That Summer in Berlin

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall 464 pages

England, 1935. Hitler has risen to power in Germany, yet the world isn’t sure if he poses a danger or merely a nutcase.

On the England’s south coast, debutant Viviane Alden is headed to a party. The same boring type of party with the same people, all looking for a suitable partner for marriage. Trouble is, Viviane isn’t interested in marriage. Not right now anyway. She was to take photographs, and she is excellent at it.

The right people see her photographs, and she is recruited as a spy. It’s not unusual for Viviane to go to Berlin in 1936. After all, the world is flocking there for the Summer Olympics that are slated to take place. They should be quite the spectacle as the world waits to see how Hitler will handle any Jews on any team. 

While the world turns its attention to Berlin, Hitler and his gang of thugs are on their best behavior. They erase any sign of antisemitism, welcoming visitors with examples of peace and goodwill. It’s Viviane’s job to use her camera as a tool to uncover the darkness that hides right beneath the surface.

She is partnered with a journalist, Tom, to reveal the truth that Germany is preparing for war. The two manage to get into a few scraps and dangerous situations, but I never felt they were truly in harm’s way. The novel did not have as much tension as I had expected. In places it plodded along.

However, I was captivated by the Opening Ceremonies of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Seeing the event through Viviane’s lens was quite remarkable, but it wasn’t enough to propel this novel into a 4-star read. Therefore, “That Summer in Berlin” received 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Bohemians

 The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik 352 pages

Dorothea Lange. I wonder how many young people recognize her name or recognize the most famous photograph, “Migrant Mother” taken in 1936 during the Great Depression. Probably not that many in the thirty and younger crowd. I have to admit, while I know the name and the photograph, I knew little about the woman behind the camera. Author Daznik has written a compelling biographical fiction novel that allows readers to get to know Dorothea during her coming-of age as an artist in the 1920s.

Dorothea left her native Hoboken, New Jersey, when she as twenty-three years old for San Francisco. She arrived in a town, only twelve years from the 1906 earthquake, that celebrated and misfits.

One of the first things I learned about Dorothea was that, when she was seven years old, she suffered from polio which left her with a stunted leg and a noticeable limp. She loved photography because she felt that she could hide behind a camera; that no one would notice her.

When she first arrived, she was pickpocketed of all the money, some two hundred dollars, she had in the world. In a city where she knew no one, she was terrified. She spent her first night there on the street. One of the first people she was met was, in the book, called Caroline Lee. In reality, Caroline is referred to as “Ah-yee” or the “Chinese Mission Girl” in the historical data.

The two became quite close. Carolina introduced her to the Monkey Block, where all the artists lived. It once occupied the site of the Transamerica Building. Its pyramid-shaped is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Back then, Monkey Block was “a four-story artists’ colony that housed some eight hundred writers, performers, and artists…and it was the heart of San Francisco’s bohemian area.” According to the Author’s Notes, that only Chinatown still stands---and looks much like it did in the 1920s.

“’The Bohemians’ is about a lost time and hidden history.” It is a story that resonates in today’s world---anti-immigration sentiments, corrupt politics, war, a world pandemic and racism.

I almost put this novel on my DNF list, but I kept seeing it on all the book sites. Granted I didn’t really care for the first 80 pages, but if you decide to read this novel, hang in there until then. Something grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. “The Bohemians” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Finding It in Everything

 Shirley J              Adult Non-Fiction   Photography          Finding heart shapes everywhere you look

Finding It in Everything: Photographs by Drew Barrymore    96 pages

Drew Barrymore discussed her love of hearts in her book Wildflower which I just finished reading, she also discussed how she loves to take photographs and has often been surprised over the years how hearts jumped out from the photo some she saw and some shed didn't until she saw the actual photos.   She shared this happy hobby with her then father-in-law Ari Koppelman, who often found literal heart shapes in things.    Drew's phoos in this book find a heart appear on the back of a beloved dog when it curled up to relax and she took a photo of it, she has been blessed with heart showing up in her coffee and tea, soups, Japanese food, pancakes she lovingiy made for then husband will Koppelman. in the clouds in the sky, even a distorted hazy moon/sun shining dully in the sky, whose cloud cover offered another valentine in the upper atmosphere.   She finds a random tear in a tee-shirt is heart shaped and finds hearts appearing on sidewalks, tombstones, random wall and art designs, brick facades, etc.   To Drew these found hearts are inspirational and messages of love from the universe.   She loved the idea when she looked at the sky over head and saw a heart there that the man in the sky was sending a message of love to everyone below. A ten year collection of photos, some with captions that beg the reader to look for their own continuous lines forming herts to share a secret surprise of the love in the world that exists if we look for it..    Makes me want to go on a journey finding the hearts in life.   I recommend it to everyone of every age.

