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The Bohemians
A dazzling novel of one of America's most celebrated photographers, Dorothea Lange, exploring the wild years in San Francisco that awakened her career-defining grit, compassion, and daring
In this novel of the glittering and gritty Jazz Age, young aspiring photographer Dorothea Lange arrives in San Francisco in 1918. As a newcomer--and a naive one at that--Dorothea is grateful for the fast friendship of Caroline Lee, a vivacious, straight-talking Chinese American with a complicated past, who introduces Dorothea to Monkey Block, an artists' colony and the bohemian heart of the city. Dazzled by Caroline and her friends, Dorothea is catapulted into a heady new world of freedom, art, and politics. She also finds herself falling in love with the brilliant but troubled painter Maynard Dixon. As she sheds her innocence, her purpose is awakened and she grows into the artist whose iconic Depression-era "Migrant Mother" photograph broke the hearts and opened the eyes of a nation.
A vivid and absorbing portrait of the past, The Bohemians captures a cast of unforgettable characters, including Frida Kahlo, Ansel Adams, and D. H. Lawrence. But moreover, it shows how the gift of friendship and the possibility of self-invention persist against the ferocious pull of history.
In this novel of the glittering and gritty Jazz Age, young aspiring photographer Dorothea Lange arrives in San Francisco in 1918. As a newcomer--and a naive one at that--Dorothea is grateful for the fast friendship of Caroline Lee, a vivacious, straight-talking Chinese American with a complicated past, who introduces Dorothea to Monkey Block, an artists' colony and the bohemian heart of the city. Dazzled by Caroline and her friends, Dorothea is catapulted into a heady new world of freedom, art, and politics. She also finds herself falling in love with the brilliant but troubled painter Maynard Dixon. As she sheds her innocence, her purpose is awakened and she grows into the artist whose iconic Depression-era "Migrant Mother" photograph broke the hearts and opened the eyes of a nation.
A vivid and absorbing portrait of the past, The Bohemians captures a cast of unforgettable characters, including Frida Kahlo, Ansel Adams, and D. H. Lawrence. But moreover, it shows how the gift of friendship and the possibility of self-invention persist against the ferocious pull of history.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2021
326 people are currently reading
12027 people want to read
About the author
Jasmin Darznik
12 books518 followersThere comes a point when the secrets you've kept most hidden become the stories you must tell. I was born in Iran and moved with my family to the U.S. when I was five. Even after earning a PhD in English from Princeton, I never considered becoming an author. But accidentally finding out about my mother's secret life changed that. In 2011, I published my first book, The Good Daughter, which tells the story of how my mother was married at thirteen and forced to give up a child, a half-sister I never knew. That book changed my life. Since then I have been in pursuit of lost or forgotten stories--and the pleasure of disappearing into other worlds through writing.
HOW I STARTED WRITING
I wasn’t supposed to be a writer. Nothing in my first-generation immigrant background supported it, and so much impeded it. Still, I was a reader. As a child I left my small town library with novels stacked up to my chest and under my chin. I’d go home and luxuriate in the possibility of disappearing into different worlds. Beyond that was the twenty-room motel my parents bought when we came to America, a place of struggle and uncertainty. Books were my way out.
But writing? Even as I hacked away at the prohibitions and doubts set down by my family, it still seemed impossible. I was expected to do something practical. When I decided to get a PhD in American literature, as far as my family was concerned it was as if I’d run away with the Grateful Dead. As detours go, it was a useful one. As I read Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior and Zora Neale Hurston’s Dust Tracks on the Road, I found myself profoundly moved by the feeling these writers weren’t just telling me a story—they were telling me who they were.
Having grown up in a family where telling people who you were could be, and often was, regarded as a betrayal, these works were both a revelation and a provocation. That was a beginning, a very important one: to discover voices that spoke to me with an intimacy I rarely experienced in real life.
Still, I might never have crossed over from reading to writing if I hadn’t bumped into my parents’ next-door neighbor one afternoon when I was back home from graduate school. This was about fifteen years ago. We got to chatting and she told me she’d just published a book.
Hold up! I thought. Writing seemed like such an exalted profession. I’d never known a writer in real life. And now, suddenly, I did: the woman next door. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to ask my neighbor how she’d done it. She told me she’d enrolled in a creative writing workshop through our local independent bookstore, Book Passage, and that’s where she got her start.
That same day I walked over to Book Passage and I signed up for a spot in the writer’s workshop my neighbor recommended. My classmates, mostly women, were strangers to me, people I’d likely never have met in any other context, even though ours was a small community. But once a week, Fridays, 6 to 9 pm, we were kin, bound together by our common love of stories and an urgent, if muted, desire to speak and to be seen.
For two years, I showed up at that workshop every Friday night, pages in hand, heart kicking against my chest as I read for my allotted ten minutes. It was a time of discovery, in some ways the sweetest time of my writing life so far. I wasn’t writing to publish anything, though that might have shimmered as a distant dream; I was wholly taken up by the urge to make something beautiful and to connect with other people.
That’s what got me started, and what keeps me going to this day.
HOW I STARTED WRITING
I wasn’t supposed to be a writer. Nothing in my first-generation immigrant background supported it, and so much impeded it. Still, I was a reader. As a child I left my small town library with novels stacked up to my chest and under my chin. I’d go home and luxuriate in the possibility of disappearing into different worlds. Beyond that was the twenty-room motel my parents bought when we came to America, a place of struggle and uncertainty. Books were my way out.
But writing? Even as I hacked away at the prohibitions and doubts set down by my family, it still seemed impossible. I was expected to do something practical. When I decided to get a PhD in American literature, as far as my family was concerned it was as if I’d run away with the Grateful Dead. As detours go, it was a useful one. As I read Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior and Zora Neale Hurston’s Dust Tracks on the Road, I found myself profoundly moved by the feeling these writers weren’t just telling me a story—they were telling me who they were.
Having grown up in a family where telling people who you were could be, and often was, regarded as a betrayal, these works were both a revelation and a provocation. That was a beginning, a very important one: to discover voices that spoke to me with an intimacy I rarely experienced in real life.
Still, I might never have crossed over from reading to writing if I hadn’t bumped into my parents’ next-door neighbor one afternoon when I was back home from graduate school. This was about fifteen years ago. We got to chatting and she told me she’d just published a book.
Hold up! I thought. Writing seemed like such an exalted profession. I’d never known a writer in real life. And now, suddenly, I did: the woman next door. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to ask my neighbor how she’d done it. She told me she’d enrolled in a creative writing workshop through our local independent bookstore, Book Passage, and that’s where she got her start.
That same day I walked over to Book Passage and I signed up for a spot in the writer’s workshop my neighbor recommended. My classmates, mostly women, were strangers to me, people I’d likely never have met in any other context, even though ours was a small community. But once a week, Fridays, 6 to 9 pm, we were kin, bound together by our common love of stories and an urgent, if muted, desire to speak and to be seen.
For two years, I showed up at that workshop every Friday night, pages in hand, heart kicking against my chest as I read for my allotted ten minutes. It was a time of discovery, in some ways the sweetest time of my writing life so far. I wasn’t writing to publish anything, though that might have shimmered as a distant dream; I was wholly taken up by the urge to make something beautiful and to connect with other people.
That’s what got me started, and what keeps me going to this day.
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May 15, 2021
The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik (Author), Dylan Moore (Narrator)
Before I listened to this audiobook, my knowledge of Dorothea Lange was mostly having seen many of her famous Depression era photos. This book mostly focuses on Dorothea's early years in San Francisco, during the 1920s, so I took to the internet to learn all about her entire life and works, those of her one time husband Maynard Dixon, and the other artists that were part of the Monkey Block, an artists' colony and the bohemian heart of San Francisco.
We hear about many of the artists and some of the politicians and the politics of the day. Racism, the Spanish flu ravaging the country, corrupt politicians, and riots by various factions, mirror so much of what goes on today. Very little is known about the real life Chinese assistant that Dorothea employed during the time that she opened and ran her portrait studio but the author has turned that assistant into a fictional character named Caroline Lee. Through Caroline's fleshed out story we are able to see deeper into the prejudices towards the Chinese people in San Francisco and Caroline is the means to introducing Dorothea to the Monkey Block world of art, politics, and freedom from the rules of straight laced society.
Dorothea herself felt constricted by the expectations of society. She wanted to make a living with photography but would only ever be able to do the grunt work of a photographer's assistant if she had stayed on the east coast. Instead, she made her way to San Francisco and once she was able to have enough money to feed and house herself, she set her sites on opening her own portrait studio. She was smart, ambitious, and knew a bit about prejudices because of her time being shunned due to childhood polio and the fact that she walked with a limp.
I enjoyed this story but it mostly left me wanting to know more about Dorothea and the artists of her world. The book primarily focuses on her early days and it's very interesting to see her history that led to her later work as a famous documentary photographer and photojournalist. Dorothea was a pioneer who put her comfort aside so that she could document the lives of those who suffered the most during the Great Depression. Dorothea also showed the Japanese American internment camps although most of those photos were not seen publicly during the war. Dorothea's life and work at the portrait studio led her to want to freedom of travel and getting to know and show her subjects in a much more personal way and she achieved her goal with great success.
Published April 6, 2021
Before I listened to this audiobook, my knowledge of Dorothea Lange was mostly having seen many of her famous Depression era photos. This book mostly focuses on Dorothea's early years in San Francisco, during the 1920s, so I took to the internet to learn all about her entire life and works, those of her one time husband Maynard Dixon, and the other artists that were part of the Monkey Block, an artists' colony and the bohemian heart of San Francisco.
