MY HEART! I think I went into this expecting to learn more about Willowridge and while I did NOT get that, what I got was a heartfelt story of one mother's journey to protect the daughter no one else would.

I couldn't imagine living during this time, as a mother who just gave birth to a daughter with Down Syndrome - who is called mongoloid and retarded and told would be best sent off to be taken care of elsewhere. Whose rights were signed off before I even woke up. This blending of true events and fiction of Ginny's story grasps you from the very first page.

Women and their rights during this time/inequalities, misunderstanding of Down Syndrome, social injustice, legal rights.... just a few of the things we come across during this emotional road trip Ginny takes with her best friend, Marsha. Their friendship on its own is wondrous and beautiful. Two completely opposite women who do not judge and just love each other. Opposites attract on many levels and sometimes you really do need that yin to your yang to keep you balanced.

You fall in love with Lucy. Your heart swells for Peyton. You root for Ginny and Marsha. You hope for the best from Ab - both junior and senior. You may or may not try to sniff back tears at a certain scene towards the end. Beautifully written, Greenwood truly showcases Ginny who surprises herself by standing up for what is right for her and her daughter, despite the world being against her.

Highly recommend. Greenwood's prose will steal something from you while giving back so much more.

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood is the story of a mother and woman coming to terms with her self-worth, driven by the love she has for her children. After she learns the truth about the fate of her daughter, affected by Down Syndrome and removed from her arms and care, she will stop at nothing to keep her child.

In a world where many special needs children are mainstreamed into classrooms, there is still a certain amount of prejudice in our society. Greenwood looks at discrimination against those with special needs through the lens of the 1970s. She shows just how far our society has come, and also how much further we have to travel until there is true acceptance for all.

Keeping Lucy is a must-read for anyone who loves women's fiction, historical fiction, topics of social injustice, and emotional fiction.

This is another tear-jerker by Greenwood, who knocked this story out of the park. I will read anything by this hard-working author.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC of Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood.

Ginny overflows with joy when her second child, a daughter, is born. She names her Lucy and can't wait to take her home to introduce to her son. But her husband Ab has other ideas, signing away their parental rights and sending Lucy to a special "school" to accomodate children like her. Children with downs syndrome. He suggests to Ginny that they act as though Lucy has died and move on.

Two years later, after learning of the abhorrent conditions in the facility Lucy is living, Ginny fights hard to get Lucy back. Not caring who gets in her way, even if it's her husband, Ginny will reclaim her right to Lucy.

I adore T. Greenwood, and this met my high expectations. I was heartbroken and dismayed to learn about what had to be a historical representation of what happened to special needs children and their lives of misunderstanding, abuse and neglect.

Keeping Lucy is one of the best books I have read so far this year. It had me so emotional from the very beginning, and kept my emotions high until the very last page. Ginny's baby girl is born with Down Syndrome. While she is still feeling the effects of the drugs given to her during childbirth, her husband--being told to do so by his powerful father--signs over the rights of their daughter to an institution, all the while telling Ginny it is a "school" for people who are born that way. Two years later, Ginny's best friend Marsha shows her news articles written by a journalist who got into the institution and took pictures of how deplorable the place was and how badly the children were being treated. Ginny decides to take Lucy out for the weekend--and then refuses to take her back. She, Marsha, Lucy, and Ginny's son go on the run to keep Lucy from being put back into the institution--and to keep away from her father-in-law who will go so far as to see her put in prison to hide what he has done. This book was magnificent, heart-breaking and then heart-warming, and an emotional ride that took me from sad to angry, to laughing, to thoughtful., and I loved every minute of it!

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood is about Ginny, a housewife from Massachusetts, trying to get her life back on track by getting her daughter back.

The main characters travel from Massachusetts to Florida. It’s not your typical road trip but they have an interesting adventure. Their lives won’t be the same after this trip but you’ll have to read it to find out what happens.

Ginny is a mother who has had her child taken from her moments after childbirth by her husband, Ab, and his wealthy family. Lucy has Down’s Syndrome. It’s 1969 before people took care of their own children with disabilities. No one around the mother believes that Lucy should go home with the family. Ab’s family sends her to Willowridge, an institution for developmentally delayed children.