Women: The National Geographic Image Collection

Women: The National Geographic Image Collection   509 pages

Not just a stunning book of photography, but essays on women's history, this fantastic book pulls from 130 years of National Geographic photography to showcase the past, present and future of women. Organized around themes, each chapter focuses on topic like "Grit" and "Joy" and includes commentary for notables such as Melinda Gates, Roxane Gay, and more.

I had anticipated this would be a great coffee table book of photography, but hadn't realized there would be so many fascinating essays and commentary. Having the chapters done by theme, sometimes surprisingly, makes the photographs resonate even more strongly.  Definitely a wonderful book if you're interested in women's history (or absolutely stunning photography).

Park Avenue Summer

Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen     368 pages

 I first became aware of “Cosmopolitan” magazine when its intrepid editor-in-chief, Helen Gurley Brown, visited “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson in the late 1970s. It was on those shows that I learned of her radically feministic book “Sex and the Single Girl,” which was published in 1962.

This story takes place three years later, in 1965 Manhattan. The publishing world is still the old boys’ network and women were supposed to be at home. Alice Weiss (a fictional character) has left her Ohio home for New York, with dreams of becoming a photographer. Thanks to an old friend, she gets an exciting job as the secretary to HGB, a woman who knows what she wants but doesn’t know a thing about publishing a magazine.

The Hearst Corporation wants to shutter Cosmo, but HGB wants to bring it into the twentieth century and revitalize its contents and looks. She wants to aim it at young women who want something more before they settle down to a home and a family. It’s HGB’s job to turn the magazine around but not offend old conservatives. Easier said than down when the old boys’ network is sabotaging her every move and decision.

Readers get to see the birth of Cosmo and how HGB raised it from the ashes. Daily life is hectic in the magazine world, and readers get a chance to see what life was really like back in those days: the cigarettes that everyone chain-smoked, the lunchtime drinks, the deals.

Author Rosen was fortunate to meet and talk with Lois Cahall, the woman who probably knew HGB better than anyone else. I’m sure that’s why the story feels so intimate. With Alice as its narrator, modern readers get a glimpse into a storied past. Along the way, Alice finds a way to have everything HGB says she can have, and more.

 “Park Avenue Summer” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Lee Miller in Fashion

Lee Miller in Fashion by Becky E. Conekin  224 pages

This is another one of the books in our Fine Arts collection which I picked up after reading The Age of Light.  It's a wonderful example of how Lee Miller defied categorization, moving from model to muse to photographer and war correspondent. She was a celebrated Surrealist who fought for recognition of her own work when Man Ray took some of the credit, and her fashion photographs are some of the best known from the late 1920s to the early 1950s.  While she was recognized as an important photographer in her lifetime, many of her images had remained unpublished. This book shows how the world of fashion shows as the framework for Miller's creative development, but also how to see how her work showed the effect of war on the lives of women in the 1940s and 1950s.  This book combines text with archival fashion photographs, contact sheets, her published illustrations and her memos, so it's more than just a book of photographs -- it's a great reference tool for understanding Miller and her work.

Lee Miller: A Woman's War

Lee Miller: A Woman's War by Hilary Roberts   224 pages

So, after reading the novel based on the life of Lee Miller, I went into our Fine Arts collection and found some books on Miller and her work.  This book was published to coincide with an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum and shows that Miller's work as a war photographer showed that she was one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century. The book has an introduction by Miller's son, Antony Penrose, and is divided into chronological chapters, so you get an understanding of her work along with the photographs. The extended captions that accompany photos, some of them previously unpublished, really make this book an excellent way to understand Miller's work and also her work in the context of the role of women in World War II.  As a journalist, Miller documented the social consequences of the war, particularly the impact of the war on women across Europe.  Definitely a great way to learn more about her and her work if you read The Age of Light.

The Age of Light

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer    384 pages

This novel is based on the life of Lee Miller, a Vogue model turned renowned photographer and her quest to forge a new identity as an artist. Filled with accurate details about Miller's life, the author begins in the more present day and then takes the reader back to when Miller made the decision to go to Paris in 1925.  Miller made a connected with the famous Surrealist artist Man Ray, who at first just wants to take her photos. However, she is determined that he teach her about photography and eventually he does. As they work together in the darkroom, their professional and personal lives become intertwined, changing the course of Lee's life forever.

