited there. We do get a bit of insight into the cruelty that happens in that "school" throughout the book. What we don't get a lot of - and I was hoping for- was about Lucy. This book seemed to focus more on Ginny and all she goes through and that was disappointing.

I have had this book on my Kindle for a really long time. And I just never got around to reading it but I'm so glad that I finally did. I probably could have read this book in one fell swoop, it's that gripping. The story meanders a bit between the present, when Ginny has her baby and she gets taken from her, and the past, outlining the love story between Ginny and Ab and the circumstances that bring them to the present. The drive from Massachusetts to Florida is the best part. The author keeps the plot suspenseful and quick paced. I recommend this one!

Oh, how I enjoyed this story, at one time, I just smiled, stood up and said “You go girl, stand up for yourself and let the ole guy have it!!”
This tale took me down memory lane of the late 60’s and 70’s. I would have been about the same age of the characters in this storyline and could totally relate to how Grace was expected to be the loving stay at home mother while her husband took care of everything, and reversing the charges on a phone call, to funny. I laughed out loud when poor little Lucy hurled in the back seat, and could just envision how it would be traveling across the country in a Dart. There are so many funny scenes in here, but they are just the tip of the iceberg for such a big heartfelt tale of a mother’s love for a small “blessed” child.
The chapters switch back and forth from the dating of Grace and Ab to the current situation they are handling with Willowridge. This is a quick read that was hard to put down. There are some times when a book just hits the spot, and this was one of those. I highly recommend and am giving it 5*****’s.
I thank St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book for my honest review.

Keeping Lucy is a soul-stirring story of a mother’s unconditional love. Set in the early 1970’s, Ginny Richardson gives birth to a baby girl with Down syndrome. While Ginny is under sedation her husband and father-in-law determine the child should be sent to Willowridge, a school for children with special needs. Two years later when a newspaper exposes rampant neglect and cruelty at the institution, Ginny embarks on a pursuit to rescue Lucy the child she has never forgotten and always longed for.

Greenwood creates a masterful story of human will in this skillfully written work. The fast pace is exhilarating and engages the reader all the way to the end. Greenwood’s characters are well developed and win your heart, especially little Lucy. This book is also an eye-opening narrative on the treatment of children with special needs in the late twentieth century.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A mother shattered and overwhelmed by the power of his husband’s family, an innocent baby whose only crime was being born less than perfect and a world who has turned its back on the atrocities of a facility designed to “protect and care for those like Lucy.” It will take a stark and horrifying newspaper expose to finally give Ginny the backbone to take back her two-year-old daughter with Down’s syndrome, but her methods will endanger them both.

KEEPING LUCY by T. Greenwood has everything to wrench one’s heart out, to want to reach out to help, to rage at the complacency of public ignorance and how far a mother will go to protect her child, even at the risk of endangering herself and her other child. Where was her husband? Was he cowering at his father’s feet like a whipped dog, all for the almighty dollar and a possible political future?

I wanted to love this one, but most of this tale, which, believe it or not begins in the mid twentieth century, 1969, but it just missed for me as two women take to the highway, no destination or plan in mind to stay one step ahead of the law and the family bulldozer of power. There was too much that seemed implausible, too many avenues they could have taken and yet, it became a tragic comedy of risk, broken laws and bad choices, as well as further broken laws to cover their flight.

A drama that missed my heart, but sent my nerves into a frenzy of frustration with the characters.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from St. Martin's Press! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Due to the compelling nature of this story, I started it in the morning and finished it that evening. After the hit last year Rust & Stardust (based on events that inspired Lolita), this time around Greenwood uses another inspiring true-life story to show a mother's devotion and love. A baby girl with Down's Syndrome is born to Ginny and Ab in 1969, a time when little was known about children with special needs and prejudice was rife. Lucy is thus taken away at birth and put into a 'school' for handicapped children. Two years hence, a news article about abuse at the school sets Ginny, her son, and her best friend off on a life-changing road trip. While I rooted for Ginny and wanted to slap her husband silly, I was also searching for more complete character development. I needed more explanation and depth as to why Ginny breaks away from the stereotypical, very protected, meek and mealy-mouthed wife of decades past and seemingly becomes Mama Bear when it is most needed. Don't get me wrong - I loved the change - but I felt as if it needed to be flushed out more. Ditto for her husband, mother-in-law, and best friend. I appreciated the happy ending, but needed to more fully see and comprehend the direction markers along the road before getting to the destination.