When We Were Brilliant by Eve Cullen

January 24, 2026

When We Were Brilliant by Eve Cullen

In 1952, photographer Eve Arnold is approached by Marilyn Monroe, a rising starlet, to do a photo shoot that will portray who Marilyn really is, not just a platinum blonde sex kitten as male photographers show her. Little did Eve know that the chance meeting would lead to a partnership and a friendship that would last until the end of Marilyn's life.

Eve Arnold was a celebrated photojournalist who did photo stories mainly of women and children, but some of her best-known work were her photos of Marilyn Monroe, depicting Marilyn behind the scenes in non-studio settings. Eve's book about Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe: an Appreciation, was recently reprinted in a new edition. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this fascinating portrait of a woman intimately connected to one of the most famous women of the 20th century.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

One of Eve Arnold's first photos of Marilyn Monroe

I Stopped Time by Jane Davis

March 14, 2020

I Stopped Time by Jane Davis

Sir James Hastings grew up without a mother – she abandoned their family when he was a baby.  So imagine his surprise when dozens of boxes of photographs are delivered to his house, his mother’s legacy of a lifetime of photography.  With the help of a local woman who is an art student, Sir James starts to go through the boxes and unravel the true story of his mother’s life.  Lottie, James’ mother, was a very modern woman for her time.  She not only abandoned her family to pursue a career of her own as a photographer, she also moved in with a man she was not married to and lived with him for over 50 years.  As James goes through his mother's photographs, he slowly realizes that they had more in common than he thought, and that the villain of his life wasn't so evil after all.

Jane Davis has written a remarkable piece of historical fiction that includes not only memorable characters, but wonderful descriptions that really evoke the time and place for the reader.  The story moves between two points of view and two eras, but since chapters are clearly labeled with the date and character, it is easy to follow and the two personal narratives are entwined seamlessly, right up to the satisfying conclusion.  Commonalities gradually emerge between the two main characters, such as not knowing much about their mothers, having unconventional lifestyles for their time, and unrelenting pigheadedness.

“Stopping time” refers to capturing a moment in time with a camera.  This is good escape fiction for the turbulent times that we are living through.  If you are interested in fiction about photographers, you might also like Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg.