Applique

A wonderfully realized coming-of-age novel about the emergence of an artist.

Lorrie reached for her camera. Okay, this was it. She lifted the camera to her eye. The woman was now sobbing, her shoulders heaving up and down. A man, crying too, stepped over and cradled her in his arms. Lorrie wondered who they were crying for. A son? A brother? A neighborhood boy?
Lorrie lowered the camera. The shot was there, but she couldn’t take it.

Lorrie Taylor is looking forward to lazing away the long summer days with Sarah, who’s been her best friend since childhood. But Sarah’s working at the riding stables and has little time to spend lounging by the pool. The cute stable manager, Thomas, seems interested in Lorrie, but even his welcome attention doesn’t make up for the fact that she feels lost in her own hometown.

Then Lorrie lands a job with renowned photographer Molly Price, who has become a recluse. The prickly old woman isn’t the easiest person to get along with, but her photographs touch Lorrie deeply. With Molly’s encouragement, Lorrie begins to shoot and print her own pictures.

As her abilities develop, Lorrie comes to realize that technical skill is not enough. Her search for that one perfect shot proves much more difficult than she ever imagined—and much more rewarding.