She has been a stay at home mother and done everything to support her husband. Before they got married, she was a librarian. Her husband wants her to forget about Lucy and get back to how things were before. For two years, she is depressed ànd going through the motions of daily life.

Ginny’s friend, Marsha, discovers that Willowridge is being investigated for having less than ideal conditions. Ginny talks Marsha into traveling to Willowridge to see for themselves. She is allowed to take Lucy for the weekend. After seeing how Lucy has been neglected – severe diaper rash, intestinal worms and lice – she cannot stand the thought of taking Lucy back.

So the group travels to Florida. Ginny decides along the way that she won’t ever take Lucy back to Willowridge. Her husband and father-in-law try to talk her into coming back but she refuses to allow them to take her child away again. There is a risk that she’ll go to jail for taking Lucy, but Ginny is unswayed. She is keeping Lucy.

I cannot think of anyone that won’t like this book. Maybe if you like books or characters that are exactly the same as everyone else. If you like boring books and cookie cutout characters, then this is not the book for you.

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This book made me sad, but it got me out of my reading slump so I have to give it that. This book follows a family. Ginny delivers a baby and is found to have down syndrome, they put her in a ether stupor and she wakes up to find that her daughter has been wisked away to a "school" for kids like her. Flash forward 2 years and an expose comes out and it starts a whirl wind. Just how far is Ginny willing to go to get her daughter back, prove to her husband that the choices he made were wrong, and get her in-laws to back off?
I remember having a boy in our neighborhood growing up who has down syndrome. His sister was my age and we weren't allowed to play at their house because their parents didn't want anyone to know he had down syndrome. When we were finally allowed to come over, my friend just told me she had an older brother who was special, but my dad had already told me, told me that he was just different from me in look and demeanor but it didn't mean that he wasn't still a person and that he still brought good into the world. My friend was genuinely shocked that I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled when I saw him and continued to play and asked if he wanted to join us. She thought that if I knew she had a brother with down syndrome that I wouldn't want to be her friend anymore. This is probably why I was drawn to this book and why I liked it as much as I did. I am glad I was raised to be accepting of others and to be compassionate regardless of our differences.

Keeping Lucy gave me all the feels. As a mother and as a woman who had a beloved family member with Down's Syndrome.

There's a reason this title has been called out by many:
PopSugar's 30 Must-Read Books of 2019
Good Housekeeping's 25 Best New Books for Summer 2019
Better Homes & Gardens 13 New Books We Can't Wait to Read This Summer

While the subject matter can be seen as a little heavy, it is not a challenging book to read. Rather, it is one that will haunt your mind for hours after finishing as you wonder how you would have acted in Ginny's place. Whether you could rock the boat and go against what society has decided is the right thing to do.

And that right thing during the time period of this book is to send off your child born with Down's Syndrome. As they were considered broken and unable to thrive. Sanitariums took them in where they would often die as love was withheld and they were not encouraged to grow. That was the path doctors tried to steer my aunt towards, only she refused. In this story, Ginny was forced into it only to learn how abysmal the conditions were.

This title deserves a spot on everyone's read list.

Keeping Lucy by T.Greenwood

Thanks you @Stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The year is 1969, the place Dover, MA. Ginny Richardson is still under the powerful haze of anesthesia and she has just delivered her second child. A baby girl. But her child is nowhere to be found. She desperately asks around to the staff nurses for her baby and all seem to avoid the subject. It wasn’t until the doctor came in and broke the devastating new to her. Ginny’s daughter Lucy, was born with down syndrome. He told her that Lucy would not live long and will have many physical and mental ailments. He told her that she would be best placed in a facility that will better care for her health needs. Against her best judgments, and under pressure of her husband and his family, Ginny sends Lucy off to WIllowridge a special school that caters to those children’s needs.

But after two years of Lucy’s birth, the school has been exposed as an inhumane institution that neglected the children’s health and failed to care for them. Now, many of the parents are retaliating and are suing the school for the horrible treatment of their kids. Ginny, along with her best friend Marsha, go to the school to see Lucy and what they saw appalled them. She knew from that moment on, that she could not leave her daughter there for one more day; even if it meant that Ginny would have to kidnap her child and become a fugitive of the law.

