The Photographer’s Wife
Nick Alexander
One of the main characters in this book is exactly who you would expect it to be – Barbara is the wife of a famed photographer and the story starts with her growing up in London during the Blitz. The other main character is Sophie, aka the photographer’s daughter who we read about in the present day as she explores her fathers work. Naturally, the narrative switches between ‘then’ and ‘now’ as Barbara grows up and meets the photographer, and Sophie tries to pull together an exhibition in her fathers memory. And of course, secrets are uncovered along the way for both of them. I personally enjoy the switching between times technique as I like to try and work out the mysteries that link the two together. Barbara’s story is really engaging right from the start. We learn about her life from a child in wartime London to life on the arm of a famous photographer in the seventies. The social backdrop to being a woman growing up in this era is key, and is thoughtfully explored here. I have no doubt that some of Barbara’s experiences weren’t uncommon for a lot of women during these times. The modern day story of Sophie isn’t as interesting but much of this is questioning the past and is really just a frame to pull the whole thing together. Some of the plot lines were a little predictable but that didn’t matter to me here because the book had me hooked! It’s a great story, easy to read, thought provoking….some of my favourite things to have in a book!
girlontheroaduk 