Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange was another name I thought I knew but didn't. That woman who took pictures of the Okies moving West. Remember, she was part of WPA maybe, or some other alphabet agency? Starving children, harsh conditions, dirty women and all that--big for women and the working artist movement, or something like that...Regrettably, that's what I remember about Dorothea Lange from my American History course. I suppose it could be worse; she could be completely unfamiliar to me. At least I knew she existed.

Elizabeth Partridge opened my eyes to Dorothea Lange, the woman. Albeit somewhat romanticized, I trust that Partridge's portrayal is genuine, as someone who knew her personally and drew extensively from interviews, films, and oral history show more from friends and family. Restless Spirit captures the image of a woman who wanted to make a difference in the world on her own terms. Unafraid to live on the road and get close and personal with her subjects, Dorothea Lange seemed to be a woman who still struggled with the expectations of womanhood of her time, fighting her own tension between domesticity and dreams of freedom through photography and independence. Lange saw injustice and hardship in the world even in childhood, and her photography seems to encapsulate that recognition of suffering as human. Partridge poignantly reveals how Lange attempted to share her perspective through a touching combination of narrative and photographic text.

Restless Spirit could be used in the classroom for any unit on the Great Depression or as accompaniment with a Steinbeck text, offering visuals and context from a powerful woman. The images are just as heart-wrenching today as they were eighty years ago. show less

This is a great introductory work for getting students interested in a multitude of things: photography, social issues of the 1930's and 40's, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the Japanese Internment Camps. I wouldn't say that this is a comprehensive text on Dorothea Lange; as touched on in the book, she was a complicated woman who was far ahead of her time and this text only seems to skim the surface of who she was as a person rather than her works. But, bully for us as the readers, we get a look at some fantastic reproduced black and white photos that document American history. The author, Elizabeth Partridge, was the daughter of Lange's assistant Ron Partridge, and her intimacy with the life of Lange shows through this work; show more she uses personal memories and Lange's own words collected from diaries, interviews, and letters. I read this book close on the heels of Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust, and this made for a phenomenal companion piece. It gives a face to the underrepresented in the textbooks, which, I think, makes it a worthwhile read for everyone. show less

I thought this was an excellent biography of dorthea lange's extraordinary life. The prose was very detailed, engaging, and painted a beautiful portrait of her work, especially during the great depression and WW 2. I really enjoyed how Elizabeth partridge connected events in Dorthea's life to her work. For instance, she discussed how Dorthea photography suffered during her first marriage and during her times as mother and housewife

The Restless Spirit is about the life of Dorothy Lange. She is famous for her photographs during the Great Depression. Many people were suffering and lived in poverty. Dorothy took it upon herself to photograph these sad and horrifying images. She talks about the time she spent photographing in between dust storms, drunk men, and starving children. Her pictures impacted the United States and made people realize the conditions people were living in. Dorothy's passion was shown with every picture she took and she enjoyed and loved what she did.

This book for older children or teens is a biography of the famous photographer Dorothea Lange. This book would be a nice gift for any child interested in photography and/or 20th century U.S. history.

Restless Spirit takes you inside of Dorothea Lange's life and her work. Lange is known for her photography, but her work goes beyond that. Her photographs were among the first in America that led to government action during the Great Depression. The government didn't understand the level of suffering that people had to endure until her photographs. Lange was extremely passionate about her work and she did what she loved until the very last moment of her life.

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