T. Greenwood has mastered the art of storytelling. Her words are placed very meticulously on the pages as to not waste a single syllable. She displays this in Finding Lucy. She grabs the reader and never lets them go until the last page. As you’re flipping through the pages, you become enraged and irate that these events were based off a true story. It’s hard to fathom that innocent children with down syndrome as recent as the 70s were treated as second class citizens. You become empathetic to the protagonist that will go to the end of the world to protect her child even if it means that she will destroy her marriage, life and future for it. This is the type of writing I enjoy very much. This is why I read.

Although her words are well placed, character development is we defined, the story left me a bit confused. The premise of the story that is based off true events is devastating, but the book took a turn for a very fictionalized runaway adventure. The two friends head off to Florida and commit crime after crime and become fugitives. The role of the friend wasn’t well defined and even in the end we don’t see the point of the friend and why would she want to put her life on the line. We don’t see a satisfying conclusion. The ending felt a bit rushed and as if we could have seen further into Lucy and her life with her parents and how her parents adjusted. For this reason I gave this book a 3.5 stars

Keeping Lucy is such and important book! It provides a perspective on circumstances of women and disabled children during the late 1960's and early 1970's. Being about the same age as Ginny, the mom, during that time period, the story brought back a lot of memories and emotions for me. I found the story to be real and honest as Ginny finds her voice and stands up for her Down's Syndrome daughter. Excellent read.

The is such a touching book. You can not read this and not feel for the characters. I wanted to give the mom and Lucy and hug throughout the book. I wanted to fight for her and keep them all safe.

I know that this is a fictional book but what happened in this book really did happen in the US and still happens in other countries. I know of American families that adopt children with special needs from other countries to save them from abuse and neglect.

The character development was great. The writing style was enjoyable but felt like it changed for the last quarter of the book when the father is added back to the storyline. The atmosphere was tense and made me feel like I was there with them. The author did a great job at adding little details about that era without being over the top obvious that they wanted you to remember that it was not set today.

I would definitely recommend this book.

My Thoughts: I was a little nervous about Keeping Lucy because I’ve had mixed results with T. Greenwood books, but I needn’t have worried. I liked this story very much and found Greenwood’s writing solid – just plain good storytelling. Lucy is a child born with Down’s Syndrome in 1969. Without giving her mother much of a choice, Lucy’s father and politically inclined grandfather had her whisked away to a “school” for children who were less than perfect. That premise was difficult to accept and I had to keep reminding myself that it was a different time and there wasn’t as much acceptance of children with differences as we find today. After two long years, Lucy’s mother Ginny comes to her rescue when horror stories about the school hit the newspapers.

The bulk of the story followed Ginny on a journey toward knowing her daughter, protecting her, and finding a life that included Lucy. At times I grew a little frustrated with Ginny, and had to remind myself that women had so many fewer choices in the early 70’s. I needed to give her a little leeway and was rooting for her as she grew stronger and more determined. A few times in the story Ginny had some incredibly, almost unbelievably, good luck, but I let that go. Keeping Lucy was a solid, easy-to-read story of a mother’s love and regret. The historical aspects around the treatment of children with Down’s Syndrome were a good reminder of how far we’ve come, but also how much more ground we could gain.

Note: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story about a mother and the fight to keep her daughter that was born with down syndrome. Set in the late '60s, when children born with down syndrome were sent to live in what amounted to asylums and all but neglected completely by the staff. Ginny, the mother, is courageous and (especially as a fellow mother) I found myself wanting to weep in many different parts of the book. The way she fights for her child, despite what almost everyone around her thinks is inspiring and left me very emotional. A truly wonderfully written and compelling book.

If you follow me on any social media account or see me in any Facebook group, you’ve probably heard me sing the praises of T. Greenwood. I read one of her books when the rush of thrillers gets too predictable to heavy to handle. Her stories are always about the heart and a much needed wholesome read.

