What I Read: Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood @tgwood505 @stmartinspress #keepinglucy
Happy Friday! This past week I finished reading T. Greenwood’s novel Keeping Lucy, which tells the story of a mother who is learning to rediscover her voice and follow her instincts. Set in the 1970s, Ginny is advised to send her second child Lucy to a home for children born with downs syndrome. She’ll need special care, particularly because of a heart defect that likely means Lucy won’t live out of childhood.
Two years later, Ginny reads a shocking news story about the home they sent Lucy to, speaking of unclean living conditions and poor care of the children there. Ginny checks Lucy out for a weekend trip, and the more she discovers about Lucy’s mistreatment, the more certain she is that she can’t bring her daughter back. But Ginny’s husband Ab isn’t exactly on the same page. Ginny follows her instincts as a mother, crossing state lines and falling in love with the daughter that she once allowed to be taken from he, and who now may no longer be hers to keep…
Reflection
This book was such a beautiful story! Ginny’s life and struggles really spoke to the feminist in me. What I loved most about her story was that Ab wasn’t a bad guy or even a bad father. It would be easy to take the story there, to make it how Ginny realizes who Ab truly is. But the fact remains that Ab is filled with love for Ginny and his family. And like her, Ab is doing his best to make good decisions for the family.
I loved learning about Lucy through Ginny’s eyes. It was easy to fall in love with Lucy! Despite her illness, Lucy is filled with love, curiosity, and light. Ginny herself is questioning her path in life. Did she make the right decision to marry and stay at home with the kids? Despite how much she loves Ab, Ginny is on the cusp of the women’s movement, and she’s questioning whether she slipped into the traditional gender role that she admittedly was happy with. But in doing so, maybe she lost her voice a bit.
Coming Summer 2019
I’ll have a full review this summer closer to publication date, but I wanted to celebrate this book now while I just experienced it! This heart-warming tale of motherhood, families, and the female voice is so beautiful–it captured my heart!
You can pre-order your copy now, and I encourage you to do so! This is not one to be missed!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy to review.
Mackenzie
4 Comments
Jonetta (Ejaygirl) | Blue Mood Café
Thanks for the tease, Mackenzie! I got this from NetGalley and now I’m glad I did.
Mackenzie
Oh yay!!! I really hope you love it as much as I did, Jonetta!
carhicks
This is an all too familiar story. I worked with a Children’s Home in the late 70s, early 80s. Some of their children came to my school and I had them in my class for Developmentally Challenged Children. So many of those kids were sweethearts, but the parents were told to put them in “a Home” rather than keep them at their home. Fortunately it was a good place, clean and the residents were well cared for, but that was not always the case. I am really looking forward to reading this story. Thanks for the teaser Mackenzie.
Mackenzie
Wow, thank you for sharing that personal connection to the story!!! I can only imagine what those parents think now that we know so much more about children with Down’s syndrome. I loved that this book showed what a blessing Lucy is. She brings love everywhere she goes!