We hear about many of the artists and some of the politicians and the politics of the day. Racism, the Spanish flu ravaging the country, corrupt politicians, and riots by various factions, mirror so much of what goes on today. Very little is known about the real life Chinese assistant that Dorothea employed during the time that she opened and ran her portrait studio but the author has turned that assistant into a fictional character named Caroline Lee. Through Caroline's fleshed out story we are able to see deeper into the prejudices towards the Chinese people in San Francisco and Caroline is the means to introducing Dorothea to the Monkey Block world of art, politics, and freedom from the rules of straight laced society.
Dorothea herself felt constricted by the expectations of society. She wanted to make a living with photography but would only ever be able to do the grunt work of a photographer's assistant if she had stayed on the east coast. Instead, she made her way to San Francisco and once she was able to have enough money to feed and house herself, she set her sites on opening her own portrait studio. She was smart, ambitious, and knew a bit about prejudices because of her time being shunned due to childhood polio and the fact that she walked with a limp.
I enjoyed this story but it mostly left me wanting to know more about Dorothea and the artists of her world. The book primarily focuses on her early days and it's very interesting to see her history that led to her later work as a famous documentary photographer and photojournalist. Dorothea was a pioneer who put her comfort aside so that she could document the lives of those who suffered the most during the Great Depression. Dorothea also showed the Japanese American internment camps although most of those photos were not seen publicly during the war. Dorothea's life and work at the portrait studio led her to want to freedom of travel and getting to know and show her subjects in a much more personal way and she achieved her goal with great success.
Published April 6, 2021
March 23, 2021
The Bohemians
by Jasmin Darznik is a biographical historical fiction novel that mainly covers the life of Dorothea Lange from 1918 through 1920 along with a small amount of information about her life after that. Dorothea was an amazing photographer and this fictionalized version of her life mainly covers the early years of her career as she arrives in San Francisco, is robbed, and then meets Caroline Lee, Maynard Dixon, Ansel Adams and other famous individuals from the time. It focuses on the beginning of her career and how she transitioned from a portrait photographer for the rich and famous to photographing ordinary people.
The author brought a strong sense of time and place to the people and events in the book. While this is fiction, it includes many events that actually occurred. Her writing style was very descriptive and pulled this reader into the events and lives of Dorothea and Caroline.
While this is a book set approximately 100 years ago, many of the same issues and themes are still true today: anti-immigration sentiment, corrupt politicians, poverty, racism, and a world-wide pandemic. But there were also more uplifting themes as well including friendship, love, self-confidence, the art community, and much more.
Overall, this book captivated me and I learned a lot about Dorothea and the history of San Francisco. I wished there was a bibliography or source notes at the end. Readers that are interested in gritty 1920s San Francisco, Dorothea Lange, or historical fiction will likely enjoy this book.
Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Jasmin Darznik provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for April 06, 2021.
The author brought a strong sense of time and place to the people and events in the book. While this is fiction, it includes many events that actually occurred. Her writing style was very descriptive and pulled this reader into the events and lives of Dorothea and Caroline.
While this is a book set approximately 100 years ago, many of the same issues and themes are still true today: anti-immigration sentiment, corrupt politicians, poverty, racism, and a world-wide pandemic. But there were also more uplifting themes as well including friendship, love, self-confidence, the art community, and much more.
Overall, this book captivated me and I learned a lot about Dorothea and the history of San Francisco. I wished there was a bibliography or source notes at the end. Readers that are interested in gritty 1920s San Francisco, Dorothea Lange, or historical fiction will likely enjoy this book.
Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Jasmin Darznik provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for April 06, 2021.
November 7, 2021
Audiobook….read by Dylan Moore
…..11 hours and 6 minutes
*Dazzling-Storytelling* with endless pleasure - is a great way to characterize Jasmin Darznik’s novels.
“Song of the Captive Bird” captured my heart with her courageous women characters who were living in a predominantly male dominated world in Iran.
History, culture, setting, and character intimacy (day-to-day choices, struggles, regrets, accomplishments, domestic drama), are the foundation of her novels. There is much to relish about Darzik’s writing.
Love is exuded throughout.
What gives “The Bohemians” its emotional richness is the wonderful language that pierces to the heart of each character’s struggle to make a richer, freer life.
This story revolves around two extraordinary women who develop an inspiring, empowering, friendship. Dorothea Lang, (Historical character, the American documentary photojournalist who was best known for her Depression-era work), and Caroline Lee (Fictional character, Chinese-American, gifted seamstress; and eventually business partner with Dorothea (Dorie).
The women meet in San Francisco, 1918, soon after Dorie arrived.
The global war of WWI was waning, the 1918 flu epidemic was growing,
Anti-Asian racism was wide spread. (Asian-Americans were excluded from equal rights in business, housing, and healthcare).
Asian immigrants were considered scapegoats for disease…and in the early 1900’s officials quarantined San Francisco Chinatown, convinced that its Asian residents had seeded the bubonic plague outbreak.
I found this part of the storytelling interesting and important
because history has recently repeated itself. We saw a current wave of Anti-Asian racism associated with COVID-19.
Whenever an epidemic comes from Asia, Asians are scapegoated and are met with interpersonal violence and racist policies.
We are enlivened with the streets of *San Francisco* and the S.F. bohemian lifestyle …with wonderful descriptions of eccentric fashions, furniture, jewelry, makeup, etc. — but more than ‘style’ — Jasmin Darznik highlights changing attitudes- beliefs and actions that didn’t conform with society injustices. She does this by creating two heroines—each liberating themselves with courage, tenacity, and a little brashness when needed.
Bottom line…this historical fiction is scrumptiously beautiful…..with a colorful supporting cast of characters: [San Francisco as one of them]
It’s profoundly human, fully engaging and enthralling from start to finish.
I’ll read anything Jasmin Darnzik writes. I enjoy the ‘comfort’- social connection’ blissful feelings I come away with.
…..11 hours and 6 minutes
*Dazzling-Storytelling* with endless pleasure - is a great way to characterize Jasmin Darznik’s novels.
“Song of the Captive Bird” captured my heart with her courageous women characters who were living in a predominantly male dominated world in Iran.
History, culture, setting, and character intimacy (day-to-day choices, struggles, regrets, accomplishments, domestic drama), are the foundation of her novels. There is much to relish about Darzik’s writing.
Love is exuded throughout.
What gives “The Bohemians” its emotional richness is the wonderful language that pierces to the heart of each character’s struggle to make a richer, freer life.
This story revolves around two extraordinary women who develop an inspiring, empowering, friendship. Dorothea Lang, (Historical character, the American documentary photojournalist who was best known for her Depression-era work), and Caroline Lee (Fictional character, Chinese-American, gifted seamstress; and eventually business partner with Dorothea (Dorie).
The women meet in San Francisco, 1918, soon after Dorie arrived.
The global war of WWI was waning, the 1918 flu epidemic was growing,
Anti-Asian racism was wide spread. (Asian-Americans were excluded from equal rights in business, housing, and healthcare).
Asian immigrants were considered scapegoats for disease…and in the early 1900’s officials quarantined San Francisco Chinatown, convinced that its Asian residents had seeded the bubonic plague outbreak.
I found this part of the storytelling interesting and important
because history has recently repeated itself. We saw a current wave of Anti-Asian racism associated with COVID-19.
Whenever an epidemic comes from Asia, Asians are scapegoated and are met with interpersonal violence and racist policies.
We are enlivened with the streets of *San Francisco* and the S.F. bohemian lifestyle …with wonderful descriptions of eccentric fashions, furniture, jewelry, makeup, etc. — but more than ‘style’ — Jasmin Darznik highlights changing attitudes- beliefs and actions that didn’t conform with society injustices. She does this by creating two heroines—each liberating themselves with courage, tenacity, and a little brashness when needed.
Bottom line…this historical fiction is scrumptiously beautiful…..with a colorful supporting cast of characters: [San Francisco as one of them]
It’s profoundly human, fully engaging and enthralling from start to finish.
I’ll read anything Jasmin Darnzik writes. I enjoy the ‘comfort’- social connection’ blissful feelings I come away with.
November 10, 2020
Maynard Dixon (1875-1946) at the beginning of the 20th century is the best painter in San Francisco. Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) in 1918 is a new comer to the Bohemian San Francisco, hoping to make a path for herself as a portrait photographer. Today, she is most recognized for influencing journalistic photography.
1918. Dorrie, nearly twenty-three, arrives in San Francisco with a camera and a head full of ideas. As she tries to figure her way around the city, she meets Caroline Lee. Caroline introduces Dorrie to Monkey Block. A district full of life and bohemians. Dorrie’s first job in the city is a step-down from what she was doing in New York. But it is a step-up when she sees an opportunity she didn’t see in New York. In New York, she “couldn’t make it any further than somebody’s assistant.” In San Francisco might be different. There are successful women photographers here. Flourishing, because there were no established photographers in the city due to the earthquake of 1906 that not only devastated the city, but also made many artists leave the city. Thus, making a way for a new generation of bohemians, which allowed women to establish themselves.
I very much enjoyed the atmosphere of the artistic community. The description of the place where Caroline lives truly brings the meaning of a bohemian community. It’s like a village or a settlement. A building full of rooms, each containing a different person with a different interest. Some rooms were crowded with canvases or a jumble of books or a half-finished sculpture or a dressmaker’s dummy or a grand piano.
