Synopsis
At the turn of the twentieth century in Nantes, France, Lucy Schwob met Suzanne Malherbe, and lightning struck. The two became partners both artistically and romantically and transformed themselves into the creative personas Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. Together, the couple embarked on a radical journey of Surrealist collaboration that would take them from conservative provincial France to the vibrancy of 1920s Paris to the oppression of Nazi-occupied Jersey during World War II, where they used art to undermine the Nazi regime.
Cahun and Moore challenged gender roles and championed freedom at a time when strict societal norms meant that the truth of their relationship had to remain secret. Featuring ten photographs by Cahun and Moore, this graphic biography by cartoonist Kaz Rowe brings Cahun’s inspiring story to life.
From: Getty Publications
Notes on This Title
This is a biography depicting the life of a historical figure. The main character of this title is an AFAB Jewish person who was in a relationship with another AFAB person; they both adopted masculine names and personae in regards to the art they released. It’s difficult to know what contemporary identifiers they would have chosen for themselves; the generic ‘trans’ tag has therefore been applied.
A suicide attempt is depicted. A portion of this title is set during the Nazi occupation of France; homophobic and antisemitic ideology is therefore an undercurrent of many sequences.
Awards
None.
Reviews
“An uplifting portrayal of the beauty of diversity and courage in the face of oppression.” (Source: Kirkus Reviews)
Interviews
None.