2 children for sale. In 1931, near Philadelphia, ambitious reporter Ellis Reed photographs the gut-wrenching sign posted beside a pair of siblings on a farmhouse porch. With the help of a newspaper secretary Lily Palmer, Ellis writes an article to accompany the photo. Capturing the hardships of American families during the great depression, the feature story generates national attention and Ellis's career skyrockets. But the piece also leads to consequences more devastating than he ever imagined.