The Age of Light

A Novel

By: Whitney Scharer

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the Best Books of the Year: Parade, Glamour, Real Simple, Refinery29, Yahoo! Lifestyle.

"A startlingly modern love story and a mesmerizing portrait of a woman's self-transformation from muse to artist." (Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere)

"I'd rather take a photograph than be one," Lee Miller declares after she arrives in Paris in 1929, where she soon catches the eye of the famous Surrealist Man Ray.

Though he wants to use her only as a model, Lee convinces him to take her on as his assistant and teach her everything he knows. As they work together in the darkroom, their personal and professional lives become intimately entwined, changing the course of Lee's life forever.

Lee's journey of self-discovery takes her from the cabarets of bohemian Paris to the battlefields of war-torn Europe during WWII, from inventing radical new photography techniques to documenting the liberation of the concentration camps as one of the first female war correspondents. Through it all, Lee must grapple with the question of whether it's possible to reconcile stay true to herself while also fulfilling her artistic ambition - and what she will have to sacrifice to do so.

©2019 Whitney Scharer (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"An absolutely gorgeous and feminist novel about art, love, and ownership, The Age of Light is truly a work of art in itself, both deeply moving and thrilling. Want to know what it's like to be an artist? Read this astonishing novel and then, like Lee Miller, take time to consider the extraordinary cost she paid to be herself."—Caroline Leavitt, Boston Globe

"The glittering bohemia of 1930s Paris, the pastoral boredom of mid-'60s Sussex, the hollowed-out carnage of postwar Europe; all come equally alive on the page, as do iconic figures like Ray and Cocteau and Kiki de Montparnasse. But none breathe more vividly than Miller herself: Fiercely independent but racked by self-doubt, desperate for affection and approval even as she chafed at sentiment, she spent decades fighting to find her voice. It was worth the wait."—Entertainment Weekly

"Is "woman behaves dangerously, lives wildly" a genre? If so, The Age of Light is its latest poster child. The novel is work of historical fiction about Lee Miller, a Vogue model who became one of the first female war correspondents. In Scharer's plot, Miller travels to Paris where she meets photographer Man Ray, who becomes her collaborator and lover. While most stories about Miller paint her as Ray's muse, this one portrays her as the independent and daring artist she truly was."—Glamour

Fantastic Book

I loved this audiobook book. I was going on vacation to Paris and wanted to listen to something that took place in Paris and would give me a feel for it. This did exactly that and in such a vivid and engaging way. I knew virtually nothing about Lee Miller and Man Rey. The historical fiction made this an especially interesting story. The writer is great. The reader is great. This book exceeded my expectations and I am sorry I have finished it. It will definitely stick with me in terns of mood, tone and story!

Beautifully written; fascinating characters

I knew very little about Lee Miller and Man Ray when I started the book but Whitney Scharer's brilliant writing has left me wanting to know so much more. She was able to effectively paint a picture of these two complicated people and their very complicated relationship. She painted such a vivid picture of 1920's/30's Paris and I only wish the novel was longer and able to track more of the remarkable, and often-times sad life she lived following her departure from France. The narrator, Therese Plummer was fantastic and certainly did the book justice.

Not historical fiction

Not a lot of historical info. Perhaps can be labeled as historical porn? Just not my cup of tea.

I fell hard for this book!

A wonderful, beautifully told novel about an artist struggling to find her voice and her freedom. It’s a deep and pretty entrancing character study - I finished it in three days!

Excellent

I purchased this book because Therese P won an award reading it. And well she should have. She is such a great reader.

But the book itself is so good. I'm pleased. It's written graciously and descriptively ... The reader gets to know the main character.... to understand the fact that she doesn't know herself. Lee is every woman trying to define herself outside of the men she loves. And Man is deceptively easy in his possession of her. It's really good... you won't regret reading.

Interesting story, but annoying reader

Really dislike the reader from the very beginning. Too sweet and over acting. Very annoying reader.

Couldn’t finish- awful reading and story was meh

I got up to chapter 14 but struggled and finally bailed. Mainly, the performance was way over the top dramatic… the reader reads as if EVERYTHING is SO EXCITING- even the most banal things. It’s so distracting and maybe I would have kept on otherwise but it drove me crazy.

Exquisite & verbally full-filling, art for the ears.

This is one of only a few books of the hundreds that I could listen to again. I’ve also purchased a hardcover. Ms. Scharer paints a beautiful story with words, describing a time-period & a relationship/love affair of that time. Pay close attention to the details & all the artists & socialites intertwined. Take time as well to review the photography of Lee Miller on line - thousands of them. Stunning.

Manic Historical Fiction RomCom

As far as a more "chick-lit" historical fiction, it wasn't bad, but it was still a bit too manic and dramatic for my taste.

What I liked:
Progressive women's views for the time
Sexually positive
The names of relevant artists and authors and figures that popped up
Touching on the theme of PTSD

What I didn't like:
The plot and main character are shallow and manic
A bit too overly dramatic
Took a long time to tell a story that is pretty much conjecture

This book could be adapted to a movie, and I think it would do be one of those rare acceptions where the movie is better than the book.

Read it

The story was great but the entire book was whispered I did not like the narration.