The historical background is textured with many layers. We get a glimpse of the effects of the 1906 earthquake, the Spanish flue of 1918 reaching the West Coast, and earlier devastating the East Coast. The dimensions of the photography are beautifully explored. What it means to catch the right light, just by moving the camera by 2 inches, the right angle and the right composition. The stiffness of proper attire and straight standing or sitting posture where making space for something more unique. And of course, the bohemian community is phenomenal and the cast of artists is very rich making it a very vibrant story. And a sad part of racism, including The Palmer Raids of 1919-1920. Caroline of Chinese decent knows what it means to be Oriental in early 20th century San Francisco. Not allowed to live outside Chinatown, experiencing discrimination at work, very limited to what she can do and where she can work. And how people view her.
The character development is exquisite as well. Dorrie is left with a limp leg after a polio. Her friend helps her to overcome her insecurities. And the love of photography is her gift which she grabs and explores. You can feel her passion. With not an easy childhood, she comes triumphant with making her own path. Through character development, we also see friendship among women and support of each other, to propel each other to success.
The prose is grasping from the first pages. You get attached to the characters as quickly and care for them deeply. The plot carries the story forward constantly. Thus, in summary making it a fascinating read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
1918. Dorrie, nearly twenty-three, arrives in San Francisco with a camera and a head full of ideas. As she tries to figure her way around the city, she meets Caroline Lee. Caroline introduces Dorrie to Monkey Block. A district full of life and bohemians. Dorrie’s first job in the city is a step-down from what she was doing in New York. But it is a step-up when she sees an opportunity she didn’t see in New York. In New York, she “couldn’t make it any further than somebody’s assistant.” In San Francisco might be different. There are successful women photographers here. Flourishing, because there were no established photographers in the city due to the earthquake of 1906 that not only devastated the city, but also made many artists leave the city. Thus, making a way for a new generation of bohemians, which allowed women to establish themselves.
I very much enjoyed the atmosphere of the artistic community. The description of the place where Caroline lives truly brings the meaning of a bohemian community. It’s like a village or a settlement. A building full of rooms, each containing a different person with a different interest. Some rooms were crowded with canvases or a jumble of books or a half-finished sculpture or a dressmaker’s dummy or a grand piano.
The historical background is textured with many layers. We get a glimpse of the effects of the 1906 earthquake, the Spanish flue of 1918 reaching the West Coast, and earlier devastating the East Coast. The dimensions of the photography are beautifully explored. What it means to catch the right light, just by moving the camera by 2 inches, the right angle and the right composition. The stiffness of proper attire and straight standing or sitting posture where making space for something more unique. And of course, the bohemian community is phenomenal and the cast of artists is very rich making it a very vibrant story. And a sad part of racism, including The Palmer Raids of 1919-1920. Caroline of Chinese decent knows what it means to be Oriental in early 20th century San Francisco. Not allowed to live outside Chinatown, experiencing discrimination at work, very limited to what she can do and where she can work. And how people view her.
The character development is exquisite as well. Dorrie is left with a limp leg after a polio. Her friend helps her to overcome her insecurities. And the love of photography is her gift which she grabs and explores. You can feel her passion. With not an easy childhood, she comes triumphant with making her own path. Through character development, we also see friendship among women and support of each other, to propel each other to success.
The prose is grasping from the first pages. You get attached to the characters as quickly and care for them deeply. The plot carries the story forward constantly. Thus, in summary making it a fascinating read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2021
Thank you to Random House for the gifted copy. I also preordered a copy because this is a favorite author. ♥️
If you haven’t heard me gush about it before, Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik is one of my very favorites. It’s an immersive and important work highlighting the life of Forugh, a poet living in Iran during the revolution. I cherished reading it, and I cherished The Bohemians just as much. I was fortunate to buddy read this stunning book about friendship with one of my very best friends, @bibliobeth.
The Bohemians is set mostly in San Francisco a decade after the earthquake that greatly altered the city. Dorothea Lange, newly arrived aspiring photographer, has used all her money to travel to San Francisco with a dream for a better, more independent life. She is robbed almost immediately and has nowhere to sleep, no family or friends. Her luck turns around when she meets Caroline Lee on a streetcar. The rapport between the two develops into the most loving and supportive friendship, just as Dorrie’s career begins to likewise develop.
Oh my gosh, did I love the San Francisco bohemian setting for this novel. I followed along on Jasmin Darznik’s page as she was writing. Check out all the pictures she shared of Bohemian life, furniture, jewelry; it’s all so interesting and stunning. I loved the cameos by artists like Frida Kahlo and Ansel Adams. I really loved it all.
The Bohemians transported me to a new time and place, and the friendship at the heart of the story was a refreshing take on the special bond between these two strong female characters. Darznik writes with my favorite buttery, precise style, and I cannot get enough. I hope she has many more stories to share with us. The Bohemians is without a doubt one of my favorites this year.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
If you haven’t heard me gush about it before, Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik is one of my very favorites. It’s an immersive and important work highlighting the life of Forugh, a poet living in Iran during the revolution. I cherished reading it, and I cherished The Bohemians just as much. I was fortunate to buddy read this stunning book about friendship with one of my very best friends, @bibliobeth.
The Bohemians is set mostly in San Francisco a decade after the earthquake that greatly altered the city. Dorothea Lange, newly arrived aspiring photographer, has used all her money to travel to San Francisco with a dream for a better, more independent life. She is robbed almost immediately and has nowhere to sleep, no family or friends. Her luck turns around when she meets Caroline Lee on a streetcar. The rapport between the two develops into the most loving and supportive friendship, just as Dorrie’s career begins to likewise develop.
Oh my gosh, did I love the San Francisco bohemian setting for this novel. I followed along on Jasmin Darznik’s page as she was writing. Check out all the pictures she shared of Bohemian life, furniture, jewelry; it’s all so interesting and stunning. I loved the cameos by artists like Frida Kahlo and Ansel Adams. I really loved it all.
The Bohemians transported me to a new time and place, and the friendship at the heart of the story was a refreshing take on the special bond between these two strong female characters. Darznik writes with my favorite buttery, precise style, and I cannot get enough. I hope she has many more stories to share with us. The Bohemians is without a doubt one of my favorites this year.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
May 4, 2021
In 1918 Dorothea Lange arrives in San Francisco. She left New York with a small sum of money, her camera and a great deal of ambition. She arrives in SF with only her camera having been robbed on the ship. She doesn't know anyone, is desperate, doesn't know where to turn. All this will change when she meets Caroline Lee and is introduced to the Monkey building with its large occupancy of Bohemians.
A terrific read of the beginning career of a photographer who will become world renown. Her life, her struggles, her marriage and the prejudice she fought against those who thought a woman should not have a career. Much of this is factual and she did have an Asian asst. though Caroline herself, an amazing character is a fictional construct. SF is drawn in all it glory alongside it's ugliness. Bigotry against the Chinese is prevalent and strident. Something that is currently happening in our present day. We seem to never learn but keep repeating past mistakes.
This was a nostalgic read, a place and time gone by. People and places gone, the new built on top of the old. I don't read my friends reviews but I do look at their star ratings. So when I started reading this, after seeing all those 4 & 5 stars, I initially wasn't very impressed. By books end though I was singing, I fell in love with a book. And I did, I loved the characters, the history, the ending and the authors note.
A terrific read of the beginning career of a photographer who will become world renown. Her life, her struggles, her marriage and the prejudice she fought against those who thought a woman should not have a career. Much of this is factual and she did have an Asian asst. though Caroline herself, an amazing character is a fictional construct. SF is drawn in all it glory alongside it's ugliness. Bigotry against the Chinese is prevalent and strident. Something that is currently happening in our present day. We seem to never learn but keep repeating past mistakes.
This was a nostalgic read, a place and time gone by. People and places gone, the new built on top of the old. I don't read my friends reviews but I do look at their star ratings. So when I started reading this, after seeing all those 4 & 5 stars, I initially wasn't very impressed. By books end though I was singing, I fell in love with a book. And I did, I loved the characters, the history, the ending and the authors note.
February 19, 2021
I was a huge fan of Song of a Captive Bird and was shocked when it didn’t get the attention I thought it deserved. So, I was anxious to read The Bohemians. Darznik did such a good job capturing the life of Forugh Farrokhzhad, I wanted to see how she would handle Dorothea Lange.
Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange’s portrait of Florence Thompson is supposedly the most reproduced photo in the world. This book tackles Lange’s early life, her “coming of age story”, starting with her arrival in San Francisco in 1918. Darznik does a fabulous job of giving us the time and place - the city, the racism, the art world, the social strata. She effortlessly weaves in the after effects of 1906 Earthquake and Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu and the Palmer Raids. She also blends in Lange’s real life artist friends - Imogen Cunningham, Maynard Dixon and Ansel Adams. Dixon even goes on to become her husband.
Once again, she provides the reader with complete character portrayals. She makes a point of explaining Lange’s idea that she was a trades woman, not an artist. By contrast, Dixon believes himself an artist and hates the need for commercial work. As expected, they quickly fall into the traditional marital roles and it’s Lange who suffers. And oh, did I feel for her as she navigated the problems of step-parenthood.
The book also does a fabulous job of portraying her friendship with Caroline Lee, who introduces her to the Monkey Block community and helps Dorothea overcome all her insecurities tied to her bad leg.
One of my favorite parts of any historical fiction is the author’s note and this is no exception. Darznik goes further than most, outlining her history with the city but also her philosophy about historical fiction. One quote rang especially true -“ in much the same way that every portrait is a self-portrait, every historical novel is to some degree a contemporary novel.”