The author takes us past Miller's relationship with Man Ray into her work in the battlefields of World War II Europe, and also delves into how Miller discovered new photography techniques and also how she documented the liberation of concentration camps as one of the first female war correspondents. Scharer doesn't shy away from gritty or unpleasant details, and I felt I really got a great feel for how Miller's life must have been.  She's not always an easy person to understand or like, but the way she is depicted in this novel, she seems completely real.  I had been familiar with Miller's work and some of her life story, so it was really interesting to read this novel.  I felt the author did a great job of bringing this amazing woman's life into the spotlight (even if it wasn't always a beautiful or charmed life).

Annie Leibovitz at Work

Annie Leibovitz at Work   259 pages

While this book is a book of photography, it's also a memoir.  Leibovitz describes her start in photography and also explains how her pictures were made, including her work with Rolling Stone magazine.  She covers portraiture, including the intricacies of photographing Queen Elizabeth and the stories behind some of her most well-known photographs.  She also discusses lighting, digital cameras, reportage, and more.

I have a few books of her photography, but I hadn't picked up this book. It was really interesting to learn about how she got started in photography and how she uses different kinds of lighting and cameras.  It was also interesting to read the stories of some of these photographs.  For example, the photo of Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi was a shoot that just wasn't producing what Leibovitz wanted --- until the idea of painting their faces blue was brought up; but apparently, Belushi really wasn't happy with that. Reading about her photographs of Queen Elizabeth was also really interesting.  I think a lot of us can look at a photo and enjoy it, but not always understand all the work that goes into making that one perfect image.

Shooting Lincoln: Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and the Race to Photograph the Story of the Century

Shooting Lincoln: Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and the Race to Photograph the Story of the Century by Nicholas J. C. Pistor   272 pages

I distinctly remember when I was in the fifth or sixth grade, I had to do a report on Civil War-era photographer Mathew Brady. I remember cutting pictures from a “National Geographic” to illustrate it, and my cousin helping me type it. The pictures and process were so much different than how the nightly news covered the Vietnam War.

It seems that at that time, Brady was getting credit for most of the indelible pictures that we know of today from that time period. Over the years,  it seems that Brady started getting less and less credit as more research came to illuminate Alexander Gardner, once a student of Brady’s, was the real mastermind behind those stirring photographs.

In this book, author Pistor uncovers the true nature of the men’s professional abilities. I was a little taken aback to learn how Gardner posed many of the battle scenes. Given the 1860s process of developing the glass-plate negatives, it’s no wonder that the image that we see are taken after days or even weeks after the battles. It was also a disconcerting to learn that Gardner posed the bodies for the utmost affect.

Brady was known mostly as a portraitist. He photographed the celebrities of the day and made them available to the public to buy and trade (much like we think of baseball cards today). And the public loved them. Learning how bad Brady’s eyesight was made me wonder how he was able to produce any worthwhile photographs.

Gardner, on the other hand, was a robust Scot immigrant who had studied and worked with Brady. Gardner made history when he was the only photographer allowed to photograph the Lincoln assassination conspirators and the only one allowed to record their execution. Also, Gardner was the man behind the cloth of the last photograph take of President Abraham Lincoln (February 1865).

The book’s timeframe flowed well, centering on the time from 1851 to Summer 1865, with an Epilogue dating 1875. The action during each chapter was rather choppy, as author Pistor had a tendency to want to go back in time to explain something.  All in all, it was a good read.

“Shooting Lincoln: Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and the Race to Photograph the Story of the Century ” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Lost Carousel of Provence

The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell   384 pages

From the first moment I saw the title of this novel, I wanted to read it. I received an advanced reader’s copy via Netgallery.com, but since I don’t have an eReader, the folks at Berkley Publishing were kind enough to send me a print copy.

When I read the back copy, the deal was sealed. What reader could resist “An artist lost to history, a family abandoned to its secrets, and the woman who discovers it all?” I was hooked, and the story did not disappoint. This is the book I’ll be talking about probably for the rest of the year.

The story goes like this: Cady Drake is alone in the world. A victim of California’s foster care system, she has a tough time getting close to people. There are only two people whom she trusts, her benefactor, Maxine, and a friend, Olive. Cady barely scrapes by as a local photographer, shooting school pictures, weddings, etc.  She is thrust into a spiral when Maxine suddenly dies. Cady owns an antiques carousel figure, Gus the Rabbit, whom she believes is the work of 20^th century master carver Gutave Bayol. If it is, it would be worth quite a sum. But antiques dealers assure her it is not. One night Cady accidentally breaks Gus. Inside she finds a wooden box. That box changes Cady’s life forever.

