Growing up in Hoboken, New Jersey, Dorothea Lange wanted to see more of the world. Paris was too expensive, so with her meager savings and her precious camera, she traveled to San Francisco. Her first encounter in the beautiful city was not happy. She was robbed of her small savings. Having no where to go and no money, she meets Caroline Lee, a Chinese American girl who befriends her.
Caroline introduces Dorothea to the Monkey Block, the heart of San Francisco’s bohemian art colony. The girls’ friendship blossoms and their portrait studio becomes famous. Then a disaster strikes and Caroline disappears leaving Dorothea bereft.
The heart of the story is the friendship between Dorothea and Caroline. With Caroline’s Chinese ancestry, the girls are caught up in not only the art scene, but also the politics and corruption in San Francisco in addition to the plight of the Chinese immigrants.
This story is beautifully told. The author has a knack for bringing the bohemian era at the end of WWI to life. Dorothea witnesses the problems of immigration and the shortage of jobs for the returning soldiers. She realizes that her photos can make a significant contribution making people see the problems of the poor. Her photographs are still recognized as important today.
I highly recommend this if you enjoy historical fiction.
I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.
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