Inspired by a famous Lewis Hine photograph, Elizabeth Winthrop's latest book is set in a Vermont mill town in 1910, when child labor was common, and a bright, eager girl had to struggle to receive an education. Against a backdrop of callous mill owners, national calls for labor reform, and a family that can barely make ends meet, Winthrops protagonist, the courageous 12 year old Grace Forcier, strives to balance the needs of her family, the call of her true self, and her profound sense of right and wrong.
As compelling as the novel itself is Winthrop's search for the real child behind the original Lewis Hine photograph. The girl, Addie Card, was "poster child" for child labor reform, but she was lost in the dustbin of history, until Winthrop unearthed her tale. Addie lived for nearly a century, and in her lifetime experienced both the dark side of the American dream, and the tremendous, unyielding love of family.