Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
2.5*
An intense, road-trip-esque historical novel. When Ginny gives birth to a baby girl born with Down Syndrome, her father-in-law and her husband decide it's best if she's taken to Willowridge, a special school for such children. For two years Ginny longs for her baby, but some newspaper articles reveal that the school is not the best place people were led to think. With the help of her best friend, Marsha, and with her older boy in tow, Ginny embarks on a journey of saving and keeping her daughter Lucy, and of finding herself along the way.
It was highly interesting, I loved the road-trip feel it gave as the two women traveled the country, and it keep me interested to the end. I learned a lot about how the Down Syndrom children were regarded in the old days, namely the 1960s. The novel also dealt with the discrepancies between the middle class people like Ginny and her family and those in the upper classes like her husband and his family. I liked how the novel ended on a positive note for Ginny and Ab, her husband.
However, Ginny is pretty weak. She listens to her husband's family in everything and doesn't dare do something to show some spine, until she decides to go find Lucy. Yes, it proves a mother's love for her child, but I can't help but judge the way she and Ab were so willing to give up on their child, not the mention Abbot senior and his cold hearted attitude towards his granddaughter and daughter-in-law. It read a bit fake, all this hatred towards Ginny, and still Ab's love for her, but at the same time his inability to leave his parents' comfy lifestyle. It was all a launching point to later show Ginny's newfound power and stubborness.
The writing is simple, keeps the story going, but not remarkable. I wish we knew more about how the institution's problems got solved. Also, some parts made me second guess Lucy's ability to speak and behave like a well developed child in a mere two weeks.
The novels reads rather quickly, so for those interested in historical fiction it's a nice immersion in the dealing with mental and physical disabilities in the late '60s, early '70s.
I received a free e-book copy of this novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
An intense, road-trip-esque historical novel. When Ginny gives birth to a baby girl born with Down Syndrome, her father-in-law and her husband decide it's best if she's taken to Willowridge, a special school for such children. For two years Ginny longs for her baby, but some newspaper articles reveal that the school is not the best place people were led to think. With the help of her best friend, Marsha, and with her older boy in tow, Ginny embarks on a journey of saving and keeping her daughter Lucy, and of finding herself along the way.
It was highly interesting, I loved the road-trip feel it gave as the two women traveled the country, and it keep me interested to the end. I learned a lot about how the Down Syndrom children were regarded in the old days, namely the 1960s. The novel also dealt with the discrepancies between the middle class people like Ginny and her family and those in the upper classes like her husband and his family. I liked how the novel ended on a positive note for Ginny and Ab, her husband.
However, Ginny is pretty weak. She listens to her husband's family in everything and doesn't dare do something to show some spine, until she decides to go find Lucy. Yes, it proves a mother's love for her child, but I can't help but judge the way she and Ab were so willing to give up on their child, not the mention Abbot senior and his cold hearted attitude towards his granddaughter and daughter-in-law. It read a bit fake, all this hatred towards Ginny, and still Ab's love for her, but at the same time his inability to leave his parents' comfy lifestyle. It was all a launching point to later show Ginny's newfound power and stubborness.
The writing is simple, keeps the story going, but not remarkable. I wish we knew more about how the institution's problems got solved. Also, some parts made me second guess Lucy's ability to speak and behave like a well developed child in a mere two weeks.
The novels reads rather quickly, so for those interested in historical fiction it's a nice immersion in the dealing with mental and physical disabilities in the late '60s, early '70s.
I received a free e-book copy of this novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
What a beautifully tragic book, but so well written! I read it over the course of two days and as a new mom, it was a heartbreaking read.
NetGalley provided ARC.
So many parts of this book made me angry but I absolutely loved it. The fierceness of a mother's love is never to be underestimated.
So many parts of this book made me angry but I absolutely loved it. The fierceness of a mother's love is never to be underestimated.
