This story is initially a sad condemnation about what happened to Down's Syndrome babies before society began to understand they each have worth as a person. There is much more going on in this story as it progresses from the meeting of Ginny and Ab, their marriage and the birth of Lucy. We also see how much has changed since the early 1960's.

Keeping Lucy is expertly crafted from beginning to end to highlight how strong a mother's love is. The characters are multilayered and believable. The book clearly shows that taking risks and fighting for what you want is far more rewarding than passively accepting what is given to you. My congratulations to the author for telling an important story that demands attention.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from St Martin's Press through NetGalley.The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#KeepingLucy #NetGalley

I would like to thank the publisher and author for giving me a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn in by the beautiful cover of this book and requested it without knowing anything about the author or the book. I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed the writing, the story, the characters, the history. I was quickly drawn into the story and was invested in finding out what would happen to Lucy. I cannot imagine living in a time when it was so accepted and usual to send away children with disabilities. How heartbreaking that must be, especially to find that they were sometimes mistreated at these facilities. The author did a good job portraying the different thoughts and emotions of the character while including the social norms and beliefs of the time. I'd definitely recommend this to friends to read and would be interested in more by this author.

A thought provoking tale set during a different time when disabled children were torn from families and misunderstood. Heartwarming, lovely and well written with lots of action, relationship exploration, and heart string pulling.

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to T. Greenwood, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book totally tugged at my heartstrings. It was about a family in the late sixties that had a Down's Syndrome child, the institutionalized child, class, family, and good friends. It just had it all for me. The characters were beautifully developed and thoroughly included throughout the plot-line.

This is a wonderful book. It could have been ME who was Lucy as I was born in that time period.

Definite recommend.

I loved this book and would have given it 5 stars except for one thing that kind of annoyed me. I was super mad that it took so long for Ginny to find her backbone. This book moved me in so many ways. I have spent time working with little ones who have Down Syndrome and they are all so very precious. The way Ginny was lied to and manipulated by her husband, their doctor, and her father-in-law is unthinkable. I cried when I read the scene where she actually gets to meet Lucy for the first time since giving birth to her. The description of the asylum was so realistic and horrifying that I felt like I couldn't breathe until they got in the car and drove away. I dare anyone to read this moving book and not feel emotionally connected to the characters!

A dynamic novel about the powerful love a mother has for her children and the lengths she'll go through to protect them. Ginny is an absolute powerhouse of a character, though in the beginning of the novel, she doesn't see herself that way. However, as she's faced with all kinds of new choices she's never felt allowed to make before, she comes into her own and makes choices that we all wish had the guts to make. Even though this novel is set in the 1970s, there aren't too many reminders of it throughout the book, which is nice. Sometimes historical fiction can fall into a habit of throwing out random references to continually remind the readers that the novel takes place in a different time period, and while there were different things to do with the 1970s mentioned, they didn't feel like they were thrown in as a wink-wink-nudge-nudge kind of gesture.

Unless I missed the Author's Note (which is very possible), I would have loved to know what inspired T. Greenwood to write this book. It's such a specific and seemingly difficult topic, and Greenwood handles it with grace and care. Institutions for the mentally ill, the poor, and the disabled have so many stories within their walls, and I'm glad to see that some of these stories are being told now, whether through fiction, memoir, movies, TV shows, etc. Most importantly, I think it's great to see stories of corruption and horror within institutional walls outside of a Horror genre (ex: Shutter Island). I love that particular Horror trope, and movies/books like Shutter Island are some of my favorites, but on a humanizing level, it's lovely to see that the humanity is being brought back into the stories, and we're not just getting them as shock factors, if that makes any sense.

Overall, just a lovely book. If I ever wanted to be a mom, I'd want to be a mom like Ginny. I highly recommend this book, whether you're a mom, a single millennial, or just someone who likes a damn good story!

I hated the female lead in this book for the first half of the book. The men just ran over her and did everything their way. Thankfully she grew some balls and took her control back in the second half. It is dreadful hearing how they treated kids at this institution.

