A stunning novel about love, guilt, grief and redemption. See my full review here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2687700873

A beautiful but sad story about a mother's connection to her child as a young women struggles to regain custody of the daughter she thought she had lost forever.

Keeping Lucy is a sad depressing story. Ginny,a model wife and mother in the 60s era, gives birth to Lucy. She is told that Lucy is retarded and will never live a normal life. Lucy has downs syndrome. Thanks to her father in law who has friends in high places, her baby is immediately taken away to live in a home. Two years later, Ginny reads an expose about the deplorable living conditions in the home where her baby Lucy lives. Ginny goes to this terrible place and sees her baby. She knows everyone lied because Lucy is beautiful. Ginny also sees the truth about the living conditions. It's filthy and disgusting. Ginny takes Lucy on the run. It's terrible to think of this actually happening. I know doctors had less knowledge of downs syndrome at that time, but this type of situation is intolerable. Ginny is strong intelligent and intuitive. She knows the truth. It's a sad story about a mother's love. I do find it depressing despite the possibility of hope. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful but sad account that takes place in the late 60’s.
Ginny Richardson has just delivered a baby girl who is quickly taken from her. She is told her daughter is retarded, has heart failure and can never live a normal life. Her daughter who she names Lucy was born with Downs Syndrome. The choice to raise Lucy is taken out of her hands when she is placed in a sanitarium by Ginny’s husband and father in law a well known senator telling her this is best for the child. Three years later an expose on Willowridge, where Lucy is placed, comes out. The reporter tells of horrible living conditions within the sanitarium along with abuse of patients. Against her husband’s wishes Ginny along with her son and her best friend decides to finally go see Lucy and see her living conditions in person. Everything the reporter spoke of was true and even worse than she could of imagined. The minute she lays eyes on Lucy she knows how wrong she’s been and how mislead she was. Lucy is a beautiful little girl with a smile that melts your heart. She is also filthy, unhealthy from lack of care and non vocal. Determined to bring her home where she belongs, Ginny soon discovers obstacles that may land her in jail.
A heart rending read about a mother’s love and the length she’ll go to save her child from injustice and the ignorance that once was believed about these beautiful sweet children.
I’m so glad I read this! Very well written with wonderful feeling and characters!

I am not sure where to start with this review because my heart still hurts! This is a story which will break your heart, mend it and then just simply, melt it. This story takes place in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Ginny is the wife of Ab, an affluent lawyer in his father’s firm. She is the perfect wife of that era, staying at home, keeps house for her husband and has a young son, just a toddler. Ginny is pregnant again, and gives birth to Lucy, who has Down’s Syndrome. The doctor tells Ginny that Lucy won’t live long, has many problems and before Ginny has recovered from the anaesthetic, her husband’s powerful family take Lucy and commit her to Willowridge. What they don’t tell Ginny is that they have also taken away her parental rights and Lucy now belongs to the State. Two years later, Ginny reads an expose in the paper about the horrific, inhumane conditions at Willowridge. She rushes down there with her best friend Marsha, rescues Lucy and virtually becomes a fugitive. Ginny was prepared to do anything to rescue her daughter. I fell in love with the characters and with the story. Easily one of the best books I have read this year so far.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Keeping Lucy is a tale of mother’s love and how powerful it could be. Ginny’s heart was broken when she was told that her baby had Down’s Syndrome. It was broken even more when her powerful father in law arraigned for the newborn to be taken to Willowridge, a school for feeble-minded people. Ginny was never allowed to see Lucy and was told that she should mourn for Lucy like she was dead. Two years pass. Then Ginny’s friend Marsha shows her a series of articles that expose Willowridge as a hell on earth for its residents. Horrified at what she saw and read, Ginny, can’t leave Lucy there. After seeing the school and the conditions for herself, Ginny is determined never to bring her back. But her actions have consequences that soon have her and Marsha racing towards Florida with the children. What will happen to Lucy? To Ginny?

Keeping Lucy was a hard book for me to read. As a mother, I couldn’t even begin to fathom what Ginny went through in the 2 years after Lucy was taken from her. I don’t know how she could live with her husband after he forced that decision on her. But, then again, this was the late 60’s/early ’70s. Men still made the decisions and women’s feelings were not thought about.

Ginny’s character development through the book was amazing. She went from being this meek, compliant housewife to a person who stood her ground when threatened. I loved it. She became an enraged mama bear protecting her cub. The ultimatum that she threw down to Ab was epic. Even better was what she said to her overbearing, control freak of a father in law.

I didn’t care for Ab. He let his father rule his life. In doing so, he allowed his daughter to be placed in a “school” with deplorable living conditions. He did love Ginny and Peyton. I also understood where he was coming from when he made the decision to send Lucy away. But, it was everything after the fact that made me go “WTF“.

Lucy was the innocent victim in all this. I shared Ginny’s horror when she saw (and smelled) the conditions of that “school“. The scene when Ginny first changed Lucy’s diaper broke my heart. How long did she sit in that diaper for the rash to get that bad?? There are other examples of the severe neglect that she endured but I won’t go into them.

I didn’t like Ab’s father. He was a controlling jerk. I don’t understand why he thought that he could separate a mother from her child. I don’t understand why thought that bullying his son into complying was alright. I do think that he was one of those rich people who thought money and connections solved everything. He was a jerk and deserved a good knee to the crotch.