I really enjoyed this book! I'm sure places like Willowridge and stories like that of the Richardson's were very prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s and I'm thankful T. Greenwood brought one to life to make it more personal! I really empathized with Ginny. Her passion and love for her children was at the forefront of her mind in all of her decisions and her maternal instincts just went to show that mothers will do anything for their children. Her relationship with Ab and her in-laws was raw and captivating, and one I enjoyed following along with. I read the book in a day as the story is both captivating and heartbreaking from the beginning. Super easy read and well written! After reading this, I want to check out more by T. Greenwood. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
The first 40 pages of this book absolutely wrecked me! The image of Lucy being taken away from her mother, Ginny, and then going inside Willowridge will stay with me for a long time. To think that a place (or places) like this ever existed chills me to the bone. From there we follow Ginny and Marsha's road trip to protecting Lucy at all costs. While I enjoyed the road trip, I wanted more of a fight against the school. I understood why she left. It was a different day and age than we are in today, but I wanted to see her stand up against them more than I wanted to read about her running away. However, it was very endearing to experience the relationship develop between Ginny and Lucy. The author writes in such a relatable way that it really stood out. The ending felt rushed and tied up a little too nicely in my opinion. Overall a very solid novel and I look forward to picking up more books by T. Greenwood in the future.
* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *
* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *
T. Greenwood’s story about a 1970s mother who discovers the worst about a place meant to protect and care for her youngest child is a beautiful story of love and determination. Moreover, Ms. Greenwood’s writing is so delicate and musical that I didn’t want the story to end, no matter how badly I wanted to find out what happens to little Lucy and her beleaguered mother. Mostly, I could not stop thinking about whether anything is different in 2019 now that we are more aware of neglectful institutions for the disabled, now that we know more about what it takes to raise a child with a disability, and now that there are significant changes to labor and delivery as well as post-partum care. I fear that not much is different forty years later.
Ms. Greenwood takes such care with her historical details that the story is a delight to read as it provides the opportunity to marvel that any of us born in the 1970s survived our childhood. As Ginny makes her way south, there are no seatbelts and no car seats. Everyone smokes like a chimney wherever they want, including in the car with the kids. Ginny signs her daughter out of the institution using nothing more than a letter as a form of identification. Cash rules the day, but when Ginny does use her credit card, she can do so without showing any identification to verify her signature. It’s insane, and yet, you can’t get upset or question her parenting or the historical details because they did happen. It was simply how things were done back then, for right or wrong.
One other historical element upon which Ms. Greenwood spends a lot of time is Ginny’s marriage and her standing in that marriage. Especially as the story rushes to its close, Ginny reflects on her unhappiness and her feelings of suffocation and regret. She recognizes the lack of equality in her marriage, one where she does all the cooking and cleaning while her beloved husband sits and reads the newspaper after dinner. She marvels at the family dynamics of those she meets along her journey, how loving and fair they seem, how thoughtful everyone is when it comes to taking care of one another. Here too is another area which makes me fear we have not come as far as we think we have when it comes to the wives in marriages. Just the other day, I read an article that talked about men, women, and free time. Every day you see a self-help headline about trying to get your husband to help around the house. This is not to mention the silence of those wives and mothers who feel just as trapped and stifled as Ginny did as they put their lives on hold to raise children. Keeping Lucy might occur more than forty years in the past, but she raises awareness of the same gender inequality that continues to exist in relationships.
In spite of everything Ginny feels and experiences, you cannot help finishing Keeping Lucy without a note of hope. Hell, if we can survive the complete lack of automobile safety in the seventies, there is hope for all of us! All kidding aside, Ms. Greenwood provides hope that even one person can make a difference. Her story is a gentle reminder that love can win out over greed and apathy and that no one has the right to make any decisions affecting your life except you. Hers is not a flashy story, and there is not a lot that happens among its pages. However, it is a peaceful story that helps you find the good in this seemingly hellish world in which we now find ourselves. Keeping Lucy is food for the soul at a time when we so desperately need it.
