First published 2014
Jamie Kramer covers stories for the New York City Trib, but now he finds himself trapped inside the biggest story of his career. A wealthy British publisher has bought the newspaper and refuses to negotiate with the truck drivers' union. The blue collar unions strike in solidarity, and picket lines form outside the building where Jamie works. His father, a typographer and hardcore shop steward from the old hot type days, expects Jamie to honor the strike. Crossing the picket line would be an unforgivable betrayal. But Jamie faces his own crisis. His marriage has collapsed, and he desperately needs his paycheck to cover child support. The mid-1990s newspaper industry is transforming around computerized typesetting, leaving veteran workers like his father struggling to understand their changing world. Jamie must decide whether to stand with his father's union principles or forge his own path. The choice will define not just his career, but his relationship with the man who raised him in a world of newspapers and working class solidarity.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-conflict, father-son-relationship, personal-crisis
Setting: New York City, Trib
Period: 1990s
280 pages · Paperback · Lee & Low Books