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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
This book left me in tears!! This was so good, so infuriating with the 60's, and a very eye-opening depiction of how Down Syndrome has been severely misunderstood. I wish everyone could read this book.
3.5. Captivating story of a mother fighting for her child’s health and custody when she finds out about the poor conditions of the child’s facility. It kept me and intrigued and was a page-turner, but overall it was a sad story and I wouldn’t read it again. I did, however, like how this book empowered the female characters, especially given the time period of the story, but I didn’t like Ginny and thought her growth in the span was of the book was unrealistic and made the story cheesy.
SO GOOD! I finished this book within a day. I was constantly worrying and wondering what was happening with Lucy and Ginny. Extremely eye opening and thought provoking story.
I just adore everything that T. Greenwood writes.
Keeping Lucy tugged at my heart from the first page until the last. The writing is poignant and there is so much emotion in every page.
This is a wonderful family drama and Ginny had to struggle through some serious setbacks and make hard decisions to really find herself. She is far from perfect, but that is why she is so relateable as a protagonist.
The pace of the story is pretty slow, but I think that is what makes it so enjoyable, despite the tough subject matter.
Keeping Lucy tugged at my heart from the first page until the last. The writing is poignant and there is so much emotion in every page.
This is a wonderful family drama and Ginny had to struggle through some serious setbacks and make hard decisions to really find herself. She is far from perfect, but that is why she is so relateable as a protagonist.
The pace of the story is pretty slow, but I think that is what makes it so enjoyable, despite the tough subject matter.
A novel set in the 60s-70s of a brave mother that would stop at nothing to protect her child. It was refreshing to see a character ahead of the times that wasn't afraid to question what was considered normal. Ginny was a mother to be reckoned with...I only wish that she hadn't waited so long to take action. I loved the friendship dynamics between Ginny and Marsha and the way they didn't adhere to gender stereotypes. I will check out future books from this author.
I really liked this book as it constantly made me itch to get back to it. It made me grateful I was born in the era I was because people with CP were often institutionalized as well. If you want a book to let you learned how society has grown at least a little bit, I definitely recommend this one.
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.
Right from the beginning, I was hooked on this story. I had no idea that as late as 1969, there were people that sent their special needs children away to an institution. Having gone to school with a down’s syndrome child, this was especially heartbreaking to know that these sweet children were just sent away to live with no love and no encouragement to learn.
Ginny and her husband Ab were expecting their second child. It was a girl named Lucy and she was born with Down’s Syndrome. Ginny’s doctor, husband and father-in law decided to send the child to a “school” for the feebleminded. All this is arranged while Ginny is recovering from childbirth and being sedated.
Ginny was never on board with the decision, but felt powerless to go against her husband and father-in-law. Two years later, the school is the feature of a news story exposing the horrific conditions the children were living in. This propels Ginny into action and she decides to go get Lucy and see for herself what is going on at the school.
Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine what a fight she was in for in order to keep Lucy. With her young son, Peyton and her best friend, Marsha, they set off on a journey full of emotion and harrowing moments.
This is a true test of how strong a mother’s love for her child can be, even after being separated for a long length of time. It’s also good to see how far society has come with the approach to children with special needs and the effort to include them in a normal lifestyle.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
Ginny and her husband Ab were expecting their second child. It was a girl named Lucy and she was born with Down’s Syndrome. Ginny’s doctor, husband and father-in law decided to send the child to a “school” for the feebleminded. All this is arranged while Ginny is recovering from childbirth and being sedated.
Ginny was never on board with the decision, but felt powerless to go against her husband and father-in-law. Two years later, the school is the feature of a news story exposing the horrific conditions the children were living in. This propels Ginny into action and she decides to go get Lucy and see for herself what is going on at the school.
Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine what a fight she was in for in order to keep Lucy. With her young son, Peyton and her best friend, Marsha, they set off on a journey full of emotion and harrowing moments.
This is a true test of how strong a mother’s love for her child can be, even after being separated for a long length of time. It’s also good to see how far society has come with the approach to children with special needs and the effort to include them in a normal lifestyle.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
“What’s it like,” Marsha asked. “Bein’ a mom?” Jenny felt her chest swell.
“It’s amazing. It’s awful. It’s too much and it’s too little.”