While I didn’t love this the way I did Song of the Captive Bird, I still recommend it for those that love historical fiction.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange’s portrait of Florence Thompson is supposedly the most reproduced photo in the world. This book tackles Lange’s early life, her “coming of age story”, starting with her arrival in San Francisco in 1918. Darznik does a fabulous job of giving us the time and place - the city, the racism, the art world, the social strata. She effortlessly weaves in the after effects of 1906 Earthquake and Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu and the Palmer Raids. She also blends in Lange’s real life artist friends - Imogen Cunningham, Maynard Dixon and Ansel Adams. Dixon even goes on to become her husband.
Once again, she provides the reader with complete character portrayals. She makes a point of explaining Lange’s idea that she was a trades woman, not an artist. By contrast, Dixon believes himself an artist and hates the need for commercial work. As expected, they quickly fall into the traditional marital roles and it’s Lange who suffers. And oh, did I feel for her as she navigated the problems of step-parenthood.
The book also does a fabulous job of portraying her friendship with Caroline Lee, who introduces her to the Monkey Block community and helps Dorothea overcome all her insecurities tied to her bad leg.
One of my favorite parts of any historical fiction is the author’s note and this is no exception. Darznik goes further than most, outlining her history with the city but also her philosophy about historical fiction. One quote rang especially true -“ in much the same way that every portrait is a self-portrait, every historical novel is to some degree a contemporary novel.”
While I didn’t love this the way I did Song of the Captive Bird, I still recommend it for those that love historical fiction.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
April 7, 2021
5 enchanting stars
This one checked all of the boxes for me! Historical fiction based on a real person and it completely enchanted me! I’m sure most people recognize Dorothea Lange’s most famous photograph -- “Migrant Mother” -- from the Depression. This book tells the story of Dorothea’s early days arriving in San Francisco in 1918 from New York and how she built a career for herself from nothing! This was especially tough for women to do solo, she even had to get a man to sign the lease for her photography studio.
I loved how the author created a magical world of those heady days in San Francisco when artists congregated in the Monkey Block. I loved her friendship with Caroline, a Chinese woman who faced great discrimination. It was also fascinating to read about the Spanish Flu in 1918 and people having to wear masks! It was fun to have other famous people populate this one – Ansel Adams, Maynard Dixon, Frida Kahlo, and DH Lawrence. There was also a tense description of the devastating earthquake and fires that hit San Francisco in 1906.
This book was never boring to me and I rooted for Dorothea to reconcile her physical trials after a childhood bout with polio, and her desire to be an amazing portrait photographer. She had to be so resilient to find success and love. This was a surprise wonderful read! I really liked the writing style and I want to read more from this author.
Thank you to Random House/Ballantine for the complimentary copy of this one.
This one checked all of the boxes for me! Historical fiction based on a real person and it completely enchanted me! I’m sure most people recognize Dorothea Lange’s most famous photograph -- “Migrant Mother” -- from the Depression. This book tells the story of Dorothea’s early days arriving in San Francisco in 1918 from New York and how she built a career for herself from nothing! This was especially tough for women to do solo, she even had to get a man to sign the lease for her photography studio.
I loved how the author created a magical world of those heady days in San Francisco when artists congregated in the Monkey Block. I loved her friendship with Caroline, a Chinese woman who faced great discrimination. It was also fascinating to read about the Spanish Flu in 1918 and people having to wear masks! It was fun to have other famous people populate this one – Ansel Adams, Maynard Dixon, Frida Kahlo, and DH Lawrence. There was also a tense description of the devastating earthquake and fires that hit San Francisco in 1906.
This book was never boring to me and I rooted for Dorothea to reconcile her physical trials after a childhood bout with polio, and her desire to be an amazing portrait photographer. She had to be so resilient to find success and love. This was a surprise wonderful read! I really liked the writing style and I want to read more from this author.
Thank you to Random House/Ballantine for the complimentary copy of this one.
October 31, 2020
I hadn’t heard of Dorothea Lange, the subject of this book. When I Googled her and saw those haunting images of the American Depression, I immediately recognised her work. I looked forward to learning more about her and her experiences during this time.
Jasmin Darznik is the author of the excellent Song of a Captive Bird which so movingly portrays the life of the Iranian poet, Forugh Farrokhzad. I loved that book so I was excited to read this one. Sadly, it’s not a repeat performance.
At first, I was intrigued to learn about so many people I hadn’t heard of before such as the photographers Imogen Cunningham and Consuelo Kanaga. Together with Lange, they were successful female photographers in the early decades of the 20th century and I enjoyed exploring their work online. I also learned about Arnold Genthe, Lange’s mentor, and his wonderful photographs of San Francisco’s Chinatown before the 1906 earthquake and fires. We also meet Ansel Adams and learn about Lange’s disastrous marriage to the artist, Maynard Dixon.
The storyline is largely about Dorothea’s early career, and her friendship with Caroline who is half-Chinese. Discrimination against the Chinese population at that time was horrific and cruel. Signs saying No Chinese were prevalent and it was impossible for them to rent property outside of Chinatown. Chinese immigration to the USA had been legally banned in the previous century, other than for a few exempted professions, and the law wasn’t completely repealed until 1952. Much of the book is devoted to this subject, perhaps too much overall. It’s interesting but it impacted on Caroline’s life, not on Dorothea’s, other than on their friendship. The reason for Caroline’s eventual disappearance from Dorothea’s life is fictionalised which I was disappointed to learn in the book’s epilogue.
Overall, I’m disappointed in this book. It felt dry and longwinded. I didn’t feel any personal connection to Dorothea Lange which I had expected after Song of a Captive Bird. The author’s intention was to explore Dorothea’s early years but I personally feel that it would have been a more satisfying journey if it had concentrated on her later work. I’m pleased I had the opportunity to read it because I learned, through following up references, so much about the early women pioneers in photography, but I’m honestly sorry to say that it didn’t meet my high expectations.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a review copy.
Jasmin Darznik is the author of the excellent Song of a Captive Bird which so movingly portrays the life of the Iranian poet, Forugh Farrokhzad. I loved that book so I was excited to read this one. Sadly, it’s not a repeat performance.
At first, I was intrigued to learn about so many people I hadn’t heard of before such as the photographers Imogen Cunningham and Consuelo Kanaga. Together with Lange, they were successful female photographers in the early decades of the 20th century and I enjoyed exploring their work online. I also learned about Arnold Genthe, Lange’s mentor, and his wonderful photographs of San Francisco’s Chinatown before the 1906 earthquake and fires. We also meet Ansel Adams and learn about Lange’s disastrous marriage to the artist, Maynard Dixon.
The storyline is largely about Dorothea’s early career, and her friendship with Caroline who is half-Chinese. Discrimination against the Chinese population at that time was horrific and cruel. Signs saying No Chinese were prevalent and it was impossible for them to rent property outside of Chinatown. Chinese immigration to the USA had been legally banned in the previous century, other than for a few exempted professions, and the law wasn’t completely repealed until 1952. Much of the book is devoted to this subject, perhaps too much overall. It’s interesting but it impacted on Caroline’s life, not on Dorothea’s, other than on their friendship. The reason for Caroline’s eventual disappearance from Dorothea’s life is fictionalised which I was disappointed to learn in the book’s epilogue.
Overall, I’m disappointed in this book. It felt dry and longwinded. I didn’t feel any personal connection to Dorothea Lange which I had expected after Song of a Captive Bird. The author’s intention was to explore Dorothea’s early years but I personally feel that it would have been a more satisfying journey if it had concentrated on her later work. I’m pleased I had the opportunity to read it because I learned, through following up references, so much about the early women pioneers in photography, but I’m honestly sorry to say that it didn’t meet my high expectations.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a review copy.
April 6, 2021
4.5 Stars
’San Francisco isn’t what it used to be. And it never was.’
- Will Irwin to Herb Cain, San Francisco Chronicle
This story captures the aura of this place and time in much the same way that Dorothea Lange captured the plight of the many poverty stricken Americans during the Great Depression. It is at times heartbreaking, eerily relevant to our times, a look at San Francisco as it was in the years leading up to the Great Depression and the War, along with the rise in anti-Asian rhetoric throughout much of the country, and laws banning Chinese and Japanese immigrants from living in certain areas, the pandemic of 1918, and more.
In 1918 Dorothea Lange left her home in Hoboken, New Jersey, not quite yet twenty-three, with just enough clothes for a few days, basic toiletries, and a copy of Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay. She arrived in San Francisco not knowing a soul, with a little over one hundred and forty dollars, cash, to live on for a short time, and her camera. Within hours, she discovers that her money has been stolen by a pickpocket who passes her on the street. Money that took her two years to save, gone. Shortly after, after she meets Caroline, a young elegantly dressed Chinese American woman who befriends her, and will end up not only being a lifeline for Dorothea, but a lifelong friend. Through her, Dorothea Lange will meet many influential people, D. H. Lawrence, Frida Kahlo, Mabel Dodge Luhan. Some are influential to her career - like Ansel Adams - and others whose influence is more political.
There is a lot in this story that is relevant to our current days, a pandemic, corruption in politics, racism and anti-immigration attitudes taking on a more threatening tone. It’s not difficult to see that her ability to see the good in people influenced her photography, especially after she closes her studio doors and travels the country, sharing her heartbreaking, iconic photographs taken during the Great Depression. Ones like her best known photograph, Migrant Mother, that most people recognize when they see it, even if they don’t recall the name.
While this is primarily about Dorothea Lange, this also is about an iconic era, the years that follow the pandemic - San Francisco in the early 1920’s. Lange meets people who will help her set up her first studio with Caroline as her assistant, as well as, eventually, the man who will become her husband, Maynard Dixon. She is swept up in the nonconformist, bohemian life of the era and, like a butterfly, she slips off the cocoon of her old life and spreads her wings, finally believing in herself.
