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sarahsbookstack 's review for:
The Bohemians
by Jasmin Darznik
I know virtually nothing (hadn't even heard of her in fact) of Dorothea Lange. But I read the book Song of the Captive Bird by this author and knew I'd love reading this one. I love the San Francisco setting, it's got to be one of my favorite places ever.
Dorothea (once contracted polio as a 7 year old that results in a limp) leaves her home of New Jersey for San Fransisco. She is immediately robbed of all her money. She meets a girl Caroline who takes her to her apartment on what's known as Monkey Block. This is a place for the Bohemians- artists of all kinds.
Dorothea convinces a gentleman to help back her in opening a portrait studio because "women don't run their own businesses around here". Caroline becomes her assistant to the taking of portraits to the elite of San Francisco.
There are prejudices against Caroline as she is part Asian (they use Oriental in the book because that's what they used back then-the derogatory name is it now). So we see a lot of how she deals with it and how Dorothea does. There is also the 2 years of Spanish Influenza that sweeps across the country. (So eerie to today's pandemic...I also thought while reading... Why haven't we learned from the past?)
This was enjoyable but hard at times to read. I think lovers of real historical figures will enjoy this look into a world renowned documentary photographer.
Dorothea (once contracted polio as a 7 year old that results in a limp) leaves her home of New Jersey for San Fransisco. She is immediately robbed of all her money. She meets a girl Caroline who takes her to her apartment on what's known as Monkey Block. This is a place for the Bohemians- artists of all kinds.
Dorothea convinces a gentleman to help back her in opening a portrait studio because "women don't run their own businesses around here". Caroline becomes her assistant to the taking of portraits to the elite of San Francisco.
There are prejudices against Caroline as she is part Asian (they use Oriental in the book because that's what they used back then-the derogatory name is it now). So we see a lot of how she deals with it and how Dorothea does. There is also the 2 years of Spanish Influenza that sweeps across the country. (So eerie to today's pandemic...I also thought while reading... Why haven't we learned from the past?)
This was enjoyable but hard at times to read. I think lovers of real historical figures will enjoy this look into a world renowned documentary photographer.