What a lovely book! I had never heard of Lee Miller or Man Ray before picking up The Age of Light, but was quickly sucked into their lives. The story is an interesting one as it starts off with Lee later in life acting as a gourmet cook and food writer. When her editor asks her to write a story about her time working with famous photographer Man Ray, the story jumps back in time to when Lee was in her 20s living in Paris and acting as Man's assistant and eventually lover. The book also flashes to Lee's years in Germany as a war correspondent- at first I was confused by these sections, but soon realized it would have been a huge loss if Scharer didn't include them.

Lee is such an incredibly strong force of a woman and someone hard not to admire. Despite her flaws, I found myself constantly rooting for her and wanting the best. Her relationship with Man was very complicated; beautiful in many ways, but also filled with jealousy and strong personalities.

After reading The Age of Light, I did a fair amount of research into Lee and Man because I was so intrigued by their story. I was a little bit disappointed by how much was left out of the book... So many techniques Man was known for and so many accomplishments in Lee's life. However, I realize that the book needed a focus and wasn't meant to be biographies of their lives. And I always say that the mark of a good historical fiction novel is when I'm intrigued enough to do more research on my own after the book ends.

As someone who dabbles in photography, I'm excited to continue looking into all the advances that Lee and Man made, both together and independently. I would happily read another book (or 3) about Lee Miller and/or Man Ray!

A trifle sensational at times, this is an extremely fascinating look at two enormously talented and interesting people. Lee Miller was a model in the 1930's, who moved to Paris and became the lover/muse/protégé of Man Ray, renowned photographer. She in turn later became the first woman war correspondent. This is the story of her transformation from model to photographer, her love affair with Man Ray, and her struggle to succeed in a man's world, all set in the middle of the decadence of Paris of the time. Glimpses of her childhood, her work during the war, and her later years add a whole level of depth to her at times tragic story. I could have done without the steamier scenes, but the ending was so moving it made it made it all worthwhile. Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the e-arc. 4+ stars! This one will stay with me for awhile.

This book has everything I love. 1920s Paris. Art. A smart, strong, creative woman - Lee Miller, who has always fascinated me. This book is exceptional and I can't wait to tell everyone I know about it.

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer

This book grabbed my attention right away. I love the cover and am instantly intrigued. When I read the description, the words “bohemian” and “Paris” instantly jumped out at me, then learning the book goes from 1930s Paris to Europe during World War II and I knew I HAD to read it. I cannot wait to get started!

Synopsis:

Their romance unfolds against the backdrop of bohemian Paris, with nights spent at smoky cabarets, opium dens, and Surrealist parties, and days spent working together to discover radical new photography techniques. But as Lee begins to assert herself, and moves from being a muse to an artist, Man’s jealousy spirals out of control, and soon their mutual betrayals threaten to destroy them both.

Told in interweaving timelines of 1930s Paris and war-torn Europe during WWII, this richly detailed, sensuous, and captivating debut by Whitney Scharer brings Lee Miller– a brilliant and pioneering artist in her own right–out of the shadows of a man’s legacy and into the light.

I'm an obsessive fan of surrealism, modernism, and Paris between the wars, and this book ticks all those boxes, plus a few extras like underappreciated female artists, non-conformist women navigating relationships with celebrated men and behind the scenes insight into Cocteau's filmmaking process. Sharer covers all this and more in this easily digested epic of one woman's life. Everyone who is frustrated with their book group should recommend this book to enjoy reading again.

The Age of Light is one of those books that says with you long after you've finished it. The story follows beautiful model Lee Miller as she moves from NYC to Paris and reinvents herself as a photographer. She meets Man Ray, already a successful artist and photographer, and they embark on the kind of love affair that defines one's life. Lee is Man Ray's lover, partner, protege and overall muse and their relationship plays out on the pages , drawing the reader in. I had no idea I was reading about 2 real people and as soon as I finished the book and googled them I was fascinated all over again.

The beauty of this book is hard to put into words. It's not a light read--it's the kind of book that each sentence, each moment, is crafted so beautifully that you'll want to slow down and savor it all. It's literary fiction at its best. Lee and Man are extremely well drawn and even though both of them are a bit unlikeable sometimes, as a reader, I was completely along for the ride --wherever it was taking me. The end of the 1920s part of the book did not disappoint, and I also appreciated the way the epilogue completed the story. The only thing that was somewhat out of place, were the parts at the end of each section that followed Lee through Europe during and after WWII. I understand what the scenes were meant to show about Lee, but to me, the were completely unnecessary. Overall, this was a captivating piece of historical fiction that I can't get out of my head!

Thank you NetGally for the advance copy!

What a great book!!! I am a fan of all things WWII, so I know a little about Lee Miller. This novel gave a great glimpse into her life with Man Ray and her time taking photographs during WWII. She helped pave the way for women.

I knew very little about Lee Miller before diving into this delightful debut novel (thanks NetGalley and Little, Brown). I was immediately drawn in, not just by the exquisite language and Scharer's gift of storytelling, but also her ability to send you right into the mind of Miller. Scharer squeezes your heart, and inflames your senses with every move that Miller makes. It was only afterward when I wanted to know more about Man Ray and his enchanting lover that I found Scharer took a few liberties with Miller's history, but all for the good of the story itself. I devoured this gorgeous book and all of the decadence of Paris in the 1930s, the bohemian lifestyle of these artists and Miller's complex transformation into a woman of her own that underlies it all. This book left me in tears on the last page. The impression of this novel is one I will carry with me for months and years forward.