The Bohemians

April 1, 2021

In 1918, Dorrie, a 22-year-old white woman from New Jersey, arrives in San Francisco with only a camera and a few possessions, and no backup plan. She pawns the camera for room and board and befriends Caroline Lee, a Chinese American woman who introduces her to Monkey Block, the bohemian center of San Francisco. Dorrie (now Dorothea) gradually establishes herself as a successful portrait photographer with Caroline's help, until a scandal changes everything. This historical novel set post-World War I, against the backdrop of the 1918 flu pandemic, chronicles Dorothea Lange's early years, before her prolific career in documentary photography. VERDICT Historical fiction readers will treasure this engaging story peppered with notable figures from Lange's circle of friends, including D. H. Lawrence, Ansel Adams, Maynard Dixon, and Frida Kahlo. Darznik (Song of a Captive Bird) deftly depicts Lange's transformation into a renowned photographer, as well as the blatant prejudice that Caroline encounters because of her Chinese lineage.--Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

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March 15, 2021
In 1918, Dorothea Lange arrives in San Francisco, alone and penniless. Chinese American Caroline Lee rescues Dorrie, helping her find a footing in the bohemian artist colony Monkey Block and launch herself as a photographer. Most are familiar with Lange's heart-wrenching Depression-era photography. This is her origin story, an exploration of a portraitist learning to truly see people and show them to others through photography. Darznik's second biographical novel, following Song of a Captive Bird (2018), succeeds on all levels. Foremost is the unknown life of the "Chinese Mission Girl" (as newspapers called her) and her relationship with Lange. Lange's background--her upbringing, devastation by polio, and painful marriage--and the effect on her photography is likewise engrossing. The third leg of the tripod is San Francisco, still recovering from the earthquake and fire of 1906. Modern echoes abound in a city under a pall of economic turmoil and racial disharmony advanced by politicians for their own ends as well as the global influenza pandemic. Darznik has created an arresting portrait of two women set before an illuminating backdrop. Lange would be proud.

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April 15, 2021
A captivating novel based on the life of photographer Dorothea Lange, who earned lasting recognition for her poignant Depression era images. Dorothea Lange springs to life--from her beginnings as a portrait photographer for the rich and famous to the calling she is most known for today, photographing the struggles of families during the Depression. Dorrie, 23, moves from New York to San Francisco in 1918, anxious to start a new life, but her vision of a bright future quickly fades. Upon arrival, she is robbed of her money. Stranded at the train station, she meets Caroline Lee, a beautiful young Chinese woman who later introduces her to female photographers within an artists' colony who encourage her to set up a portrait studio. Caroline is fictional, but she is a strong character in her own right, facing the world with courage and determination. Dorrie faces discrimination for her gender; Caroline more so for her race. They are inseparable until a brutal event pushes Caroline to isolate herself. Dorrie's marriage to famed artist Maynard Dixon creates a conflict for her as she tries to balance her creative needs with those of her family and forces choices that lead her to find her true passion. She loses touch with Caroline for decades until she's driven to seek her out. Darznik, with a keen eye to history, weaves real artists and historic events into an engaging story of struggle and success. Though the book is set more than 100 years ago, it feels powerfully contemporary: Men return from the battlefields of World War I to reclaim their jobs and positions in society. The Spanish flu arrives on the West Coast, forcing businesses to fold and people to quarantine. Politicians rail against foreigners; raids take place across the city. Strong, well-portrayed female characters propel this intriguing tale. A powerful novel about a woman who shuns convention to follow her passion.

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