The essence of this novel focuses on the life of a remarkable woman. As I read I felt that I knew Tina Modotti whose life encompassed so many roles. She was a fine photographer whose work demonstrated her flair for the artistic as well as documenting the life of those wherever she lived - Mexico, Germany and Russia. A revolutionary/activist, she had numerous lovers, some of whom were famous (Diego Rivera and Edward Weston). She was accused of murdering one of them, Julio Mella, whose assassination occurred as he walked arm in arm with her. She devoted much of her life to working for the Communist party, serving as a nurse in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
The book is historical fiction yet the author describes Tina's life with flair. She said she could have written a thousand pages about her life, which she spent ten years researching. It shows. However, Tinisima (as she was known in Mexico), was actually born in Italy yet her heart belonged to Mexico - its people land its colorful landscape. Wonderful read about an outstanding woman.