An awakening by a woman who recognized her calling early on, and lived an incredibly rewarding life when she realized how she could make others more aware of the pain these people were enduring. Sharing this message with the world through her eyes and her camera was her gift and her legacy.
Published: 06 Apr 2021
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Ballantine Books
March 10, 2021
The Bohemians, a novel with Dorothea Lange, at its center, is totally fascinating. Dorothea Lange was a much-celebrated American photographer who is most known for her influence on journalistic photography.
Dorothea grew up on the East Coat of America and contracted polio as a child which left her with a limp. She grew up feeling inferior and invisible. When she was 22 years old, in 1918, she left her life at home and went to California to start a new life on her own. She had a major setback immediately upon arriving in San Franciso. Then she met Caroline Lee, a Chinese-American girl who was about her age. Caroline introduced Dorrie (Dorothea) to the artist colony of bohemians living at "Monkey Block". Caroline has her own tragic story which rivals Dorrie for center stage in this book.
Dorrie found a job in San Francisco that was not as lucrative as her job on the East Coast had been; but, hey - you have to start somewhere, right? Then, through meeting the right people and taking some risks, things began to change for Dorrie.
I loved this book, and loved the characters - especially Dorrie and Caroline. The writing is captivating and kept me enthralled with the story. The history of San Francisco revealed in the story opened my eyes to some parts of American history I was unaware of before. I have to say the attitudes of the general public in the area toward the Chinese people at the time was revolting to me.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Dorothea grew up on the East Coat of America and contracted polio as a child which left her with a limp. She grew up feeling inferior and invisible. When she was 22 years old, in 1918, she left her life at home and went to California to start a new life on her own. She had a major setback immediately upon arriving in San Franciso. Then she met Caroline Lee, a Chinese-American girl who was about her age. Caroline introduced Dorrie (Dorothea) to the artist colony of bohemians living at "Monkey Block". Caroline has her own tragic story which rivals Dorrie for center stage in this book.
Dorrie found a job in San Francisco that was not as lucrative as her job on the East Coast had been; but, hey - you have to start somewhere, right? Then, through meeting the right people and taking some risks, things began to change for Dorrie.
I loved this book, and loved the characters - especially Dorrie and Caroline. The writing is captivating and kept me enthralled with the story. The history of San Francisco revealed in the story opened my eyes to some parts of American history I was unaware of before. I have to say the attitudes of the general public in the area toward the Chinese people at the time was revolting to me.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.
April 6, 2021
It’s 1918 and the almost twenty-three year old Dorothea Lange has traveled west to San Francisco with dreams of becoming a professional photographer. As she arrives, she has her life savings stolen from her. She is alone and penniless. Luckily she meets Caroline Lee who helps her find a place to live and takes her to the bohemian artist community called Monkey Block which is the area’s hub of creativity.
The Bohemians is a fictionalize account of the early days of the life and career of Lange, who is now heralded as a great American documentary photographer. But before she developed her now famous style, we learn how she developed local fame as a portrait photographer for the wealthy. She meets many popular and emerging artists including painter Maynard Dixon, who she eventually marries. While Dorothea becomes established and is able to make a living, Caroline has to continually deal with horrible anti-Asian discrimination. Their friendship is the heart of the book.
Author Jasmin Darznik’s beautifully descriptive writing takes us through the final days of World War I, the devastation of the Spanish flu and the start of the Great Depression. Whether you are familiar with the work of Dorothea Lange or not, this is a fascinating story which provides good insight not only to a talented woman’s journey but a time of social change. Women were starting to rise up and seek new freedoms and opportunities while others were held back due to racial fear and hatred.
This is a quick read but you’ll want to stop at times and look up the referenced artists and artwork mentioned.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books / Random House for the opportunity to read The Bohemians in advance of its April 6, 2021 publication.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The Bohemians is a fictionalize account of the early days of the life and career of Lange, who is now heralded as a great American documentary photographer. But before she developed her now famous style, we learn how she developed local fame as a portrait photographer for the wealthy. She meets many popular and emerging artists including painter Maynard Dixon, who she eventually marries. While Dorothea becomes established and is able to make a living, Caroline has to continually deal with horrible anti-Asian discrimination. Their friendship is the heart of the book.
Author Jasmin Darznik’s beautifully descriptive writing takes us through the final days of World War I, the devastation of the Spanish flu and the start of the Great Depression. Whether you are familiar with the work of Dorothea Lange or not, this is a fascinating story which provides good insight not only to a talented woman’s journey but a time of social change. Women were starting to rise up and seek new freedoms and opportunities while others were held back due to racial fear and hatred.
This is a quick read but you’ll want to stop at times and look up the referenced artists and artwork mentioned.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books / Random House for the opportunity to read The Bohemians in advance of its April 6, 2021 publication.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
September 8, 2021
Dorothea Lange Photographer
I don’t recall when I first saw the photo that Dorothea Lange had taken of The Migrant Woman, but when I did, it reminded me of my first mother-in-law, the haircut, the premature wrinkles on her face, and the worn look in her eyes. She had even been a migrant farm worker. If I only had a photo of her to compare. When I found the book, “Mary Coin,” I found it to be an interesting portrayal of this migrant woman’s life, although made-up, just as this one had been. Yet, I can’t help but believe that the author didn’t read the biography of Dorothea Lange. There was no biography or diary of the migrant woman, although she was known, and she had complained about the photo, the publicity. I would have loved to have read her story.
I had never read anything about the Bohemians and found it interesting that they were artists and writers that led unconventional lives. By that definition, my first boyfriend in Berkeley, California was a Bohemian. No one used that word to describe themselves, but no one used the word, “Hippy” either. We were just people. Or, I can say that Dave was a writer, I was a college student, Larry, who lived there, was a writer, and the remaining people in our rooming house were just people. I have no idea what they did for a living or if they even worked.
While I found this book to be interesting and well-written, I had wished that it were an auto- biography. I prefer to hear Lange’s own words over those made up by the author. Then I often felt that I was in a reading slump because I have been reading a lot of books of this type, like “The Giver of Stars,” “The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek,” and so on. A friend of mine said that they are all book club reads. I know what she means, and some of those books we had read in our book group.
Dorothea Lange moved to San Francisco in 1918. When she arrived, a man picked her pocket, leaving her penniless. Her survival story didn’t last long enough for me as I wanted more of an adventure.
Shortly after arrival in S.F, Lange opened her own photography studio and became famous. I had heard of many of the famous artists and writers that she had befriended and found it surprising. More surprising was the fact that she lived in S.F. or Berkeley when I lived there.
I much preferred the non-fiction section of the book where the author spoke of Dorothea’s real life in San Francisco. It was then that I began missing the Bay Area, wishing that I had frequented San Francisco more often, and wishing I had even taken more photography and creative writing classes while in college. But after 12 years of being a college bum, I was burned out.
I had taken a bus to S.F. back then, as I wanted to see the new Trans American building, the pyramid. I walked around it, just marveling at the architecture. After reading this book, I learned that the Monkey Block, where Lange had lived was once on its spot. She even went to watch her building being taken down. It was part of the Bohemian district. I can’t believe that they allowed this to happen. The Bohemians then moved to Haight-Asbury, and later the Hippies moved into it. I believe now it is a swanky district. I never got to see the Barbery Coast area that was mentioned in this book either.
Note 1: I gave this book 5 stars because it was better written and more interesting than man the other books of this genre, a made-up genre of what I call book group reads, such as “The Woman of Troublesome Creek,” “Where the Crawdads’ Sing,” “The Giver of Starts,” and “Mary Coin.”
Note 2” On going to this author’s Goodreads page, I see that she had done her homework with this book. She read the biography of Lange and historical books on S.F.
I don’t recall when I first saw the photo that Dorothea Lange had taken of The Migrant Woman, but when I did, it reminded me of my first mother-in-law, the haircut, the premature wrinkles on her face, and the worn look in her eyes. She had even been a migrant farm worker. If I only had a photo of her to compare. When I found the book, “Mary Coin,” I found it to be an interesting portrayal of this migrant woman’s life, although made-up, just as this one had been. Yet, I can’t help but believe that the author didn’t read the biography of Dorothea Lange. There was no biography or diary of the migrant woman, although she was known, and she had complained about the photo, the publicity. I would have loved to have read her story.
I had never read anything about the Bohemians and found it interesting that they were artists and writers that led unconventional lives. By that definition, my first boyfriend in Berkeley, California was a Bohemian. No one used that word to describe themselves, but no one used the word, “Hippy” either. We were just people. Or, I can say that Dave was a writer, I was a college student, Larry, who lived there, was a writer, and the remaining people in our rooming house were just people. I have no idea what they did for a living or if they even worked.
While I found this book to be interesting and well-written, I had wished that it were an auto- biography. I prefer to hear Lange’s own words over those made up by the author. Then I often felt that I was in a reading slump because I have been reading a lot of books of this type, like “The Giver of Stars,” “The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek,” and so on. A friend of mine said that they are all book club reads. I know what she means, and some of those books we had read in our book group.
Dorothea Lange moved to San Francisco in 1918. When she arrived, a man picked her pocket, leaving her penniless. Her survival story didn’t last long enough for me as I wanted more of an adventure.
Shortly after arrival in S.F, Lange opened her own photography studio and became famous. I had heard of many of the famous artists and writers that she had befriended and found it surprising. More surprising was the fact that she lived in S.F. or Berkeley when I lived there.
