What do you think?
Rate this book
Until Lily: The First in a Trilogy
Bev Greeley could have never predicted that the burden she tried to cast off long ago would become her only source of joy in her final days. Until Lily is a moving book, rich in the universal struggles we all face, illuminated by Bev's contrite reflection on the life chosen for her -- a life filled with the strife, chaos, tragedy, loss, laughter, redemption and deep meaning possible only when you hand yourself over to love.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2011
11 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 19, 2021
Tearful but beautiful
I cried through most of it. Both happy and sad tears. Couldn’t put it down. I recommend it to all mothers and those wanting to become mothers.
I cried through most of it. Both happy and sad tears. Couldn’t put it down. I recommend it to all mothers and those wanting to become mothers.
June 12, 2012
Until Lily is the first installment of the Lily Trilogy, penned by professional journalist and fiction author Sherry Boas.
Apostates Beverly and Jack Greeley enjoy their childless, healthy, and wealthy life. Bev's sister, Jennifer Eagan, is a devout Catholic, hard-working, single mom with three kids; Jimmy and Terry, who were adopted, and Lily, born out of wedlock with Down Syndrome. After Jen loses her battle to cancer, her children go to live with Uncle Jack and Aunt Bev, their court appointed legal guardians. Jack, however, finds the new and burdensome responsibility of caring for the children to be unbearable and abandons the family. Nevertheless, as the story unfolds, Bev's attitude toward Lily changes completely as she discovers that caring for her “daughter” was the most rewarding experience of her life!
Although at first I thought to write only one review highlighting the best of the trilogy, I decided to focus on each book's uniqueness based on the situations and thematic surrounding Lily.
While reading the trilogy, I was amazed at the author's competence to narrate Lily's story from three completely different points of view without losing each character's individuality and emphasizing pivoting events related to their interaction with Lily.
Until Lily tells Lily's story from Aunt Bev's point of view, from unfit and resentful aunt to appreciative and thankful „mother.“ Suffering from advanced Parkinson, she reflects upon her life before Lily and how different her senior years could have been if it wasn't for Lily's humanitarian personality. The reader will witness Lily's transformation from a small, strong-willed child to a grown, loving and compassionate woman caring for her mother.
I highly recommend this book to parents dealing with the challenges of raising children with Down Syndrome and to those considering ending a pregnancy as they question their ability to take on such a huge responsibility. The first installment creates awareness about Down Syndrome and shows the blessing of caring for these children.
Warning: You will need several boxes of tissues to carry you through the entire trilogy!
Reviewed by the author of El Espejo de mi Alma and The Window to My Soul: My Walk with Jesus
Apostates Beverly and Jack Greeley enjoy their childless, healthy, and wealthy life. Bev's sister, Jennifer Eagan, is a devout Catholic, hard-working, single mom with three kids; Jimmy and Terry, who were adopted, and Lily, born out of wedlock with Down Syndrome. After Jen loses her battle to cancer, her children go to live with Uncle Jack and Aunt Bev, their court appointed legal guardians. Jack, however, finds the new and burdensome responsibility of caring for the children to be unbearable and abandons the family. Nevertheless, as the story unfolds, Bev's attitude toward Lily changes completely as she discovers that caring for her “daughter” was the most rewarding experience of her life!
Although at first I thought to write only one review highlighting the best of the trilogy, I decided to focus on each book's uniqueness based on the situations and thematic surrounding Lily.
While reading the trilogy, I was amazed at the author's competence to narrate Lily's story from three completely different points of view without losing each character's individuality and emphasizing pivoting events related to their interaction with Lily.
Until Lily tells Lily's story from Aunt Bev's point of view, from unfit and resentful aunt to appreciative and thankful „mother.“ Suffering from advanced Parkinson, she reflects upon her life before Lily and how different her senior years could have been if it wasn't for Lily's humanitarian personality. The reader will witness Lily's transformation from a small, strong-willed child to a grown, loving and compassionate woman caring for her mother.
I highly recommend this book to parents dealing with the challenges of raising children with Down Syndrome and to those considering ending a pregnancy as they question their ability to take on such a huge responsibility. The first installment creates awareness about Down Syndrome and shows the blessing of caring for these children.
Warning: You will need several boxes of tissues to carry you through the entire trilogy!
Reviewed by the author of El Espejo de mi Alma and The Window to My Soul: My Walk with Jesus
June 4, 2013
This book is narrated by an elderly woman with Parkinson's, who is reflecting on her life with her niece, who has Down syndrome and who she raised (unwillingly).
Excessive praise always puts my guard up. In this case, the praise is deserved. I wondered several times if this book would have read so easily if I didn't have a child with Down syndrome myself. I still haven't answered that question satisfactorily, but the voice is terrific. Humorous, irreverent, blunt--she says the things about parenting that all of us think, but don't want to say. As for Down syndrome, I laughed many times at her descriptions of her daughter, because they could have been descriptions of mine.
The structure breaks many rules. It's almost entirely told, with leaps into the past taking center stage without warning. For some reason, none of this bothered me; the strength of the writing made it work. When I began reading the final scene, I literally gasped and burst into tears, and the whole structure made sense. To preserve the surprise, I won't say any more than that.
This is a Catholic novel. By and large the references are smooth and well integrated. There were two scenes in which someone invoked "John Paul the Great," which I found jarring and attention-drawing instead of integral to the book (despite my admiration for the man!). Outside of those two scenes, and a bit of a long philosophical discussion with a priest, I thought it was a great study of how to work religion into a novel without making it preachy.
Excessive praise always puts my guard up. In this case, the praise is deserved. I wondered several times if this book would have read so easily if I didn't have a child with Down syndrome myself. I still haven't answered that question satisfactorily, but the voice is terrific. Humorous, irreverent, blunt--she says the things about parenting that all of us think, but don't want to say. As for Down syndrome, I laughed many times at her descriptions of her daughter, because they could have been descriptions of mine.
The structure breaks many rules. It's almost entirely told, with leaps into the past taking center stage without warning. For some reason, none of this bothered me; the strength of the writing made it work. When I began reading the final scene, I literally gasped and burst into tears, and the whole structure made sense. To preserve the surprise, I won't say any more than that.
This is a Catholic novel. By and large the references are smooth and well integrated. There were two scenes in which someone invoked "John Paul the Great," which I found jarring and attention-drawing instead of integral to the book (despite my admiration for the man!). Outside of those two scenes, and a bit of a long philosophical discussion with a priest, I thought it was a great study of how to work religion into a novel without making it preachy.
February 22, 2012
Wow! I don't give many A's but this self-published novella gets one. Bev is dying of Parkinson's Disease. She lives in a nursing home and the highlight of her day is her daily visit from her niece/adopted daughter, Lily, who has Down's Syndrome. The book, told in the first person, is the story of how she encouraged her sister, a single mom, to do the sensible thing when pregnant with Lily, how she came to be Lily's adoptive mom and how Lily has returned the love given to her tenfold. She talks about the struggles inherent in raising a special needs child, and how she often failed to love Lily as she ought.
It is a Catholic novel, with a re-conversion/confession scene. Other than that, lack of faith in the hereafter is more prominent than faith, and I'd by no means call the book preachy. It is the story of a woman who did not completely choose motherhood looking back at her life and the difference motherhood made. It is beautiful story that is beautifully written and I highly recommend it.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company.
It is a Catholic novel, with a re-conversion/confession scene. Other than that, lack of faith in the hereafter is more prominent than faith, and I'd by no means call the book preachy. It is the story of a woman who did not completely choose motherhood looking back at her life and the difference motherhood made. It is beautiful story that is beautifully written and I highly recommend it.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company.
March 8, 2012
Though fiction, this is a very real story. The writer is excellent. A couple of issues were tied up in a little too tidy of a package, in my opinion, but it is a trilogy, so perhaps those things will become unraveled. Not only does this book deal with the reality of raising a child with Down Syndrome, but also other issues such as living with Parkinson's disease, and aging. This is a book that really made me think about some issues. After a crisis, the main character starts to see that love and caring goes both ways, and even someone with challenges can add more to our lives than we would ever know.
February 9, 2016
This book was written by a local Phoenix-area woman with connections to my church. It was a sweet story about an elderly woman being cared for by her daughter who has down syndrome. The writing was a bit scattered (the jumps between flashbacks and present-day weren't clearly organized) so I could tell it wasn't a professionally published book. But if you're just looking for sweet anecdotes about down syndrome, grab this one!
January 19, 2013
I liked this book until the last 2 pages, and then I loved it. Intent is everything.
The story and characters are relatable, though sometimes the narrative jumps in time in a less than seamless way. This is the first in a trilogy, and it was good enough that I will read the next installment.
The story and characters are relatable, though sometimes the narrative jumps in time in a less than seamless way. This is the first in a trilogy, and it was good enough that I will read the next installment.
March 17, 2012
A beautiful novel that delves into the power of love, sacrifice, and vulnerability in transforming lives from the inside out.
December 24, 2012
Loved this book.. onto the next in the trilogy
October 15, 2013
Beautiful beautiful beautiful...anxious to start the next book.
April 3, 2014
Very much liked the story, but marked it down for the most atrocious editing I have ever seen. Totally wrong words, spelling, and not to mention time setting. How that got past anyone is beyond me.
December 27, 2015
Beautiful, tender story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews