The Fading of Lloyd

The Fading of Lloyd embroils the reader in family history as members struggle through historic challenges: the end of the American frontier, the dawn of railroad travel that wove Midwest communities together, World War I, and the social mores of the 1920s and 1930s. The Huttleston family, whose son, Lloyd, is mentally retarded, struggles to cope with the difficulties encountered with his care. After he is diagnosed schizophrenic and institutionalized, Lloyd dies during shock therapy. The Fading of Lloyd poses many questions by revealing a family’s journey with mental retardation and the actions of an insane asylum in early 20th century. Armed with today’s knowledge, this journey is filled with tragic realizations and even horror at what were considered “norms” at the time.