She’s written many novels, most of them being about family. Her last book Rust & Stardust quickly became one of my all time favorite books (which is why you see it in the header image of my blog. With Keeping Lucy she writes to the same motif that pulls at your heartstrings.

[Jenny] meets the love of her life [Bob] in a [place] library. Jenny comes from a more relaxed and modest family who enjoys the simpler things in life. Bob on the other hand comes from a family of affluence. To them, this isn’t significant, but tho Bob’s family it very much is. Bob’s parents agree to pay for the wedding, but on the contingency that they move close to them and Bob enrolls in law school. It’s an opportunity that they can’t afford to pass up.

Keeping Lucy is the touching tale of Ginny who goes to lengths to try to get her daughter Lucy back. It’s the late 60’s and Ginny is giving birth when she wakes up she finds out her daughter Lucy has been taken away from her. She later finds out that Lucy has Down Syndrome and given the time there was no other option but to put children who they consider “different” away in orphanages. Ginny was also told Lucy had other problems health wise and this was the best for everyone involved.

A couple of years pass and Ginny finds out that Lucy isn't in the type of place she thought she was. The place isn't fit for anyone and Ginny and her best friend decide to visit Lucy and take her for the weekend but once she is there and sees things for herself she decides Lucy will never go back and from there on it's Ginny and Lucy against the world.

They go on a road trip and Lucy soon begins to open up but only after Ginny sees how Lucy has suffered in that place. She begs her husband and his family, who are very powerful back home, to help but Ginny soon sees she might have to do this alone. Since she didn't have a choice, in the beginning, she takes a stand now and chooses the love for her child over everything and everyone.

Keeping Lucy made me an emotional wreck. The storyline is amazing and touching about a mother whose child was literally taken from her without her permission. She worries if Lucy will even know who she is. However, once they lock eyes Ginny’s heart is complete and Lucy knows this is her mama. This shows us the lengths a mother will go for her child and no matter what others think about Lucy, Ginny cares and will fight for her. If you want a heartwarming read look no further than Keeping Lucy.

Keeping Lucy was my favorite book I have read thus far this year. It was moving and engaging and the characters are just devine. With three kids and school starting back (and being a teacher) I have had a difficult time finding time to read as of late but I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in two days staying up late and sneaking every little minute I could to read. It was delightful.

Thanks to Netgalley, T. Greenwood and St. Martins Press for an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I am so surprised at the great reviews because I thought this book was very boring and could not get through it.

Keeping Lucy is the heartbreaking story of Ginny and Lucy. Lucy, born with Down Syndrome in 1969, is removed from Ginny’s arms at birth and immediately sent to an institution. Convinced by her husband, in-laws and physician that her daughter’s disorder is catastrophic, Ginny does her best to carry on at home with her older child, and to leave Lucy in the past. Two years later, when her best friend presents expose articles detailing horrific conditions at her daughter’s “school,” Ginny is emboldened to find out for herself. Upon seeing the condition of the facility and of Lucy herself, she will stop at nothing to rescue her child.

This book consumed me and I read it in just a few hours. Ginny and her husband, Ab, are deeply flawed individuals. Ab cow towed to his father’s will and, Ginny was the stereotypical, compliant 1960-70’s housewife, each appearing a caricature of their time. What shone through was the power of motherhood and the lengths Ginny went through to save her child. The author expertly elicits emotion from her readers: from rage, to heartbreak and, finally, triumph. This book draws upon a not-so-distant time in our nation’s history that should not be forgotten or ever repeated.

3.75 stars
A well written book about a mother’s fight to keep her baby with Down’s Syndrome in 1971. Greenwood composes a touching story about a well-to-do family who agrees to put their infant daughter into a “school” AKA home for the mentally challenged to avoid the stigma and difficulties of raising a child with special needs. After reading a newspaper article two years later about this school neglecting the children, Jinny decides to go meet her daughter Lucy and see for herself. When she discovers that Lucy is in fact being mistreated and neglected, she and her best friend Marsha take off on a wild road trip with Lucy and Jinny’s 6-year-old son in tow. Their adventure is full of self-discovery and personal growth. The story kind of reminded me of an old movie called Thelma and Louise.