WOW! WOW! WOW! Keeping Lucy is a beautiful book and I loved everything about it!
This is based on a true story. Set in the late 1960's/Early 70's, it's about a woman, Ginny, whose daughter Lucy, was born with Down Syndrome. As a newborn, Lucy is sent away to a "school" for special needs children by her husband and father-in-law, who believed this was the best place for her. Ginny didn't agree and wanted to keep Lucy, but she was forced into this decision and was forced to lie and tell others that Lucy had been stillborn. 2 years later, Ginny discovers that Lucy had been living in filthy conditions and her and the other children at the "school" were being neglected there. Ginny retrieves Lucy from the school for a weekend visit and ends up taking her across the country to Florida to avoid having to return her to such an awful place.
This is my second book from the author, T. Greenwood, both based on true stories, and I am simply amazed at what a gift she has of taking such terrible circumstances and turning them into something beautiful. I highly recommend all book lovers pick up a copy once this book is released in August!

Really enjoyed this one!! It grabbed me from the very page until the last . Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book for an honest review.

In today's society, women are still trying to get rights in the eyes of the law, the right to birth control,  the right to abortions, and the right to equal wage.This historical fiction is still relevant today because it's about a woman struggling for the right to keep her child.
The story centers on Ginny, who only wants the simple things in life, a husband, a couple children, and a quaint little house in the country. Unfortunately for Ginny, she marries Ab, a upper-class man whose parents are rich and influential. They already have Ab's life planned out to join the family firm.
Ab's family do not accept her with open arms as they see her as beneath them. So when Ginny's second child is born with Down Syndrome, Ab's father decides that she should be sent away to a home for the mentally challenged and Ab complies without Ginny's consent.
When Ginny discovers the horrific conditions of the home, she decides to take Lucy and go on the run with her friend Marsha and her two children. In Ginny's travels, she discovers strengths that she never knew had and regains her sense of individuality.
This story is full of action and tugs at your heartstrings. It makes you root for Ginny and cry for Lucy. It is a wonderful story that you can't wait to finish.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

Thank you for allowing me to preview this galley book. This was a heart wrenching story that did not have enough dynamism to draw me in. I started skimming the last few chapters knowing there would be a happy ending because the rest of the book was so lackluster. The premise of the book and history of mental illness is very interesting and a draw, but the story line was anything but.

A look at a mother’s pain of losing a child, but her child is not dead, just taken from her, and we are on a journey to find her.
There is a reason all of those homes have closed, a place for unwanted children, but as you read this book, you may want the tissues handy, you quickly realize that this is something that you are not going to get over. This is a mother that two years later still has empty arms, and yes, she has a little boy to raise, but when you learn what happened to the lost child you are going to cringe.
This book quickly became a page turner, and the story just kept getting better and better, but the possibility of jail is always in the back of your mind.
What will be the solution here, and will Lucy have to go back to that horrible place? There are answers here, but there are also so surprises, a little boy that finds a sister, and a mother who has her arms filled, but will this last, or will big brother have its way?
Once the last page is turned here it will not go away, this one lingers.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Might be a new favorite author. Loved the characters in this well written story. GInny and her friend Martha are absolutely lovable to say nothing of just wanting to go and hug Lucy! Their road trip adventures when they rescue Lucy from an institution named Willowbrook, are awesome. Lucy is Ginny's daughter who was born with Down's Syndrome and GInny's husband insisted that Lucy be placed in WIllowbrook. The year was 1969. Thanks so much to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

Keeping Lucy is a beautiful tale that is heartbreaking as well as full of love.
Ginny gives birth to a daughter with Down's Syndrome but this is 1969 and those with disabilities are treated than less than human. Ginny is unaware of that her daughter is sent away to school until it is too late. Her husband and his powerful lawyer father brush it all aside; it is what is best. Two years later a series of articles expose what is going on at the school: horrible conditions, suicides, and uncared for children. Ginny goes to see for herself and see her daughter for the first time. Even though her husband disagrees, she takes Lucy for the weekend. What she finds horrifies her and she knows she cannot take Lucy back to the school. Ginny finds herself at war with her husband and his family while trying to take care of her precious daughter.
T. Greenwood brings the same humanity to these characters that she did with Rust & Stardust. Ginny's reactions to what was done to her child were mine. I felt her heartbreak and her determination and cheered her own. Marsha was amazing and I was so glad Ginny had her in her life. These characters were so real to me. Especially little Lucy who couldn't walk because she was neglected in that "school." The ending brought tears to my eyes. This journey had gutted me.
I will recommend this anyone who loves a good tale but isn't afraid to see the ugly and feel despair. I know there will be those who this is too much for; there will be people who understand the struggle from experience.

Wow! This is a very emotional read. The novel takes place in the late 60's following a family whose newborn baby was born with down syndrome and was sent away immediately. As years go by, news unfolds and Ginny, mother, has the urge to see her daughter. This book shows the power of a mothers love. I don't want to spoil the read, but be prepared to shed a tear.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Beautifully written book that I truly loved. It is a story told with such compassion and such empathy that you can truly feel the mother's thoughts and heartbreak. The characters are complex, but written so well, they're easy to understand and empathize with. Loved the writing style and this book does a wonderful job of keeping you entertained and reading to see the next page and the next page and the next page...Highly recommend this book! I will also be reading any and everything by T. Greenwood from now on....wonderful author!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I could not put this one down. The story was engrossing. Although when I started reading it, I more envisioned a 1950’s or early 1960’s world where fathers lord their opinions over their families, forcing children into careers they don’t love and into making horrible decisions–like institutionalizing a gorgeous little baby just because she was born with an extra chromosome.

Then I realized as I was reading the book that it took place in the late 60’s, early 70’s which makes the events so much more horrifying. Although I suppose that is when children began to fight back en masse against their parent’s ideals and wives began to question their husband’s authority and craved independence.

Ginny is a somewhat forward thinking woman–partially due to the fact that she was raised by a single mom, finds herself living a life she didn’t sign up for. Her husband, who had respected her dreams when they were dating had given in to his own father’s dreams for him and they were living the pampered lives of city folk instead of living in the country or in a commune like Ginny had imagined.

So when her daughter is swept away, sent to a home by her father-in-law just because she was born with a disability, Ginny is unable to fight the decision, though she mourns it everyday. It makes me so mad that Ginny’s husband, Ab, is unable to stand up to his dad. But I suppose people get comfortable and even if they don’t love their lives, they fear the unknown.

I would recommend this to fans of Lisa Genova and anyone who can appreciate a good based-on-a-true story read. Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This review will be published on my blog July 8, 2019.

What an amazing book... I literally couldn't put it down. The emotions and intensity the author painted of a mom advocating for her daughter with a disability was captivating and so realistic. I have no doubt that those who read this will resonate with it in powerful ways and enjoy it thoroughly.

It's 1969 in Dover, Massachusetts...Ginny gives birth to a beautiful baby girl named Lucy with long dark eyelashes, and Down Syndrome. Ginny's husband, Ab, comes from a very powerful family, who believe the doctor when he tells them Lucy will have heart problems and other medical issues in which she will die within a few years. Ab and his father decide Lucy must go to Willowridge, a 'school' for children with special needs. Ginny is devastated, the family tells everyone the baby has died, including their young son Peyton.

Fast forward 2 years, an article is written by a reporter that has gone undercover at Willowridge. He exposes the atrocities going on at this 'school', also known as an institution. The children are neglected, sick, hungry, abused, living in filth. When Ginny's best friend Marsha tells Ginny about this investigation, the two of them come up with a plan to see if there is any truth to these allegations and take Lucy out for a weekend visit. From then on, the story unravels into a Thelma and Louise style road trip with Marsha, Lucy, Ginny and Peyton along for the ride. All the while, running and hiding from Ab and his father, as they think Ginny should have left well enough alone and truly believe Lucy belongs back at the institution.

Full disclosure here, I have a daughter with Down Syndrome, who thankfully was born 33 years after 1969. This book was heartbreaking, especially since it is based on true events. It was difficult for me to read at times, but I would still recommend it. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it and make sure we never repeat the horror of some events. I can relate to Ginny on so many levels. She was such a well defined character, so strong for the times. She learns and grows from the beginning of the book to the end, she becomes a true heroine. Not only does she fight the system, she fights her powerful in laws, which was probably unheard of back in the 60's. Marsha is a strong character as well, the type of friend every girl needs. Ginny said she needs help and Marsha responded "I'm there". While the events play out, we do see that as much as things have changed, there are still some things that remain the same. People with disabilities are often looked down on, they continue to be discriminated against, and parents find themselves fighting for many basic needs, like appropriate schooling and inclusion in every day society. This book is well written, we understand the urgency Ginny is feeling to save Lucy and keep her in her family.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood, in exchange for an honest review.