Genre: mainstream fiction
The Photograph is a story of one man's journey toward self-acceptance. Like a French braid, it weaves themes of family, faith and friendship into a saga which touches three generations. It is the story of Paddy Quinn and the ghosts that haunt him.
Awakened by a phone call, Paddy is forced to face his troubled past. His son, Richard, wants to meet the father he's never known and plans to recognize him on the basis of a forty-two year old street photograph of a man in a borrowed suit. This proposed reunion sends Paddy's memory back to 1953 and the day he met Roslyn Price, a woman with a scheme that would alter the course of his life.
Paddy’s story unfolds as he relives his youth in the North End of Winnipeg. An unplanned pregnancy and a hasty marriage set Paddy on a course of self-destruction. Family secrets, illicit affairs, death and indiscretions chip away his faith in family, God and himself.
Roslyn’s ambitions push Paddy into an uncharacteristic charade. He borrows a suit in an attempt to impress a potential employer. A street photographer captures his image just after a disastrous job interview; the photograph becomes the only evidence of an ill-laid plan. Unbeknownst to Paddy, he has failed Roslyn’s final test.
Richard’s birth does little to save Paddy from himself. After Roslyn disappears with Richard, Paddy’s life melts into a haze of booze and regret.
Now a recovering alcoholic and terminally ill, Paddy‚’ world is rattled by Richard’s phone call. He reluctantly agrees to meet, if only to set the record straight. Recognizing his son from a distance, Paddy makes a split second decision to leave Richard a legacy - the father in The Photograph.
uh ok...what happens?
you’ve given us the beginning and set up the ending. To quote Clara Pell “Where’s the beef?"
There's nothing here that gives us a sense of voice, what the characters are like, what the pivotal moments are, what they learn, or fail to.
This is similar to flap copy. It’s not a synopsis in any meaningful sense.