The plot is straightforward and moves along at a decent pace. There were tangents that were maybe a little too cliché and over-explained for my taste, but the gist of the story was engaging. I had no trouble diving into the book, but thought the last quarter wasn’t quite as good as the rest. The ending seemed a bit forced and unrealistic, almost like the author knew it was time to wrap things up and rushed to finish it.

This is a solid read that will probably capture the attention of historical fiction and family drama lovers. There are no peaks, twists or reveals, but there is an accurate portrayal of the undying love that a mother has for her child and her will to do anything to protect this child.

I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This had so much promise. The summary says it is a heartbreaking story of a mother fighting for her child, so I wanted to be emotionally ready to experience it. Now that I'm finished I wonder if I missed the point. At no point did I believe this woman was truly without hope. She was treated unfairly and her in-laws were horrible but I never felt like she was without options. It seemed to be missing large chunks of background information that would help me FEEL more anger, more sadness, more fear. I mean, it skips 2 years and I'm just expected to believe she just up and decided one day that she was going to do something about the child who was taken from her at birth? Then that whole weekend "visit" was way too easy. The end was even more confusing, with everything wrapped up all nicely. Nope. I don't buy it. Great concept - poor execution.

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Willowbrook School was a New York state run institution for the mentally disabled. With over 6,000 residents at its peak, it was the largest of its kind in the world. Children were sent to Willowbrook by overwhelmed parents who thought that the school would provide better care and services than they themselves could give. Many children were left behind without a care; deposited without a visit. Still it was a surprise to the public and the parents when Jane Kurtin exposed the deplorable conditions at Willowbrook School. It was overcrowded, unkempt and a stench permeated its halls. Children were emaciated, covered in excrement, chained down and locked in cages. Instead of going to classes, "students" were used as lab rats for Hepatitis studies. Sometimes they were purposefully injected with the virus. Other times they were forced to eat feces from infected patients. As you can imagine, Willowbrook School was fertile ground for a young upstart to build his career in journalism. Indeed, Geraldo Rivera's televised expose <i>"Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace"</i> earned him the Peabody Award.

Here is the trailer: <a href="https://youtu.be/rPBhuaxpL90">The Last Great Disgrace</a>

<b>Keeping Lucy</b> is inspired by these horrific events. The book opens with Ginny giving birth to her second child. While she is in recovery the baby Lucy who suffers from Down's Syndrome is taken away at the bequest of her husband and his father. They refuse to let her let her see Lucy and refuse to answer her questions. She is effectively shut down and shut out. When it comes to explaining the absence of the new baby to friends and family, they are told that Lucy died. The only person that Ginny can grieve and share her loss with is her best friend Marsha. It is Marsha who sounds the alarm and brings articles covering the school to Ginny's attention. It has been two years since Lucy was brought to Willow Ridge. Ginny cannot imagine the atrocities that she might have faced. All she knows is that she must get her back. This proves to be an uphill battle as the school, despite its scandal, has friends in powerful places. One of its strongest supporters is Ginny's father-in-law. His hold and influence over her husband proves to be Ginny's biggest obstacle.

T. Greenwood's debut novel [book:Rust & Stardust|36249634] was a moving historical fiction. I was excited to read her sophomore effort. Unfortunately I did not enjoy <b>Keeping Lucy</b> as much as I did <b>Rust and Stardust</b> as I found parts of it unrealistic and implausible. I took particular issue with Ginny letting Ab off the hook for sending Lucy away. She excuses his behavior while putting herself on trial. The way I saw it Ab was the more guilty party. Regardless of his family history and dysfunctional relationship with his father he was fully cognizant of what he was doing. Even in light of the scandal he shirked his responsibility and tried to cover things up. He was more concerned with image and appeasing his father than he was about Lucy's welfare.

All in all Greenwood has been consistent with delivering gut-wrenching historical fiction that entertains and keeps you turning the pages. Despite my misgivings with this book I did enjoy it and will definitely continue to read her books.

<i>Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and T. Greenwood for access to this book.</i>