I much preferred the non-fiction section of the book where the author spoke of Dorothea’s real life in San Francisco. It was then that I began missing the Bay Area, wishing that I had frequented San Francisco more often, and wishing I had even taken more photography and creative writing classes while in college. But after 12 years of being a college bum, I was burned out.
I had taken a bus to S.F. back then, as I wanted to see the new Trans American building, the pyramid. I walked around it, just marveling at the architecture. After reading this book, I learned that the Monkey Block, where Lange had lived was once on its spot. She even went to watch her building being taken down. It was part of the Bohemian district. I can’t believe that they allowed this to happen. The Bohemians then moved to Haight-Asbury, and later the Hippies moved into it. I believe now it is a swanky district. I never got to see the Barbery Coast area that was mentioned in this book either.
Note 1: I gave this book 5 stars because it was better written and more interesting than man the other books of this genre, a made-up genre of what I call book group reads, such as “The Woman of Troublesome Creek,” “Where the Crawdads’ Sing,” “The Giver of Starts,” and “Mary Coin.”
Note 2” On going to this author’s Goodreads page, I see that she had done her homework with this book. She read the biography of Lange and historical books on S.F.
January 29, 2023
Wow! Jasmin Darznik wove an incredible story around the career and life of Dorothea Lange, a portrait photographer in the 1920's who is known primarily for her later work documenting the images of the Depression and Japanese Detention camps. Her photographs were banned from view for 50 years.
Lange moved to San Francisco at the start of her career and partnered her work with a Chinese woman who faced terrifying discrimination.
Fascinating, well told story. 5 stars!
Lange moved to San Francisco at the start of her career and partnered her work with a Chinese woman who faced terrifying discrimination.
Fascinating, well told story. 5 stars!
March 17, 2021
I like to be sure when I’m reading historical fiction that it has some basis in truth. I never felt that way about this novel. (The author says in the epilogue that a writer can “interrupt history and insert your own tale.”) Was Dorothea Lange’s life really so much of a soap opera? I wanted to learn more about Lange’s job with the FSA when she took the iconic “Migrant Mother” photograph. There were details about the time period in the city which rang true to me, but Dorothea’s story really didn’t. Trigger warning: rape and racism. Two and a half stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
March 2, 2021
I absolutely LOVE historical fiction when the author has done their homework and accurately based the story on a timeline and events that actually happened. Jasmin Darznik definitely completed her thesis before putting pen to paper for this enthralling read about a woman who was light-years ahead of her time.
I never knew the foundation of Dorothea Lange, I’ve always been enamored by the eye she had for extremely moving photography, her bravery to go into the masses with her huge and bulky camera strapped around her neck. This is such an informative book, bringing to life the “Monkey Block” that existed in San Francisco. And Dorothea’s first studio, created with the help of her hardworking assistant, Caroline, a Chinese-American. The year was 1918 and the American public felt threatened by anyone who looked slightly Asian. That aspect isn’t hard to believe, especially today with hate crimes against Asian Americans soaring, an absolutely disgusting side of human nature.
The plot centers on the close relationship between Dorothea and Caroline. Ms. Darznik brings 1918 San Francisco to life with her lyrical yet fact-based descriptions. We meet numerous budding artists, years before they had any clue what their future held. But we know, and that adds so much to this story.
I’ve always honored Dorothea Lange, she was an amazing person. This book added to my understanding of her, the struggles, her loves, and how her beautiful talent became a legendary work of art.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 6, 2021.
I never knew the foundation of Dorothea Lange, I’ve always been enamored by the eye she had for extremely moving photography, her bravery to go into the masses with her huge and bulky camera strapped around her neck. This is such an informative book, bringing to life the “Monkey Block” that existed in San Francisco. And Dorothea’s first studio, created with the help of her hardworking assistant, Caroline, a Chinese-American. The year was 1918 and the American public felt threatened by anyone who looked slightly Asian. That aspect isn’t hard to believe, especially today with hate crimes against Asian Americans soaring, an absolutely disgusting side of human nature.
The plot centers on the close relationship between Dorothea and Caroline. Ms. Darznik brings 1918 San Francisco to life with her lyrical yet fact-based descriptions. We meet numerous budding artists, years before they had any clue what their future held. But we know, and that adds so much to this story.
I’ve always honored Dorothea Lange, she was an amazing person. This book added to my understanding of her, the struggles, her loves, and how her beautiful talent became a legendary work of art.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 6, 2021.
March 13, 2021
Some years ago, while viewing an history of photography exhibit, I came face to face with countenances held in Dorothea Lange's photographs. At that time I wondered how was it that this woman was capable of capturing the sitter's soul in a picture. This story written by accomplished author Jasmin Darznik, has put to pen a life's story which helped me better understand the creative genius of Dorothea Lange.
Ms. Darznik has deftly created the atmosphere of early 20th century San Francisco, the city east-cost raised Dorothea is drawn to in her journey of self-discovery. One can easily imagine the walk through the cobbled streets, the tang of the nearby ocean and the heavy blanket of fog wrapped around the city. Her writing of the bohemian community was colorful and at times amusing. Her character development was rich and the relationships among these characters well fleshed out. The research which went into the telling of this story was Herculean and the retelling spot on. Through Ms. Darznik's beautifully rendered story, the life of the amazing "documentary photographer" Dorothea Lange lives on alongside her iconic photographs. Well done Ms. Darznik!
I am grateful to author Jasmin Darznik and her publisher, Ballantine Books for having provided an uncorrected proof of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Pages: 304
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780593129425
Ms. Darznik has deftly created the atmosphere of early 20th century San Francisco, the city east-cost raised Dorothea is drawn to in her journey of self-discovery. One can easily imagine the walk through the cobbled streets, the tang of the nearby ocean and the heavy blanket of fog wrapped around the city. Her writing of the bohemian community was colorful and at times amusing. Her character development was rich and the relationships among these characters well fleshed out. The research which went into the telling of this story was Herculean and the retelling spot on. Through Ms. Darznik's beautifully rendered story, the life of the amazing "documentary photographer" Dorothea Lange lives on alongside her iconic photographs. Well done Ms. Darznik!
I am grateful to author Jasmin Darznik and her publisher, Ballantine Books for having provided an uncorrected proof of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Pages: 304
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780593129425
October 31, 2020
The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik is a great historical fiction that focusses on the early years of Dorothea Lange, one of the women pioneers in photography.
Sadly, I had not heard of Ms Lange and it was fascinating to learn not only about her, but about a whole group of famous and exceptional photographers that were in the thick of it during the early 20th century. I also got to learn about her personal life as well as her professional life. I also was introduced to her close friend, Caroline Lee and her volatile marriage to painter, Manyard Dixon.
It was so exciting to learn about so many fascinating artists, and reading this fictional story based on real people, as well as the informative Author’s Note has spurned plenty of research already on my part to find out even more.
4/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
Sadly, I had not heard of Ms Lange and it was fascinating to learn not only about her, but about a whole group of famous and exceptional photographers that were in the thick of it during the early 20th century. I also got to learn about her personal life as well as her professional life. I also was introduced to her close friend, Caroline Lee and her volatile marriage to painter, Manyard Dixon.
It was so exciting to learn about so many fascinating artists, and reading this fictional story based on real people, as well as the informative Author’s Note has spurned plenty of research already on my part to find out even more.
4/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
November 4, 2020
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a perfect time to read this book about photographer Dorothea Lange’s life. Her early career in San Francisco during the years of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, unrest in the streets, the animosity against immigrants ring true today 100 years later during the Covid pandemic and political unrest .
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, I always learn something I didn’t know before. I was familiar with the picture Migrant Mother, but I couldn’t have named the photographer who took the picture. I googled her life before starting the book.
I loved Song of a Captive Bird by this author and I was excited to read this new book, and I was not disappointed. The book kept my attention from the first page, I was drawn to the characters . Reading the historical notes at the end of the book made me appreciate how much research went into writing this book. The title Bohemians refers to the group of artists, painters, photographers, journalists in San Francisco living in the early 20th century, as the city had been rebuilt after the devastating 1906 earthquake and fires. Many of the characters in the book are real historical figures, others are fictional characters based on real people. Dorothea’s assistant Caroline Lee is such a character, and according to the author’s note, much of her life was the author’s imagination.
Dorothea’s marriage to Maynard Dixon is mentioned, including the ups and downs in their marriage. I was disappointed though that the two sons born of this marriage are barely mentioned. I realize this novel concentrated on Dorothea’s early Bohemian years, but I still felt the rest of her career was squeezed into the last chapter without too much detail.
Overall a 4.5 star book, rounded up yo five.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.
November 18, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an early reader copy!
I literally could not put this book down! Beautifully researched and written, The Bohemians takes us into the early life of Dorothea Lange, renowned photographer, and follows her through early successes and challenges to show us how she became the amazing woman that she was.
Dorothea arrives in San Francisco in 1918 from New Jersey, exhausted and broke. She meets Chinese American Caroline Lee and a friendship forms that will take Dorothea into the so-called Bohemian scene in San Francisco, and deep into all the ugly sides of American at the time. The Spanish flu is on the East Coast and there is a sense of invincibility in San Francisco, but buried down the side streets are the stains of racism, prostitution, corruption, poverty and more. Dorothea tells us her story from that painful arrival to early successes and later failures, personal and professional. It's so compelling that its as if we are walking with her through the streets and alleys of San Francisco. Absolutely awesome read, store up your sleep because you'll want to read this straight through!