Ms. Greenwood takes such care with her historical details that the story is a delight to read as it provides the opportunity to marvel that any of us born in the 1970s survived our childhood. As Ginny makes her way south, there are no seatbelts and no car seats. Everyone smokes like a chimney wherever they want, including in the car with the kids. Ginny signs her daughter out of the institution using nothing more than a letter as a form of identification. Cash rules the day, but when Ginny does use her credit card, she can do so without showing any identification to verify her signature. It’s insane, and yet, you can’t get upset or question her parenting or the historical details because they did happen. It was simply how things were done back then, for right or wrong.
One other historical element upon which Ms. Greenwood spends a lot of time is Ginny’s marriage and her standing in that marriage. Especially as the story rushes to its close, Ginny reflects on her unhappiness and her feelings of suffocation and regret. She recognizes the lack of equality in her marriage, one where she does all the cooking and cleaning while her beloved husband sits and reads the newspaper after dinner. She marvels at the family dynamics of those she meets along her journey, how loving and fair they seem, how thoughtful everyone is when it comes to taking care of one another. Here too is another area which makes me fear we have not come as far as we think we have when it comes to the wives in marriages. Just the other day, I read an article that talked about men, women, and free time. Every day you see a self-help headline about trying to get your husband to help around the house. This is not to mention the silence of those wives and mothers who feel just as trapped and stifled as Ginny did as they put their lives on hold to raise children. Keeping Lucy might occur more than forty years in the past, but she raises awareness of the same gender inequality that continues to exist in relationships.
In spite of everything Ginny feels and experiences, you cannot help finishing Keeping Lucy without a note of hope. Hell, if we can survive the complete lack of automobile safety in the seventies, there is hope for all of us! All kidding aside, Ms. Greenwood provides hope that even one person can make a difference. Her story is a gentle reminder that love can win out over greed and apathy and that no one has the right to make any decisions affecting your life except you. Hers is not a flashy story, and there is not a lot that happens among its pages. However, it is a peaceful story that helps you find the good in this seemingly hellish world in which we now find ourselves. Keeping Lucy is food for the soul at a time when we so desperately need it.
This book was very moving and incredibly real. The struggle of what a mother with a Down Syndrome child would go through in order to protect her child was eye opening. Hard to read parts, but worth the time.
While Ginny was never who Ab's parents hoped for him to marry, they did and have a perfect little boy Peyton. When Ginny gives birth to their second child however, Ab and his family are horrified to see that little Lucy has Down Syndrome. It's 1969, and Ab's father quickly whisks the baby away to a "school" meant for children like her. Ginny wakes up to find her baby girl is gone, and all attempts to see her as the months go by get brushed off by her husband.
Two years later, Ginny's best friend Marsha shows up with several newspaper articles. The "school" is all over the papers being exposed for abuse and neglect. Ginny and Marsha quickly head off with Peyton to see for themselves. Ginny is allowed to take Lucy out for the weekend, but after what she has seen while picking her up, she knows she can never let her child return to that hell. Ginny must finally stand up to her husband and her in-laws all while running away and hoping the law doesn't get involved.
I could not stop reading this one once I started. My heart broke for the conditions Lucy was kept in, but this book was truly about the strength of a mothers love and what lengths she will go to for her children. Marsha is officially the best friend ever. I mean I have some great friends that would do anything for me, but I'm not sure any would go this far. She was a fantastic character and I loved her for everything she did for Ginny. I felt like there was a lot of growth for Ab through this book. He started so strong against his parents, but ended up giving in and letting them rule his life. I enjoyed seeing how he dealt with that over time.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for allowing me to read and review this book in advance.
Two years later, Ginny's best friend Marsha shows up with several newspaper articles. The "school" is all over the papers being exposed for abuse and neglect. Ginny and Marsha quickly head off with Peyton to see for themselves. Ginny is allowed to take Lucy out for the weekend, but after what she has seen while picking her up, she knows she can never let her child return to that hell. Ginny must finally stand up to her husband and her in-laws all while running away and hoping the law doesn't get involved.
