A set of antique photographic plates is the key to uncovering hidden
truths of the Civil War, Great Depression, and 9/11 eras in this
"unflinching" novel (Publishers Weekly).
A teenage boy and his grandfather travel across America to attend that
last great reunion of Civil War veterans at Gettysburg in 1938, where
secrets and lies are revealed about the old man's past. Perhaps he was
not the hero his grandson thought, but he still has a valuable treasure
to reveal, which will shed intriguing light on the war and his part in
it.
Interweaving three periods of crisis in American history--the Civil War,
the Depression, and 9/11--The Photographer's Boy explores the power of
photography and journalism to inform or mislead; raises questions about
love; and offers "an unflinching but sympathetic, often touching, look
at the comforting fictions people wrap themselves in to protect
themselves from the cold of reality" (Publishers Weekly).