The Age of Light

Description

"Scharer captures the thrill of artistic creation and the swirling hedonism of Paris's beautiful people." The Times Model. Muse. Lover. Artist. One cool day in 1929, Lee Miller arrives in bohemian Paris to pursue her dream of being an artist, having left behind a successful modelling career at Vogue. Gorgeous and talented, she catches the eye of renowned Surrealist artist Man Ray and convinces him to hire her as his assistant. Man is an egotistical, charismatic force, and soon their personal and professional lives become intimately entwined. As Lee begins to assert herself, and moves from being a muse to an artist, Man's jealousy spirals out of control, and their mutual betrayals threaten to destroy them both . . . The Age of Light is a powerfully sensuous tale of ambition, love, and the personal price of making art. In this immersive debut novel, Whitney Scharer has brought a brilliant and pioneering artist out of the shadow of a man's story and into the light. PRAISE FOR THE AGE OF LIGHT "In incandescent prose, Whitney Scharer has created an unforgettable heroine discovering her passion, her independence, and her art-and what she must sacrifice to have them. Sweeping from the glamour of 1920s Paris through the battlefields of World War II and into the war's long shadow, The Age Of Light is a startlingly modern love story and a mesmerizing portrait of a woman's self-transformation from muse into artist." Celeste Ng, New York Times bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere "Whitney Scharer's storytelling is utterly immersive and gorgeous in its details . . . This is a powerful, sensual and gripping portrait of the forging of an artist's soul." Madeleine Miller, author of Circe "A masterpiece, The Age of Light is a searing, evocative novel of love and war, and a woman's fierce determination to transcend her role as muse and remake the world through her own art. Whitney Scharer is a remarkably gifted storyteller - a major new voice in historical fiction. Dawn Tripp, author of Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keefe "this magnetic, addictive novel will beguile every reader. Read it, read it!" Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family "An uplifting, heartbreaking and altogether immersive read." Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Before The War and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Whitney Scharer earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington, and her short fiction has appeared in the Bellevue Literary Review, Cimarron Review, and other journals. She's received an Emerging Artist Award in Literature from the St. Botolph Club Foundation, a Somerville Arts Council Artists grant, and been awarded a residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. The Age of Light is her first novel.

Scharer captures the thrill of artistic creation and the swirling hedonism of Paris's beautiful people. * The Times * In incandescent prose, Whitney Scharer has created an unforgettable heroine discovering her passion, her independence, and her art - and what she must sacrifice to have them. -- Celeste Ng, New York Times bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere I adored this novel. It's sumptuous and enveloping and beautifully told . . . I can't believe this is a debut novel - it is so wonderfully assured. Stunning. -- Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us Transporting you into Lee Miller's life, and her struggles to be taken seriously in a man's world. This is a powerful, sensual and gripping portrait of the forging of an artist's soul. -- Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe Rapturous and razor sharp all at once, The Age of Light fearlessly unzips anything we might know of Lee Miller as model and muse and recasts her as artist, free thinker and architect of a singular and unapologetic life. Whitney Scharer is a stunning new discovery. This novel sparks on every page. -- Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife This novel shows how [Lee Miller] transcended the male-accessory role and casts her in a new light as the protagonist of her own independent, ambitious life. Fans of Mrs Hemingway and The Paris Wife will love this one. * Elle * This wonderful novel is a sensory, sensual feast: a passionate love story, a clear-eyed examination of an artist's life, and an evocation of the ways people can make and break each other -- Kiran Milwood Hargrave, award-winning author of The Girl of Ink and Stars A dazzling novel of decadence, passion, art and betrayal . . . I adored it. -- Lucy Diamond Scharer . . . conjures Paris of the Thirties - whether artists' studios, seedy dives or glamorous parties - with the deftest of brush strokes. * Daily Mail * A gorgeous evocation of the life of Lee Miller. The prose is stunning, the settings perfect - this is the woman that the work only hinted at. Absolutely breathtaking -- Emma Flint, author of Little Deaths It's a deliciously chic feminist take on a legend * Grazia * From the opium dens of Paris to Man Ray's darkroom The Age of Light is drawn with the exactness of a photograph. I was awed by the skill with which Scharer portrayed Lee's defiance and ambition. The Age of Light is mesmerising, beautifully written and deeply convincing. I loved it. -- Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory I adored The Age of Light. A stunning debut - fascinating, evocative and beautifully written. I loved it. -- Jill Mansell Intoxicating . . . Scharer is always alert to the interplay of passion, intelligence, exhilaration, bitterness, and melancholy that fueled this unique woman to create a life of her own. The object of an intense bidding war that resulted in a million-dollar deal, Scharer's first novel more than lives up to its prepublication hype. * Booklist * Scharer's stellar debut chronicles the tumultuous working and romantic relationships of photographer Man Ray and model-turned-photographer Lee Miller in early 1930s Paris. Scharer's brilliant portrayal of the complicated couple features a page-turning story and thrillingly depicts the artistic process. * Publishers Weekly * Scharer sets her viewfinder selectively, focusing on her heroine's insecurities as much as her accomplishments as an artist; her hunger to be more than "a neck to hold pearls, a slim waist to show off a belt" is contrasted with her habit of solving problems by simply leaving. The price for Lee is steep, but it makes for irresistible reading. Sexy and moving. * Kirkus *