I literally could not put this book down! Beautifully researched and written, The Bohemians takes us into the early life of Dorothea Lange, renowned photographer, and follows her through early successes and challenges to show us how she became the amazing woman that she was.
Dorothea arrives in San Francisco in 1918 from New Jersey, exhausted and broke. She meets Chinese American Caroline Lee and a friendship forms that will take Dorothea into the so-called Bohemian scene in San Francisco, and deep into all the ugly sides of American at the time. The Spanish flu is on the East Coast and there is a sense of invincibility in San Francisco, but buried down the side streets are the stains of racism, prostitution, corruption, poverty and more. Dorothea tells us her story from that painful arrival to early successes and later failures, personal and professional. It's so compelling that its as if we are walking with her through the streets and alleys of San Francisco. Absolutely awesome read, store up your sleep because you'll want to read this straight through!
April 19, 2021
What a good story!
The author really pulls you into the setting and makes San Francisco so alive, the reader can feel as if they know this city well, even if they have never spent time there.
I liked the way Jasmin Darznik incorporated actual events into the story, such as the Flu Epidemic and the city's racist policies against Asians - both issues we are dealing with now in 2021.
The narrarive is very readable and I enjoyed the caring relationship between Dorothea Lange and Caroline Lee.
I love reading about the Bohemian era around the turn of the 19th century and found it facinating thatall the the characters were based on real people.
Since this book was so well reasearched, I plan to read Jasmin Darznik's first book "The Good Daughter", which is a memoir of the author's mother's first marriage at 13, and the child she had to give up in Iran.
I would recommend "The Bohemians" to anyone who likes historical fiction.
The author really pulls you into the setting and makes San Francisco so alive, the reader can feel as if they know this city well, even if they have never spent time there.
I liked the way Jasmin Darznik incorporated actual events into the story, such as the Flu Epidemic and the city's racist policies against Asians - both issues we are dealing with now in 2021.
The narrarive is very readable and I enjoyed the caring relationship between Dorothea Lange and Caroline Lee.
I love reading about the Bohemian era around the turn of the 19th century and found it facinating thatall the the characters were based on real people.
Since this book was so well reasearched, I plan to read Jasmin Darznik's first book "The Good Daughter", which is a memoir of the author's mother's first marriage at 13, and the child she had to give up in Iran.
I would recommend "The Bohemians" to anyone who likes historical fiction.
June 16, 2021
5 Stars
I'm super behind on my reviews so this will be brief.
This is a historical fiction based on a real photographer, Dorothea Lange. Dorothea arrived in San Francisco in 1918 determined to be a photographer in her own right. The first friend she met was a Chinese woman, Caroline, who became her BFF and business partner. Together they built a wildly popular and pricy photography studio that was top of it's game until Caroline left San Francisco and Dorothea eventually closed it to pursue other interests.
Dorothea was ahead of her time; she was one of the first female photography studio owners, she befriended a Chinese woman at a time when anti-Asian sentiment (particularly in California) was at an all time high and she stood up to a very powerful man.
The book is set during a fascinating time in San Francisco history in a very unique place, a building called Monkey Block, which was filled with all kinds of artists and bohemians. Such a fantastic setting. You could probably write about paint drying in that setting and it would make a good book.
Additionally, there are many themes in this story that, although it's set one hundred years ago, are super relevant today. They experienced the Spanish flu pandemic; we are dealing with the covid pandemic. They were dealing with extreme racism, and in California, a lot of it was directed toward Chinese, like now. There were unreasonable laws restricting immigration, like now. And women were fighting for equality, like now. It's both fascinating and sad that some of these issues are still ongoing. How have they not been solved?
I loved every set of Dorothea's story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written historical fiction about a strong woman with a LOT of nerve and drive.
I'm super behind on my reviews so this will be brief.
This is a historical fiction based on a real photographer, Dorothea Lange. Dorothea arrived in San Francisco in 1918 determined to be a photographer in her own right. The first friend she met was a Chinese woman, Caroline, who became her BFF and business partner. Together they built a wildly popular and pricy photography studio that was top of it's game until Caroline left San Francisco and Dorothea eventually closed it to pursue other interests.
Dorothea was ahead of her time; she was one of the first female photography studio owners, she befriended a Chinese woman at a time when anti-Asian sentiment (particularly in California) was at an all time high and she stood up to a very powerful man.
The book is set during a fascinating time in San Francisco history in a very unique place, a building called Monkey Block, which was filled with all kinds of artists and bohemians. Such a fantastic setting. You could probably write about paint drying in that setting and it would make a good book.
Additionally, there are many themes in this story that, although it's set one hundred years ago, are super relevant today. They experienced the Spanish flu pandemic; we are dealing with the covid pandemic. They were dealing with extreme racism, and in California, a lot of it was directed toward Chinese, like now. There were unreasonable laws restricting immigration, like now. And women were fighting for equality, like now. It's both fascinating and sad that some of these issues are still ongoing. How have they not been solved?
I loved every set of Dorothea's story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written historical fiction about a strong woman with a LOT of nerve and drive.
May 23, 2021
This stunning story was evocative of San Francisco during the year 1918 and beyond. I learned alot about the history of San Francisco. The earthquake of 1906 and the fires, the pandemic of 1918, racism and the depression. The story revolves around Dorthea Lange who is a portrait photographer and how she elevates her position into the world of other artists and well connected people. I really enjoyed her journey. Especially her friendship with Caroline, an Asian-American woman who she builds a business with. The atmospheric scenes of that time were very vivid. This book was fantastic. One that has left an imprint on me. I look forward to reading more from Jasmin Darznik. She is a very gifted writer.
April 18, 2021
**OUTLIER OPINION**
I was so excited to read this book. I went into reading it with some knowledge of Dorothea Lang [and the set of people she finds herself surrounded by] and lots of knowledge of San Franscisco [and the persecution of Asians] during the time the book is set in, and I think that is where my problem lies. Sometimes I think I should stay away from fictional books that are based on things I have read several nonfiction books about as more likely than not, I am unhappy with how the fictionalized world is portrayed and that is the case here. I wanted more that I got with this book.
The author IS a gifted writer [there were absolutely moments in this book that are lovely and luminous, which is why this was 3 stars for me] and if one goes in to this book with little to no knowledge of this time frame and the people involved, they will get a really lovely read [as shown by the excellent reviews by other readers] and will learn a little about that time frame. It is not a bad book. It just wasn't the book for me.
I wanted more. I wanted the story to be fleshed out more. I wanted more of Dorrie and Caroline's story*. I wanted more of the Asian persecution that was crushing the city. And I absolutely wanted more of Dorrie's time photographing the dust bowl and the people there. By the end, I really felt I was missing out on a lot [Dorothea had kids? With Maynard? WHY are they only mentioned briefly? Don't children seem like an important part of someone's life/history? Sigh.], and that the story itself was just missing pieces that I wanted to know about, and because of that, it just wasn't as an enjoyable read for me as I hoped.
**
Thank you to NetGalley, Jasmin Darznik, and Random Publishing House - Ballantine/Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this book. I went into reading it with some knowledge of Dorothea Lang [and the set of people she finds herself surrounded by] and lots of knowledge of San Franscisco [and the persecution of Asians] during the time the book is set in, and I think that is where my problem lies. Sometimes I think I should stay away from fictional books that are based on things I have read several nonfiction books about as more likely than not, I am unhappy with how the fictionalized world is portrayed and that is the case here. I wanted more that I got with this book.
The author IS a gifted writer [there were absolutely moments in this book that are lovely and luminous, which is why this was 3 stars for me] and if one goes in to this book with little to no knowledge of this time frame and the people involved, they will get a really lovely read [as shown by the excellent reviews by other readers] and will learn a little about that time frame. It is not a bad book. It just wasn't the book for me.
I wanted more. I wanted the story to be fleshed out more. I wanted more of Dorrie and Caroline's story*. I wanted more of the Asian persecution that was crushing the city. And I absolutely wanted more of Dorrie's time photographing the dust bowl and the people there. By the end, I really felt I was missing out on a lot [Dorothea had kids? With Maynard? WHY are they only mentioned briefly? Don't children seem like an important part of someone's life/history? Sigh.], and that the story itself was just missing pieces that I wanted to know about, and because of that, it just wasn't as an enjoyable read for me as I hoped.
**
Thank you to NetGalley, Jasmin Darznik, and Random Publishing House - Ballantine/Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2021
This historical novel is about a real person, pioneering woman photographer Dorothea Lange, though primarily about her life long before she became famous, when she arrives in San Francisco with in the late 1910s/early 1920s. I did not really know anything about her, or about that place and time, so that was interesting. Unfortunately, it at times felt a little more tell than show, and more so as the book went on - like more of a recitation of things that happened then really connecting you with the characters and emotions. I was also surprised reading the author’s note at the end to find that essentially the main secondary character was basically fictional - that Lange did have a female Chinese assistant but nothing is known about her - which means so much of the plot of the book had no real basis in fact, kind of a strange thing when a book is otherwise about a real person.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2020
Jasmin Darznik’s excellent The Bohemians offers a well-crafted escape from the current zombie apocalypse with a young Dorothea Lange’s journey into energetic early 20th century San Francisco. At the same time, it provides a great reminder of how 100 years later, many faults of those times remain far from repaired. Darznik paints beautiful portraits of captivating women in vivid scenes. Strongly recommend!
October 17, 2021
Five outstanding stars. GRIPPING- Not to be missed! ‘The Bohemians’ is biographical historical fiction at its best, featuring documentary photographer Dorothy Lange’s early life in San Francisco. She is known best for her photo, “Migrant Mother”, taken of the young woman and her children during the Depression, when they were starving and her photographs cast light upon the plight of so many in their situation across the Midwest; Lange’s life story is an exceptional one, brought fully to life in this extraordinary novel.
