The Effects of Light

by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Throughout their childhood, Myla and Pru Wolfe pose for a haunting series of photographs, many involving nudity. Young, beautiful, and motherless, the sisters bond fiercely in their shared sense of loss, unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and status as favorite subjects for family friend and photographer Ruth Handel. The photographs fire each girl's psyche with a sense of artistic accomplishment. Until their world irrevocably shifts... Thirteen years later, Myla receives a mysterious communication that calls her back to her past. Awkwardly fleeing the one man who has managed to pierce her defenses, she flies home to Oregon, where a series of packages are sent to her in measured installments. They are time bombs of revelations, and artifacts that force her to relive—and come to terms with—the event that changed her family forever. Edgy, richly evocative, and profoundly moving, The Effects of Light is an unforgettable debut novel, and a story drenched in luminous epiphany and unexpected truth.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Coming Of Age, Drama, Novels

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

I love to meet with book clubs, especially via Zoom. Please email me: mirandabeverlywhittemore@gmail.com and we can work something out!

I write novels, and most of those novels have to do with secrets. My fifth book, FIERCE LITTLE THING, will be out from Flatiron Books on July 27, 2021.

Set in the backwoods of Maine, FIERCE LITTLE THING has been described as "The Girls" meets "The Interestings." It's about a woman who is blackmailed into returning to Maine and the cult of her youth when someone threatens to reveal the terrible deed she committed with her childhood friends.

My other novels include JUNE and New York Times bestseller BITTERSWEET.

Check out more about me and my work at MirandaBW.com, on Instagram: @MirandaBW1 and Twitter: @MirandaBW.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favorite books. It is a haunting story with a shocking ending. It is written with such emotion and description. It completely engulfs you. The storyline also forces you to question your own values and aesthetics as to what is art and what is pornography.

[Christa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had been hoping for more when I read the reviews ("similar to The Lovely Bones and Girl with a Pearl Earring") and the synopsis, but it never really came together.

The premise of the story was intriguing -- where's the line between art and pornography if the subjects are children, and should their opinions sway it? It was told in alternating points of view: present day Myla, the older sister, and past Pru, the younger one.

The present day parts were, as a whole, so boring that I skimmed through a lot, especially the unnecessarily long-winded and technical art explanations. I don't think they added to the story, and they definitely broke up story's flow.

One thing I noticed was that the dialogue didn't seem natural--it sounded like people expounding just to sound smart. Even in the flashbacks, the kid didn't sound like a kid, which was distracting. The author mentioned about ten times how intelligent the characters were, so maybe that played a part, but it just seemed...off. (example: in casual conversation, who uses "one" constantly, when referring to the general? Like "it may make one think" instead of "it may make you think")

My recommendation is skip this. You'll probably end up forcing yourself through it, and the payoff just isn't worth it.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's intelligent and kindly written. It's about academic families. It was much more suited to my tastes than I expected it to be. I learned some things about photography while reading it. And it had more than romance - it was more like that 'kindred spirit' feeling between the protagonist and her man. A nice weekend read for a person who likes drama without the hysterics.

[Serena Caron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really start enjoying this book until halfway through I feel like Pru's voice was stifled amidst Myla's incessant whining over things (as far as the story telling goes any way) And felt like there was a lot of repetition in the story of trying to get the reader to swallow BIG ideas.

But I did enjoy the story at large and how the photographs of the girls got me thinking further about my own ongoing thoughts about Social media and the seemingly innocent and genuinely innocent photos we put of our young children out there for the world. ...such as "Do I have any right to broadcast bits of their childhood to the universe?" "How are they going to feel about this when they are adults and how will this impact their lives?" "I wouldn't allow my young child to have a social media account so do I have any right to broadcast endless photos of their young life on my own?" "What consequences is this generation of parents, new in the baby beast of social networking, just wanting to show their beautiful children off to the world; going to have to answer to?"

This book got me thinking needless to say.

[Shayna Sobol · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took some time to get into this one, even though I was interested in the characters right away. The author meanders too much into pseudo-highbrow philosophizing about art and its place in society, blah blah blah. Stick with it, though, and you'll find yourself immersed in a page-turner of a mystery with some devastating plot points along the way. Can't say anything more without risking a major spoiler.

[Dardenitaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a firm believer that good stories aren’t defined by their popularity on the best sellers’ list. There are so many underrated novels and authors out there simply because most readers aren’t adventurous enough to wander deeper inside the labyrinths of their favourite bookshops. The most special gems, they say, are usually hidden on the hearts of caves. Okay, that cheesy metaphor failed a little. But I mean it.

“Effects of Light”, the debut novel of Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, is case in point. She’s not wildly popular as an author, but her work speaks much about her precocious and promising talent. Taking on intriguing themes such as photography, nudity, child pornography, art and life, the novel cleverly reveals in fragments the haunted lives of its two narrators: Myla and Prudence Wolfe, sisters.


The story in three words: Controversial, Compelling, Charming. I think I just found myself a sparkly gem, luminescent of a very suspenseful and stunning story that shines and enlightens (pun intended).


I remember it so well: A sunny morning, Valentines’ Day of 2009. I skipped my classes because I’m feeling lazier than usual and eventually found myself loitering down the alleys of my favourite bookstore for hours. That afternoon, I bought this book and took it with me on a memorial park (yes, I’m this odd, introspective kid who grieves on the day of hearts quite literally.) where I quietly read it for the rest of the day.

Getting deeply lost in the story was no problem. The characters were beautifully and artistically layered. Just like taking a look at a stack of photographs, the readers will no doubt fall in love with the very visual depiction of the character’s thoughts and emotions. I especially loved the narrative of Prudence or ‘Pru’, the younger one of the Wolfe sisters. Her insights were so child-like yet so well beyond her years; she tugged at my heartstrings so easily that by the time I finished the book, I wish I met her.

Aside from the originality of the plot, I am also impressed with the creative way with which the past and the present collided in a series of interchanging chapters between Myla and Pru. It’s adorable and heartbreaking how they tackle their perceptions of each other while growing up and I loved how they both transport the readers to the heart of everything that happened, until the truth becomes crystal clear.

I won’t forget to laud this book’s in-depth analysis of art and how it affects the make-shifts of life and humanity. There are memorable tidbits and anecdotes about real artists and painters which still resonate in my mind from time to time. Everything fits in so perfectly in tune with the perks and burdens of growing up in a family of scholars and artists. Ultimately, it’s unforgettable how the dark side of art has changed the lives of the sisters and eventually brought it into a climactic and unlikely end.

I’m no photography expert but I know this much—that most of the best photographs in the world do not simply make us look out at the world and its beauty; more than anything else, they make us look inside ourselves to find what it truly means to be and feel, beautiful with our own skin.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro scovato tra tanti titoli in svendita; non sapevo cosa aspettarmi, non avevo mai sentito menzionare la scrittrice, né il titolo di questo romanzo. Ma come succede spesso quando faccio questi acquisti casuali, il libro si è rivelato un ottimo acquisto.
Una storia avvincente, ben narrata, e che offre molti spunti di riflessione.
Una storia narrata a due voci, su due diversi piani temporali; da una parte un narratore esterno ci introduce nella routine rassicurante di Kate, che resta tale per molto poco...dall'altra è la voce della piccola Pru che ci accompagna attraverso l'infanzia di queste due sorelle, rimaste orfane di madre troppo presto, e cresciute da un padre accademico, amante dell'arte, e da altre persone che entrano a far parte della loro famiglia allargata; Steve, Jane e Emma, famiglia stabile, affidabile e Ruth, artista, donna che vive attraverso le sue foto. E sono proprio le foto che scatta alle due bambine prima, ragazze dopo, che giocano un ruolo fondamentale nella loro vita: le accompagnano nella loro crescita, attraverso la scoperta di loro stesse, dei loro corpi, spesso ritratti nudi. Ma quando le foto vengono esposte ad una mostra, scatenano reazioni contrastanti, inaspettate. E' arte, o è abuso, pornografia? Pru e Myla si trovano al centro di una polemica che sfugge al loro controllo, e al controllo dei "grandi",con conseguenze a dir poco dolorose. Molte digressioni su teorie artistiche e filosofiche cercano di ampliare i limiti della nostra mente: l'arte plasma e influenza la mente umana, la morale comune, o è quest'ultima che influenza l'arte o almeno il modo in cui riusciamo a vederla, a concepirla? Una lettura davvero interessante, intrigante. A tratti lenta, qualche pagina forse arranca un po' sulle suddette teorie, ma alla fine sono necessarie per interpretare, per avere i giusti strumenti per capire le scelte di David, padre e intellettuale, e per sollevarlo dalle sue presunte colpe. Myla e Pru sono due personaggi ben delineati, su cui si scava a fondo: la scrittrice le rende reali, umane, dotate di uno spessore profondo, di una sensibilità unica. Credo che mi piacerebbe provare a leggere qualcos'altro di questa Beverly-Whittemore!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Effects of Light tells the story of two sisters being raised by their widowed father, a brilliant academic in the world of art. When a family friend photographs the two girls at the ages of 3 and 8, it marks the first in a series of images that span the girls' coming-of-age. The photos, some in the nude, are eventually shown publicly, leading to outcry over the "pornographic" images with devastating consequences for the whole family. One daughter is left behind to wrangle with the long-lasting consequences of the photographs.