Told in dueling timelines, author Blackwell weaves a tale that had me ignoring my family, sending them out for fast food, as I read. The story bounces around from Oakland, California to Paris and other areas of France. It’s a story that transports readers from present day to 1900 to the early 2000s, and other years as they fit the story. It’s a tale of crumbling chateaus, undiscovered treasures, a mysterious photograph, and a surprising twist.

“The Lost Carousel of Provence” received 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment

Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment
by Linda Gordon (Editor), Gary Okihiro (Editor), Dorothea Lange (Photographs)    224 pages

Presenting 119 images that were originally censored by the U.S. Army, this book brings together visual and social history of the stark reality of the internment camps. The majority of Lange's photographs of the camps have never been published, so this book is both essential for students of history, as well as students of photography.

I consider this one of the especially shameful things in U.S History (among other examples) and have read other books about the internment camps. I am also a big fan of Lange's photography, so this book was especially good.  The authors are nationally known historians, and they clearly outline the saga of Japanese-American internment from before Executive Order 9066 to the abrupt roundups of people and then the marginal existence that people experienced in the camps.  It is a very sobering read and Lange's photographs boldly underscore the horror of the community that was uprooted and the life that awaited them in detainment.

Daring to Look

Daring to Look: Dorothea Lange's Photographs and Reports from the Field by Anne Whiston Spirn  376 pages

In this book, the author presents never-before-published photos and captions from Dorothea Lange's fieldwork in 1939. Lange's images of stark landscapes, farmers and squatter camps are stunning, but her captions are what add depth, bringing explanations of settings to notes and biographical sketches. When Lange was dismissed from the FSA (Farm Security Administration) at the end of 1939, these photos and field notes were archived. Now, the author returns them to the public eye, importantly setting them in the context of Lange's life, work and struggle for critical recognition.

I found this to be a fascinating book. It's a great opportunity to see Lange's work, but it's especially interesting when you're able to read Lange's own field notes and really understand the context of what she was doing and what these people were going through. I appreciated that the author included a lot of background information on Lange's work for the FSA and it's clear that Lange's boss found her to be a "difficult woman," probably because she wanted to control her own photography (especially the printing of her proofs).  On p. 35, the author writes "Lange was a complex individual: outspoken, demanding, sometimes commanding, both self-confident and self-deprecating, passionately committed to people, ideas, and causes, generous, supportive, and loyal, a mentor to many, a colleague to peers."

I enjoyed learning about this period in history, and people like the settlers in the Pacific Northwest, where the lumber industry found "the practice of cutting and abandoning was financially most attractive," and which left areas of stumpland during the 1930s (called "cutover land").  Lange photographed one family, who spent their first year clearing trees and stumps, and considered themselves lucky because other locations within a mile of their new home were free of frost for only one month a year or had sandy, infertile soil. It's hard to imagine people taking out all of these stumps by hand (or, if they were lucky enough to have a bulldozer) and how difficult it was for them to make a life for themselves and survive.  I was struck by many of the quotes that Lange wrote down from people, like this one, from a man who brought his family to northern Idaho from Kansas (Dust Bowl) --- "I knew it was a lot of work when I came here, but I wouldn't know where else to go. This is the only place I could see where I could get a start again."   There is a lot to be said for these people who toughened it out; many people today can't imagine a life life this.

Strong is the new pretty

Strong is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves  by Kate T. Parker     256 pages

"Real beauty isn’t about being a certain size, acting a certain way, wearing the right clothes, or having your hair done (or even brushed). Real beauty is about being your authentic self and owning it."

Kate T. Parker captures candid and arresting images of girls and pairs them with their own words to create a powerful, affirming book.  It might seem like a simple idea, but as I kept turning the pages and reading and really looking at the girls in the photographs, I understood just how important this kind of book can be for not just girls, but their mothers and aunts and grandmothers (and also their father and brothers!).   This slice of life book is the kind of book I wish I had had when I was growing up (and one that I might buy for my niece).