The main plotline, Ginny going on the run with the kids, was well written. It did get off to a slow start but it gained steam. By the time everyone reached Florida, it was flowing nicely. I could taste her desperation. I could feel her horror and fear. But, more importantly, I saw the fierce love that she had for her children. She was willing to do whatever it took to prevent Lucy from going back to that hellhole.

The end of Keeping Lucy was different. All I have to say about it is that I am happy with how things ended up.

I would give Keeping Lucy an Adult rating. There are sexual references but sex is not described outright. There is mild language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be extreme child neglect. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Keeping Lucy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Keeping Lucy.

All opinions stated in this review of Keeping Lucy are mine.

Life in the '60s and '70s was very different than today, especially for women, and the author does a nice job of bringing us into that world with the story of Ginny, Ab, Peyton and Lucy. I do remember hearing similar stories about the horrible conditions in institutions on the east coast and Keeping Lucy really brought my memories to life (in a very sad way).
My initial impression was that Lucy's institutionalization didn't really impact Ginny very much. We see her living her life, with some references to the absence of the child. But, after Ginny meets Lucy for the first time, we start to get a better understanding of her feelings about the child and how she was "handled". It was great to see how Ginny was empowered throughout the course of the novel and, overall, was a quick and interesting book to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Keeping Lucy!

Keeping Lucy is both unbelievably sad and very happy. Lucy is born with Down Syndrome in a time when therapy was not really an option like it is today. Ginny (Lucy’s mom) is lied to by her father in law and Lucy is taken away and put in a “school”, but when Ginny finds out the truth of the circumstances where her baby girl is being kept, she also finds out how strong she is. I read this book in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down and love the way the author shows what love the baby and mama are capable of. Great story!! I am excited to read more books by author T. Greenwood.

This is a sad story about a traumatic birth of a little girl with down syndrome. She is immediately taken from her mother and sent to a "home". This was common practice by then because there was so little understanding of certain conditions.

The mother constantly worries about her child and when allegations of abuse and mistreatment come up, she goes to the institution where her daughter was essentially imprisoned.

While the story itself was interesting, I just couldn't really get into this book. I'm not sure if it's because it was in the past & some of the choices then are so cringe-worthy or what the problem was, but it just wasn't for me. The highlight of the book was the constant references to Weeki Wachee - and a reference to GAINESVILLE, FL - my hometown.

The very ending of the book felt a bit rushed.

I received an early release of this book from NetGalley.

This was a different book for me. I liked the premise of the story,however I felt the way the story progressed to be not in line.

I found the main characater to be very subdued for a woman in the 60’s and 70’s. A lot of her character plots were unrealisitc. The woman’s movement was well underway at this time.

THIS book was SO good! I loved it. I am the mother of a severely autistic young man so I can totally relate to Ginny's feelings towards her daughter Lucy when she is born with Downs. This is the story of Ginny a suburban housewife in the early 70's who has a son and then has a daughter who has Down's syndrome. Apparently in that era children with downs were immediately labeled handicapped with zero expectations for any semblance of a normal life and put in institutions at birth. Ginny's husband signs her daughter over to a state facility without Ginny's consent and tells her it will be better for all of them Ginny does NOT accept this and thinks about Lucy all the time as a couple years pass. Her friend Marsha sees that the facility is being exposed for maltreatment of children and horrid conditions and tells Ginny who goes to get Lucy-leaving her husband and taking their son along. She checks her out for the weekend and discovers her to be poorly cared for with parasites, lice and horrid diaper rash along with very underdeveloped skills. She is appalled and decides not to bring her back, but to go away from where they live and she ends up on a road trip of sorts with her best friend Marsha, her son and her daughter. So many things happen that are out of her control yet she focuses on the fact that her daughter should be able to live with her family and thrive to the best of her ability rather than live her life in an institution. She works hard to get her lawyer husband on board but it is a challenge. I love how Ginny finds her inner strength though her love for her daughter and uses it to change their situation. She is awesome. Nowadays these kids (like y son) are not just put away and forgotten about. That is not something people do anymore. They raise their kids and do their best for them. Ginny is right on and I love her character!! This books is AWESOME! I loved it SO much! Highly recommend! Thanks to NG for the ARC!!!!

This was a hard but worthwhile read. As a mom of young children, it’s hard to imagine having to give one of them up. There were times I had to put the book down to get back into reality! However, I’m glad I read it.

T. Greenwood has a talent unlike any other author. Creating a story from true events and turning it into a masterpiece. Within 24 hours of starting this, I have already finished. From the first page, it pulled me in and I didn’t want to leave.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to enjoy this novel for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
After giving birth to her second child, Lucy, Funny is dismayed to find out that she has Down's syndrome. The doctors convince her and her husband, Ab, that the baby suffers from a heart condition that, combined with her disability, would be impossible for them to manage at home. The baby would be better off in a "school". Ab tells Ginny that it would be better for their family to treat it like a death and take time to grieve properly. Two years later, Ginny finds out the horrible truth of the institution where her daughter is imprisoned and neglected. A weekend visit with Lucy turns into a kidnapping across state lines when Ginny is determined not to return her child to her abusers.
I started out really disliking Ginny's character in this book. She is so intimidated by her husband and his parents. I can understand being convinced into thinking you're doing the best for your child when you don't know anything about her medical conditions, but she let her husband convince her not to even visit for two years! But by the end, she found her strength to do anything for her children.

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.

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.