I could not stop reading this one once I started. My heart broke for the conditions Lucy was kept in, but this book was truly about the strength of a mothers love and what lengths she will go to for her children. Marsha is officially the best friend ever. I mean I have some great friends that would do anything for me, but I'm not sure any would go this far. She was a fantastic character and I loved her for everything she did for Ginny. I felt like there was a lot of growth for Ab through this book. He started so strong against his parents, but ended up giving in and letting them rule his life. I enjoyed seeing how he dealt with that over time.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for allowing me to read and review this book in advance.
*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review*
I started this book as I got on the train headed home from work and I don't think I looked up from that moment till I finished it, 5 minutes before I had to get off the bus (besides the obvious transfer between the two). Suffice to say this book hooked me in and was absolutely amazing.
It is 1969, and when Ginny delivers a baby girl with Down Syndrome the doctors and her husband quickly sent Lucy away to Willowridge, a "special school" for people like her. But Ginny never forgot about Lucy and two years later when she hears that the school was under investigation for how they were treating the children she backed up her son and with her sister goes to meet her daughter.
Within moments Ginny knows that she never should have left Lucy and she never will again. What transpires is a cross-country journey that turns Ginny into a fugitive from the law, and her husband.
From the first page of the book I was hooked and I loved following Ginny and Lucy on their journey to each other and to finding out more about life. It shows the depth of a mother's love and fighting for it.
I started this book as I got on the train headed home from work and I don't think I looked up from that moment till I finished it, 5 minutes before I had to get off the bus (besides the obvious transfer between the two). Suffice to say this book hooked me in and was absolutely amazing.
It is 1969, and when Ginny delivers a baby girl with Down Syndrome the doctors and her husband quickly sent Lucy away to Willowridge, a "special school" for people like her. But Ginny never forgot about Lucy and two years later when she hears that the school was under investigation for how they were treating the children she backed up her son and with her sister goes to meet her daughter.
Within moments Ginny knows that she never should have left Lucy and she never will again. What transpires is a cross-country journey that turns Ginny into a fugitive from the law, and her husband.
From the first page of the book I was hooked and I loved following Ginny and Lucy on their journey to each other and to finding out more about life. It shows the depth of a mother's love and fighting for it.
Thank you St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a copy of Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood for review. This beautiful story is out today.
Trigger warnings for child abuse.
Keeping Lucy is based on a true story. Set in the 1970s, Virginia wakes up from childbirth to find that her daughter has Down Syndrome and at that time, those children were institutionalized at birth. Taken before her mother could see her or fight for her, Virginia never forgot her daughter. Later, when the institution she was sent to is the feature of an exposè in the newspaper for neglect, she vows to make sure her daughter has all the love and understanding she needs.
T Greenwood is an artist. I loved Rust&Stardust and Keeping Lucy is infused with the same heartfelt characters and a journey to keep a child safe. Completely different subject matter and this one was told mostly from the mother’s point of view. I really enjoyed reading it from her perspective and seeing how she grew along the way.
Trigger warnings for child abuse.
Keeping Lucy is based on a true story. Set in the 1970s, Virginia wakes up from childbirth to find that her daughter has Down Syndrome and at that time, those children were institutionalized at birth. Taken before her mother could see her or fight for her, Virginia never forgot her daughter. Later, when the institution she was sent to is the feature of an exposè in the newspaper for neglect, she vows to make sure her daughter has all the love and understanding she needs.
T Greenwood is an artist. I loved Rust&Stardust and Keeping Lucy is infused with the same heartfelt characters and a journey to keep a child safe. Completely different subject matter and this one was told mostly from the mother’s point of view. I really enjoyed reading it from her perspective and seeing how she grew along the way.