Architecture of Silence

Architecture of Silence: Cistercian Abbeys of France, text by Terryl N Kinder, photographs by David Heald, 137 pages

The Abbey of Citeaux was founded at the end of the 11th century by a group of Benedictine monks attempting to live according to a strict interpretation of the Rule.  Within a hundred years over 500 new monasteries had been founded across Europe in imitation of it.  With the Cistercian way of life came a distinct approach to art and architecture, its simplicity highlighted by the contrast with the contemporary splendor of Gothic.

Architecture of Silence is primarily an album showcasing David Heald's striking photographs of French Cistercian abbeys, with a brief but informative introduction by Terryl Kinder providing background and context.  The beautiful black and white photographs of the abbeys in varying stages of repair and disrepair perfectly capture the stillness that both produced Cistercian architecture and was produced by it.  Although nothing in this world lasts forever, these buildings were designed for eternity and even in ruins seem so naturally part of the landscape that it is possible to believe that they were always there and will always be there.

Born Confused

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier, 413 pages

This is a coming-of-age type of story about an Indian girl named Dimple. Dimple was born in the United States but her parents were not.  She feels caught between two worlds, not Indian enough for her relatives who still live in India and not American enough for her friends there.  When her parents want to introduce her to a nice Indian boy, Dimple is determined not to like him because it isn't how things are done in America but she finds that she actually likes him.  Unfortunately, she comes to that realization after she has told her best friend, Gwyn, that the meeting was a disaster and now Gwyn is interested in him.  Dimple is trying to be true to herself, be a good friend, and still maybe get the boy in the end.  This wasn't one of my favorite books.  Some of the editing style made it awkward for me to read.  I liked the story and writing all right though.  Teens, especially girls, who like Sarah Dessen's books might like this story.

In Her Kitchen

In Her Kitchen : Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World by Gabriele Galimberti, 248 pages

This really was a cookbook but with every recipe was a story about where and who it came from.  What started as a series of magazine articles about people's lives around the world culminated in this book.  The little stories were nice and the recipes were interesting.  I was not inspired to try any of them but I probably would have eaten most of them if someone else were making it.  Most were pretty normal, several were dishes I had heard of but at least a couple were pretty unusual and definitely not something the average American has ever tried or probably wanted to try.  Overall I'd say liked this more for the glimpse into other lives and cultures than the actual recipes.

Tails from the Booth

Tails from the Booth by Lynn Terry
115 Pages

"Furry friends meet photo booths in this quirky photography book that captures all the cute canine action when the leashes come off and the dogs are the star of the show.

If dogs could take selfies, it might look something like Tails from the Booth . For this adorable collection of photographs, Lynn Terry draws on more than twenty years of professional photography experience to capture the most endearing moments between canine companions: A couple of pitbulls grinning widely at the camera. Two saggy-faced bulldogs bumping jowls. A Pomeranian, an English bulldog, and a Boston terrier dog-piling (of course) on top of each other. These pictures show the countless ways dogs will ham it up in front of a camera, and that more dogs in a photo booth = even more fun!

With all the charm of Underwater Dogs and Shake , Tails from the Booth will make you laugh out loud at all the awkward and endearing ways dogs make friends with each other."


A local author,  Terry has created a book with great dog photos.  

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, 182 pages

This is a great book highlighting the lives of several transgender teens.  The book has a separate chapter for each teen and discusses, often in their own words what life has been like for them.  Some of the teens are in the process of transitioning from one sex to another, some are ok with not feeling as if they are specifically one sex or the other.  Some feel as if they are gender neutral.  Some prefer to be referred to as he or she, because they identify as one or the other.  Some prefer to be referred to as them, because they don’t identify as one or the other.  This book really got into the teens feelings and struggles.  While it may not explain everything, it certainly explains that gender can be a difficult concept for some people and that not everything is black and white.  Or blue and pink, as the case may be.  A good book for teens who are struggling to understand themselves or for teens who want to understand more about what their transgender peers may be experiencing.

Glory O’Brien’s History Of The Future

Glory O’Brien’s History Of The Future by A.S. King, 306 pages

Glory feels like her whole life has been defined by the fact that her mother killed herself when Glory was four years old.  She has felt isolated from everyone at school.  Her only friend is Ellie, who lives in the commune across the road from Glory.  Ellie’s mom and Glory’s mom used to be best friends.  Right before Glory’s high school graduation Glory and Ellie drink a dead bat.  The next day they start to see strange and bizarre things, people’s pasts and futures.  It’s kind of cool but very weird.  Although there is a supernatural element to this book, the real story is about Glory finding her place in the world.  I really liked this book and think that a lot of teens would enjoy it too.