Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange

Restless spirit: The life and work of Dorothea LangeDorothea Lange provides us with a great insight into the human condition and the state of humanity. Her photographs are timeless works of excellence. Anyone interested in photography, history or humanity will find her work compelling.

I am a photography student, and we had to read and write a book report on a photographer for class. I selected Dorothea because I am became interested in the 1930's through the 1950's in America, particularly photographically.
Let me say that Dorothea lived a lifestyle way ahead of her time. During a period in America when women stayed home with their children and husbands, Dorothea farmed out her children to be on the road and working.
I really enjoyed this book. It had some of her well-known photographs i.e. The Migrant Mother, and others that I enjoyed seeing. I wish there had been more of her photography in the book and perhaps more details of her life.
The story is written by the daughter of her life-long assistant Ron Partridge. Elizabeth Partridge does a good job with the information she has at hand. I particularly enjoyed her own memories of families Thanksgiving day dinners shared at Dorothea's 20' long table.
Great book as a start of a collection of Lange's work. It is also a nice reference for information about the American Dust Bowl, The migrant workers, Japanese Interment Camps during WWII, and The Great Depression, and tenant farmers in the South and Southwest! The story has given me a different perspective on America during this period I apparently didn't know a lot about. The conditions that American's dealt with, and the photographs that show the story, are shocking. I grew up in "white bread" New York, and could not fathom that such heart-ache existed in another part of our country just a couple of decades before my youth.
The story of Lange's life and dedication truly gave me a new respect for her work, and the type of sacrifaces a person has to make to accumulate a body of work such as Lange's.
I would recommend this book.

This isn't the most comprehensive book on Dorothea Lange, a woman of some complication. However, it can be a great introduction and a stimulus to looking deeper into her life and work. Ms. Partridge brings a unique perspective to the book that 'outside' biographers can't offer. I've been a fan of hers since I grew up in the sixties; she spawned along with others, a new generation of activist photographers. Many of the photos in this book are standards to be found elsewhere. What I particularly enjoyed were the family photos which can't be found elsewhere. My overriding impression of this subject was a prickly and difficult woman who was driven by her problematic past, combined with genius and empathy that few have possessed. Recommended for anyone new to Lange and her work. Written for the younger reader.

Are you looking for non-fiction which is well-written and interesting, and covers topics over which students are generally tested for state proficiency or competency standards? This book fits all requirements. The author doesn't flinch at presenting the difficult, occasionally less-than-flattering side of the talented photographer, so that the reader comes away with a feeling of having met a "real" person, albeit one with tremendous talent. Yet, Partridge focuses on the life and times of her subject without "sensationalism". The book is well-written. Partridge never talks down to her readers, and her clear language and vocabulary should be well within the capabilities of 7th, 8th or 9th grade students. This book ties art, social studies and language arts together in perfect harmony for a study of the Depression Era of US history. Adults will enjoy this book as well.

Well I love photography and for thoes of you who do this is the best book. Dorthea Lange was the best photographer and is obviously my favorite. This book tells the great story of her life and has great classic photos. I highly recomend this book