Girl with a Camera: Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer, A Novel

Reviewed by: Kris Zuidema - retired school librarian, Standish, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 16, 2017

Review

Margaret Bourke-White was born in 1904. As a young girl she was interested in the study of snakes and caterpillars. When Margaret was in college studying herpetology she became enamored with photography. She was fortunate in many ways, yet faced difficult obstacles. She had an artist's eye and saw beauty in manmade objects as such as buildings and bridges, as well as landscapes. She became famous in her lifetime as a photographer in the United States and Europe. She was the first female photojournalist during WWII. I highly recommend this fascinating account of her challenges and successes. It is an inspiring story that will captivate readers. This historical novel is written in the first person. Although it is fictional, it reads like an autobiography. There is an extensive author's note and several black and white photographs. My only suggestion is that more photographs of Margaret Bourke-White would have been included.

Overall Book Score: very good