Here’s another interesting find from Bookbub (a daily email letting you know about bargains for your Kindle)…
Ellis was just out taking photos, biding time between what he felt were always trivial journalistic assignments, and came upon a sight that caught at his heart even more than his photographic eye. After developing it alongside his real photos meant for publication, this picture somehow got slipped in with others submitted to his editor. He was to learn later that it was the maneuverings of the ambitious Lily, the editor’s assistant, who had always appreciated Ellis’s photos for the stories they told. She felt this one could not be overlooked. And apparently, the editor felt the same – because he shocked Ellis by assigning him to investigate the story of the boys in the photo – the brothers who played together under a sign that read, “Children for Sale.” Publication of this story would change the lives of both Ellis and Lily and of a couple of children who were greatly altered by these two journalists.
This is an impactful piece of historical fiction about the post-Depression era of the late 1930’s. At this time, America was still reeling from the devastation of the economic crash, and it was taking years for most people to get back to a livable wage and circumstance. People resorted to desperate measures to find housing and food for themselves, let alone for their children. The author gives an authentic account of the era, and treats this delicate issue by giving a very human quality to each of the characters involved.
On the other hand, the story itself, while beginning with a heartfelt premise, becomes a bit convoluted and slightly far-fetched. It is suspenseful and at times extremely gripping, but often too smoothly tendered. While this novel is a decent read, it sometimes feels a little Hollywood-ish, as if going for the screenplay from the first chapter.
Again, on the other hand, I can actually see this made into a movie. I think it would do quite well.
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