Before reading this book, I only knew Georgia O’Keeffe for her flower paintings and her connection to New Mexico. I knew nothing about Anita Pollitzer. This book starts with Georgia at 28 years old around 1915. A brief background covers her identity, family's challenges, and meeting Anita Pollitzer, a young art student from a well-connected family. Anita and Georgia first meet while attending a semester at the Art Students League, we follow their decades long friendship. Their correspondence shows their journeys through two World Wars, Anita’s role in the suffragette movement, Georgia’s evolving art and long-term relationship with the older and (initially) married photographer and gallery owner, Alfred Stieglitz. Eventually, we get to the New Mexico-based, flower painting Georgia. Though the road there is not one I expected.

I was very intrigued by the subject matter for this book. I love reading stories about people’s lives and learning parts of history with which I previously was unfamiliar. While I got that in this book, I found the writing style choppy and at times difficult to follow. The perspective shifts between Georgia and Anita mid-chapter, with few visual cues indicating the change. There were parts that jumped geographically but did not explain how that change came to be. The author made assumptions about the readers familiarity with certain landmarks and locations. An example is the location of the Art Students League. In the first part of the book when Georgia and Anita are attending the semester there, I had to assume it was in New York City. Even after review, I do not see an explicit reference to what city or State this takes place in.

Although I would have appreciated more seamless transitions between Georgia and Anita's sections and additional details to assist the reader, I found the book enjoyable. I learned about Anita Pollitzer’s significant contributions to the rights women have in the United States and Georgia’s complicated romantic relationship. I was previously unaware of. I appreciated the author taking the time to respectfully show the complex nature of a long-term friendship.

Thank you to the University of Nebraska Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.