Books Like Sweet Caress

Everyone views life through a different lens, and this is especially true of photographers. They have a knack for seeing things that other people might miss or take for granted and for finding the beauty in ordinary things. Because of their keen eye for detail and greater perception, photographers often take a central role in novels. For example, Sweet Caress by William Boyd is a fictional autobiography about a photographer named Amory Clay. After a traumatic childhood, Amory is apprenticed to her uncle, who teaches her about photography and sets her on the path to becoming one of the first women war photographers during World War II. For more books where the main protagonist is a photographer, check out the following books like Sweet Caress.

Shadow and Light

By Carol Koris

Shadow and Light by Carol Koris is a novel about Maggie Miller, a thirty-four-year-old photographer who loses her eight-year-old daughter in a tragic accident. The tragedy strains Maggie's marriage and causes her business to start failing. Her only refuge is the solitary pursuit of taking photos of families at rest stops on the Florida Turnpike. However, when she discovers that one of the photos she took is of a missing child, she sets out to find the missing girl. For Maggie, it is a way to do what she couldn't for her own daughter, but her actions could endanger the child's life instead of saving it. 

Take What You Can Carry

By Gian Sardar

 

 

Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar follows Olivia Murray, a woman who dreams of becoming a photojournalist. The story is set in 1979, which meant that the occupation was still very male-dominated. However, Olivia sees an opportunity to take photos that might get her the job when her Kurdish boyfriend tells her about a family wedding in northern Iraq. Olivia convinces him to go and accompanies him in the hopes of capturing photos nobody else would be able to top. Unfortunately, the trip turns out to be a lot less safe than she expected, and Olivia ends up capturing something very tragic on film. 

The Bohemians

By Jasmin Darznik

 

 

The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik is a biographical novel about Dorothea Lange, one of America's most celebrated novels. The story is set in the 1920s when a young Dorothea arrived in San Francisco as an aspiring photographer. After befriending Caroline Lee, Dorothea is introduced to an artists' colony called Monkey Block, where she is catapulted into the world of freedom, art, and politics. With a newfound purpose, Dorothea grows into the artist whose photograph, "Migrant Mother," opened the eyes of a nation. 

This Terrible Beauty

By Katrin Schumann

 

 

Bettina Heilstrom is a celebrated Chicago photographer in This Terrible Beauty by Katrin Schumann. However, then years before, she was forced to leave her home on an East German island after her husband, Werner, discovered that she had fallen in love with an idealistic young renegade. Bettina only married Werner, an older bureaucrat, because World War II had torn her country apart and left her longing for a family. Unfortunately, Werner became a dangerous man after joining the fledgling secret police and presented Bettina with a choice between prison or banishment when he discovered her infidelity. In the process, Bettina lost both her lover and her child, but ten years later, she set out to return to her homeland to reclaim one and learn the fate of the other. 

The Nature of Ice

By Robyn Mundy

 

 

The Nature of Ice by Robyn Mundy follows a woman named Freya Jorgensen, who goes to Antarctica on a photographic expedition. Freya wants to retrace the iconic photographs of Antarctic expeditions taken by Frank Hurley, but she also makes the trip to escape from an oppressive relationship. However, while there, Freya begins to regret the promise she made to her husband that she would give up the thought of having children. Chad McGonigal, the man assigned to accompany her around the continent while she takes photos, is muddling her feelings even further. Despite his gruff and aloof nature, Freye begins to develop feelings for Chad. 

Self-Portrait with Boy

By Rachel Lyon

 

Self-Portrait with Boy by Rachel Lyon is about a young photographer named Lu Rile. She struggles to make ends meet while working three jobs, as she's responsible for her aging father. However, her life changes one day when she accidentally captures an image of a boy falling to his death in the background of one of her self-portraits. The boy is her neighbor's son, which brings all the residents in her building together after the tragedy. Lu also bonds with the boy's grieving mother but knows that publishing the photo could jumpstart her career own career at the cost of their intimate friendship. 

The Race for Paris

By Meg Waite

 

The Race for Paris by Meg Waite is a World War II novel based on daring, real-life female reporters. The setting is Normandy in 1944, where Jane, a reporter for the Nashville Banner, and Liv, an Associate Press photographer, are covering the war. Liv is determined to be the first photographer to reach Paris with the Allies and photograph its liberation from the Nazis. However, to do so, Liv has to go AWOL and convinces Jane to accompany her. Escorted by a British military photographer, the two women race for Paris and the scoop of their lives.