I had several favorite parts from Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood, but this was definitely the one that hit hardest. Keeping Lucy was my second book from Greenwood, published by St. Martin's Press on August 6, 2019. I received my copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Ginny gives birth to Lucy in Dover, Massachusetts in 1969. She is devastated when Lucy is taken from her after they discover she has Downs Syndrome. Her husband Ab sends Lucy away to Willowridge, a school for the "special" children. He and the rest of his powerful and influential family try to convince her to move on, to forget her first daughter.
2 years later, Ginny's best friend Marsha shows her an expose on Willowridge. They are both appalled to see the filth and neglect the children have been suffering. Ginny packs her 6 year old son up, gets in the car with Marsha, and they drive to the school to see Lucy. When they see for themselves just how terrible Willowridge is, they take off across state lines, and Ginny becomes a fugitive.
Ab and his super controlling father are trying to prevent Ginny from keeping Lucy. For the first time in her life, Ginny will have to decide if she's strong enough to fight them for the right to keep her own sweet daughter.
Just a warning right off the bat----this book is heartbreaking. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll get ANGRY. You will feel all of the feelings. That being said, I loved this book. I didn't even care if it made me ugly cry. Greenwood knows exactly how to reach in and pull all of your heartstrings. The relationships are so complex and beautiful. Marsha is the type of friend everyone needs to have. She was so supportive when it came to helping take care of both of the children. She also helped Ginny realize that the things you truly value are worth fighting for.
I kept putting myself in Ginny's shoes, even though it was so devastating. The stress she feels in every single scenario feels so real. I could never imagine trying to decide between my daughter and my husband. I have asshole in-laws, so that part of the book wasn't too far out of my realm of possibility. Ginny's father-in-law was a monster, and it was so easy to hate him. Lucy was so sweet and loving, despite all of the really TERRIBLE things that happened to her. I know there are people in the world who think that kids with deformities aren't worthy of love, but I'm certainly not one of them. Neither was Ginny.
The ending of this book was truly beautiful. It stayed with me for the remainder of the day. Parts of it were hard to read, but worth seeing all of the love Marsha and Ginny had for these sweet children. This was an easy 5-star rating for me. I will gladly volunteer to let T. Greenwood rip my heart out time and time again with her beautiful and gut-wrenching stories.
“It’s amazing. It’s awful. It’s too much and it’s too little.”
I had several favorite parts from Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood, but this was definitely the one that hit hardest. Keeping Lucy was my second book from Greenwood, published by St. Martin's Press on August 6, 2019. I received my copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Ginny gives birth to Lucy in Dover, Massachusetts in 1969. She is devastated when Lucy is taken from her after they discover she has Downs Syndrome. Her husband Ab sends Lucy away to Willowridge, a school for the "special" children. He and the rest of his powerful and influential family try to convince her to move on, to forget her first daughter.
2 years later, Ginny's best friend Marsha shows her an expose on Willowridge. They are both appalled to see the filth and neglect the children have been suffering. Ginny packs her 6 year old son up, gets in the car with Marsha, and they drive to the school to see Lucy. When they see for themselves just how terrible Willowridge is, they take off across state lines, and Ginny becomes a fugitive.
Ab and his super controlling father are trying to prevent Ginny from keeping Lucy. For the first time in her life, Ginny will have to decide if she's strong enough to fight them for the right to keep her own sweet daughter.
Just a warning right off the bat----this book is heartbreaking. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll get ANGRY. You will feel all of the feelings. That being said, I loved this book. I didn't even care if it made me ugly cry. Greenwood knows exactly how to reach in and pull all of your heartstrings. The relationships are so complex and beautiful. Marsha is the type of friend everyone needs to have. She was so supportive when it came to helping take care of both of the children. She also helped Ginny realize that the things you truly value are worth fighting for.
I kept putting myself in Ginny's shoes, even though it was so devastating. The stress she feels in every single scenario feels so real. I could never imagine trying to decide between my daughter and my husband. I have asshole in-laws, so that part of the book wasn't too far out of my realm of possibility. Ginny's father-in-law was a monster, and it was so easy to hate him. Lucy was so sweet and loving, despite all of the really TERRIBLE things that happened to her. I know there are people in the world who think that kids with deformities aren't worthy of love, but I'm certainly not one of them. Neither was Ginny.
The ending of this book was truly beautiful. It stayed with me for the remainder of the day. Parts of it were hard to read, but worth seeing all of the love Marsha and Ginny had for these sweet children. This was an easy 5-star rating for me. I will gladly volunteer to let T. Greenwood rip my heart out time and time again with her beautiful and gut-wrenching stories.