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jainabee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Racism, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Deportation, Trafficking, and Alcohol
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, War, Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, Violence, Ableism, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse
gracescanlon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual assault
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I feel like I have heard her name but I don’t know if I could have told someone much about her. I googled her while reading and am impressed by her photographs. So much history happens within these pages: descriptions of the San Fransisco fire, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, the Jazz Age. I enjoyed learning about this history in San Fransisco as well as her (fictional) friendship with Caroline. Moments with Dixon were difficult because of his alcoholism and abuse. I was glad more of it seemed to focus on her friendships. In the back, there is a list of the characters that were real people and more about their lives. I might have liked to know more about her photography work that did become famous. There were parts I loved and couldn’t put down and other moments that dragged for me (but maybe because in October, I really prefer reading thrillers and spooky reads).
But I am glad I got to read this book with The Gloss and participate in her interview with them. I had not heard of this book and enjoyed it (and the cover is stunning).
“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 it only gets in the way.” P4
“I’ll sew you ten more of these skirts if you like, but you’d still be stuck with your idea of yourself. That’s what you’ve got to get rid of, wouldn’t you say?” P170
“I’d stop and gaze at the door, let myself feel the pain of never being able to go back, and I’d think of how it takes one kind of bravery to leave a place, and another kind to stay.” P289
“Strange how long you can stand a thing, only to reach a point where you know it has to end.” P290
“Stories are everywhere…Wherever there are people, there are stories to tell and pictures to make.” P292
“A portrait is many things: a document, a moment in time, a refuge for memory. But above all, it is the meeting of two people, the seer and the seen.” P294
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Rape and Racial slurs
merfdiff's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Rape, Alcoholism, and Child abuse
wrestleacademic's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Death, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcoholism
brittanysimmons7's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The Bohemians, a work of historical fiction set primarily in early 1920s San Francisco, CA, focused on the early life and work of Dorothea Lange and her assistant, Ah-yee (named Caroline Lee in the book). Going into the book I did not know about Dorothea Lange (aside from a few of her depression era photos) or anything about this time period in San Francisco. In many ways this book felt like present day - the issues with race, immigration, a woman's role in society and in the home, and the politics surrounding all of these issues are brought up in the book (organically), and led to very thought-provoking read. The Bohemians was an “atmosphere” of its own. While obviously a work of fiction, Jasmin Darznik kept the reader engaged with a fictional story about the artistic culture that blossomed in San Francisco during this time. I was shocked to discover that several of the major and minor characters’ real life mirrored the timeline of the book, which just further lended to this book’s allure.
The Bohemians is medium paced, not a dual time line (thank you!), in the first person (from Dorothea's perspective), and was easy to sink yourself into. While there are a few emotionally wrenching scenes, Ms. Darznik's characters are resilient and principled to the end.
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcoholism