In the 1930s, a beautiful model tires of being Vogue’s favorite subject and wants her turn behind the camera. She can think of no better place for a fresh start than the creative epicenter of the world: Paris.

Lee Miller gets a foothold in the upper echelons of the Parisian art world. She even meets the famous photographer Man Ray and becomes more than his assistant – she becomes his subject, partner and lover. I credit Miller for her audacity and dedication to her craft as she learns how to manipulate more than just the camera, but a photo’s composition, development and presentation.

I was very excited for this narrative, which is based on the true story of Miller and Ray’s relationship. As an amateur photographer, I was intrigued by the process and mechanics of the craft in the 1920s. Also, you cannot pick a better backdrop than Paris. However, I felt a bit let down by the plot. 80% of this novel focuses on Miller and Ray’s relationship, which started to feel stale half way through the book.

Perhaps most frustrating is that a fascinating and moving storyline was simply glanced over. Scharer interweaves short snippets of Lee’s time spent on the battlegrounds of World War II. She was tasked with capturing the horrors of war traveling with various battalions around Europe. These chapters were few and far between only giving the reader a few pages on an unbelievable time of Lee Miller’s career.

Ultimately, while I wanted to love this, I think there are better period pieces out there with more engaging stories and fanfare for our readers.

Verdict: Skip it. 2/5 Stars
Length: 385 pages
Quote: But back then, that first summer in Paris, she didn’t yet know the power of pictures, how a frame creates reality, how a photograph becomes memory becomes truth.
Instead Try: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Buy The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer