After
her mom relocates to California, Lorrie moves to the suburbs of Washington
DC to live with her father and his new wife. Her vision of a summer of
relaxing by the pool with her friend Sarah is quickly dashed by Sarah’s
involvement with her boyfriend and her job at the stables. Lorrie’s step
mom takes a new job helping an elderly woman prepare her home and belongings
for sale and invites Lorrie to work with her. The woman, famous photographer
Mollie Price, is gruff and grumpy. But as Lorrie, an amateur photographer
herself, comes to know Mollie, she becomes interested in her life story
and the pictures in her home of presidents, world leaders, war and every
other major newsworthy event. Mollie reluctantly agrees to help Lorrie
improve her skills as a photographer, but Lorrie can’t seem to find the
“one shot” she’s looking for. Meanwhile, Lorrie is also learning about
his father’s new wife, working to overcome her fear of horses, and wondering
if romance is coming her way. You will especially enjoy this book if you
like photography because the author, Susan Glick, is a journalist who also
takes pictures.
"Lorrie reached for her
camera. Okay, this was it. This was the kind of emotion that would work
perfectly for the fourth assignment. All she had to do was focus and snap.
It would be easy. She could be finished in minutes. She lifted the camera
to her eye. The woman was now sobbing, her shoulders heaving up and down.
A man, also crying stepped over and cradled her in his arm. Lorrie wondered
who they were crying for. A son? A nephew? The woman’s brother? A neighborhood
boy? Lorrie lowered the camera. The shot was there, but she couldn’t take
it." (Page 163) (Jean B. Bellavance for Pennsylvania
Young Reader's Choice Awards, 2005-2006)
