LENSWOMAN IN LOVE

In Gottlieb-Walker’s novel, a passionate young photographer navigates turbulent times in the 1960s and ’70s.

From a young age, Maddy Garfield found herself documenting the world through a camera lens. She grew up in the apartment above the Folk Scene, a coffeehouse in Berkeley, California, which her parents opened in the ’50s; she honed her skills photographing the wide array of musicians that played on their stage in 1964. However, when college student Jake Morganstern answers a help-wanted ad—posted by Maddy’s mother, Blanche—the 15-year-old girl’s life is forever changed, especially after Blanche invites Jake to live in the family’s spare room. As Jake and Maddy spend more time together, he introduces her to a world beyond folk music, and she finds herself falling in love with him. Then he suddenly leaves without saying goodbye, and Maddy is crushed. She goes on to make her mark in the photography world and Jake finds success writing and directing films. Their paths repeatedly cross, and although sparks fly, the timing is never right—until they meet on the set of a movie in 1976, which might be the chance they’ve been waiting for. Gottlieb-Walker takes readers on a journey through the height of the rock ’n’ roll era with a tale that’s part travelogue and part romance, and it reads very much like a memoir. Evidence of Maddy’s extensive journeys is presented via rich, sensual details; it immerses readers in the story from the first page, which depicts a Vietnam War protest: “Adrenaline pumping, I clutched the borrowed Bolex camera protectively against my chest and fought my way through the panic-stricken crowd to the sidewalk.” The narrative is steeped in the political and cultural themes of the time, effectively highlighting the challenges faced by women fighting for their rights and young men fighting in Vietnam. Gottlieb-Walker makes full use of the first-person perspective to provide readers with an intimate, behind-the-scenes snapshot of the era’s film, music, and photography industries.

A vivid, immersive tale of decades past.