“To take a truly good picture you have to learn to see, not just look. I once said a camera can teach you that, but the truth is that sometimes gets in the way. The realization was born that night.”
Author Jasmin Darznik has given Dorothy Lange a powerful voice, one befitting a woman of not only this transitional era when she moved away from the East in 1918, but of that of San Francisco where boundaries for a time shifted, and when people moved across ethnic lines which hindered them elsewhere. It was a city which fostered originality in the arts, creative thought and business. It was truly a “Wild West”, a city rebuilding post earthquake; Dorothy Lange arrived penniless, only to join individuals whose names we recognize to this day.
Jasmin Darznik knows the city intimately, and the vivid descriptions hugged the travails and achievements of those who lived there; I was transported by the almost effortless wizardry of her writing. The sights, the smells, the tastes: ‘“to Coppa’s with me, that’s what you’ll do. A plate of pasta will cost you ten cents, and believe me, it’s just about the best meal you can find in this city.’”
At Lange’s side was a young Chinese woman- about whom, in real life very little was known - and the author has expanded her character, making “Caroline’s” story into an embodiment of Chinese immigrants’ situation - the Yellow Peril, as they came to be called. In real life too, Lange came to know or met the famous such as Frida Kahlo, Ansel Adams and married the talented artist Maynard Dixon.
Darznik’s personal experience as an immigrant paints the personal stories of the diverse melting pot in San Francisco with a touchingly compassionate brush; I was uneasily struck by the parallels of one hundred years ago with the political climate in place as she wrote this book.
PLEASE read the Author’s Notes - the research and history there enhanced my appreciation of this novel even more.
FANTASTIC! Five brilliant stars - for those who have grown weary of so many historical fiction tropes currently feeding the mass market, don’t pass ‘The Bohemians’ by. You will be very pleased.
“To take a truly good picture you have to learn to see, not just look. I once said a camera can teach you that, but the truth is that sometimes gets in the way. The realization was born that night.”
Author Jasmin Darznik has given Dorothy Lange a powerful voice, one befitting a woman of not only this transitional era when she moved away from the East in 1918, but of that of San Francisco where boundaries for a time shifted, and when people moved across ethnic lines which hindered them elsewhere. It was a city which fostered originality in the arts, creative thought and business. It was truly a “Wild West”, a city rebuilding post earthquake; Dorothy Lange arrived penniless, only to join individuals whose names we recognize to this day.
Jasmin Darznik knows the city intimately, and the vivid descriptions hugged the travails and achievements of those who lived there; I was transported by the almost effortless wizardry of her writing. The sights, the smells, the tastes: ‘“to Coppa’s with me, that’s what you’ll do. A plate of pasta will cost you ten cents, and believe me, it’s just about the best meal you can find in this city.’”
At Lange’s side was a young Chinese woman- about whom, in real life very little was known - and the author has expanded her character, making “Caroline’s” story into an embodiment of Chinese immigrants’ situation - the Yellow Peril, as they came to be called. In real life too, Lange came to know or met the famous such as Frida Kahlo, Ansel Adams and married the talented artist Maynard Dixon.
Darznik’s personal experience as an immigrant paints the personal stories of the diverse melting pot in San Francisco with a touchingly compassionate brush; I was uneasily struck by the parallels of one hundred years ago with the political climate in place as she wrote this book.
PLEASE read the Author’s Notes - the research and history there enhanced my appreciation of this novel even more.
FANTASTIC! Five brilliant stars - for those who have grown weary of so many historical fiction tropes currently feeding the mass market, don’t pass ‘The Bohemians’ by. You will be very pleased.
December 30, 2020
Dorothea Lange has had her share of pain in her life. Surviving polio was a major one. Left with little to no self-confidence and a limp, she finds her passion in a small photography shop in New York.
In 1918 she arrives in San Francisco. A city still rebuilding itself and full of men returning from war and the hideous behavior of the people toward the Chinese. She is way out of her comfort zone until she meets Caroline Lee, a mixed-race woman with a mysterious past who has also known her share of sorrow.
Caroline introduces Dorothea to the Monkey Block, a large colony of artists of every medium. Caroline is an expert seamstress and clothing designer and it is her dream to open her own salon. Dorothea wants to open her own photography studio.
Caroline introduces her to all the names we know and love, such as Maynard Dixon, Ansel Adams, Mabel Dodge, Frida Kahlo, and more. Dorothea falls hard for Dixon, a brilliant artist but a horrible lover.
Dorothea and Caroline open the photography studio and do very well. Things are going well, they are making money and Dorothea is neck-deep into this new world of art and political upheaval as many see the Chinese as less than human and want them out of the country. Sound familiar?
I so enjoyed reading about how Dorrie got to San Francisco. The 1920s were not kind to minorities or women but Dorrie pushed a lot of boundaries. Everything in her life is changed with an act so horrendous it sends Caroline far away and Dorrie is on her own.
In the first half of the book, I was really interested. Then there came the part about her feeling guilty for being gone from her sons for so long while taking pictures documenting internment camps and the people suffering during the depression. Wait…she had children? When? With who? Not another thing was mentioned about it and it felt unfinished. The rest really made no sense.
The people in this book are real and the author kindly elaborates on them in the end. All in all, I was rather confused by the end.
NetGalley/ Expected publication: April 6th, 2021 by Ballantine Books
In 1918 she arrives in San Francisco. A city still rebuilding itself and full of men returning from war and the hideous behavior of the people toward the Chinese. She is way out of her comfort zone until she meets Caroline Lee, a mixed-race woman with a mysterious past who has also known her share of sorrow.
Caroline introduces Dorothea to the Monkey Block, a large colony of artists of every medium. Caroline is an expert seamstress and clothing designer and it is her dream to open her own salon. Dorothea wants to open her own photography studio.
Caroline introduces her to all the names we know and love, such as Maynard Dixon, Ansel Adams, Mabel Dodge, Frida Kahlo, and more. Dorothea falls hard for Dixon, a brilliant artist but a horrible lover.
Dorothea and Caroline open the photography studio and do very well. Things are going well, they are making money and Dorothea is neck-deep into this new world of art and political upheaval as many see the Chinese as less than human and want them out of the country. Sound familiar?
I so enjoyed reading about how Dorrie got to San Francisco. The 1920s were not kind to minorities or women but Dorrie pushed a lot of boundaries. Everything in her life is changed with an act so horrendous it sends Caroline far away and Dorrie is on her own.
In the first half of the book, I was really interested. Then there came the part about her feeling guilty for being gone from her sons for so long while taking pictures documenting internment camps and the people suffering during the depression. Wait…she had children? When? With who? Not another thing was mentioned about it and it felt unfinished. The rest really made no sense.
The people in this book are real and the author kindly elaborates on them in the end. All in all, I was rather confused by the end.
NetGalley/ Expected publication: April 6th, 2021 by Ballantine Books
March 19, 2021
In 1918, Dorothea Lange set out to travel the country when she became stranded in San Francisco. She meets the Bohemians of Monkey Block, artists and photographers and actors who don't fit into mainstream society. It is where Lange belongs, and she settles in with hopes to open her own photography studio.
Her entree into this world is through a beautiful Chinese woman with green eyes; as a Chinese person she is reviled and harassed; as a person of mixed race she has no people--except for the Bohemians. Based on references to Lange's Chinese 'Mission girl' assistant, her affecting story weaves through the novel.
Jasmin Darznik uses the story of Lange's early life and career as the skeleton of her novel, but the city itself is the star: it is a place of great beauty with a history of horror and disaster; a place of hate and corruption and a haven for artists; the home of the nouveau riche and dire poverty.
When Lange arrives, the city still bore the scars of the devastating earthquake of 1906, but on the ruins a new city has spring up. Including Chinatown, the only place the Chinese are allowed to live, slums run by wealthy and powerful white people.
Darznik writes about the waves of Spanish Influenza, the collapse of Lange's business, and the subsequent anti-Chinese and anti-immigrant fervor that arose in the aftermath.
Readers will follow Lange's love affair and unhappy marriage with the artist Maynard Dixon and her work for the WPA that brought her fame. The final chapter gives closure to all the story threads.
Readers who enjoy historic fiction with strong female characters and who appreciate historic parallels to contemporary problems will enjoy this novel.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
Her entree into this world is through a beautiful Chinese woman with green eyes; as a Chinese person she is reviled and harassed; as a person of mixed race she has no people--except for the Bohemians. Based on references to Lange's Chinese 'Mission girl' assistant, her affecting story weaves through the novel.
Jasmin Darznik uses the story of Lange's early life and career as the skeleton of her novel, but the city itself is the star: it is a place of great beauty with a history of horror and disaster; a place of hate and corruption and a haven for artists; the home of the nouveau riche and dire poverty.
When Lange arrives, the city still bore the scars of the devastating earthquake of 1906, but on the ruins a new city has spring up. Including Chinatown, the only place the Chinese are allowed to live, slums run by wealthy and powerful white people.
Darznik writes about the waves of Spanish Influenza, the collapse of Lange's business, and the subsequent anti-Chinese and anti-immigrant fervor that arose in the aftermath.
Readers will follow Lange's love affair and unhappy marriage with the artist Maynard Dixon and her work for the WPA that brought her fame. The final chapter gives closure to all the story threads.
Readers who enjoy historic fiction with strong female characters and who appreciate historic parallels to contemporary problems will enjoy this novel.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
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