I loved the discussion of art in this book, and the idea the relationship between art and people is reciprocal. We don't just shape art, but through the viewing and understanding of art, it shapes us and changes our expectations and preconceptions of the world around us. The exploration of art was so detailed and engaging, even for someone like me who is not versed in the world of art. I found myself pausing to look up the pieces being referenced so that I could take part in the discussion myself.

I also liked the examination of art versus pornography, and the question of who determines what falls into each category. The viewer? The artist? The subject? Those who care about the subject? All of these questions kept me turning the pages. Given the sophistication of these topics, I was disappointed in the treatment of the relationships developed in the book. Big decisions are frequently made on a whim, and those affected are very indulgent of these whims. The main character Myla has been living a new life under a new name for the last 13 years when, based on a few sentences heard in a college lecture, she makes the impulse decision to return to the life she’s been so desperately hiding from. And the people she walked out on, who haven't known if she's dead or alive for 13 years, just welcome her back with equanimity. In fact, everyone the main character encounters is entirely tolerable of her whims and rages, leaving all of her adult relationships to be conducted entirely on her terms.

The relationship of art to viewer was wonderful in this book, but the human relationships left a lot to be desired.

[Ann Woodbury Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this since Dani Shapiro's novel "Black & White," which I recently reviewed, was compared to it (negatively, in several instances). Like "Black & White," "The Effects of Light" is about a female photographer, in this case Ruth Handel, who takes nude photos of young girls. Are they art or porn? Major differences: in B&W the photographer, Ruth Dunne, uses her young daughter Clara as her subject, and the photos are exhibited without Clara's permission. In "Light," Ruth's subjects are a friend's motherless daughters, Myla and Pru, and she lets them see and review the pictures. Myla and Clara both object to being photographed around age 14; Clara gets a tattoo, spikes her hair, and puts on weight to make herself unappealing, whereas Myla just scowls and says "No." Clara flees to Maine to escape her notoriety, returning to her New York City home when her mother becomes ill and eventually reconciling with her. When Myla is 18 Pru is abducted and murdered by a crazed man seeking to rescue her from "dirty pictures"; several months later her father dies from a heart attack, Ruth Handel vanishes, and Myla changes her name and disappears as well. "Light" takes over 300 pages to explain all this. Myla, now 31, receives an unusual letter from a lawyer and then attends a lecture (given by her new boyfriend) about the now-notorious Handel photos. She returns to her home of Portland, Oregon, trying to make peace with her past and find her art historian father's missing manuscript. The book is alternately told in third person from Myla's point of view, and first person from Pru. The result? Long, complex, pretentious, implausible, and overly philosophical, filled with lengthy and utterly unrealistic conversations. Myla and the other characters hero-worship her father David, and there are endless quotes from his book (sorry, if I wanted a treatise on the history of art I’d pick up a non-fiction title). The ending is disappointing, largely because Ruth is entirely absent. Stick to “Black & White”—“The Effects of Light” isn’t worth it.

[Max Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As artfully composed as the photographs at the heart of this compelling story, The Effects of Light tells the tale of two sisters whose self-possession and beauty make them the favorite subject of photographer Ruth Handel—and the center of a heated public debate over the boundaries between art and pornography. Raised by their brilliant widower father to "follow their bliss," Myla and Pru pose for both the pure joy of the creative process and for the tangible evidence of existence it provides, like the cherished photo of their dead mother. Though the girls remain pure yet precocious, the controversy over the nude photographs and the collision between innocence and self-righteous judgment have disastrous consequences. Thirteen years later, living under an assumed identity and no longer in contact with family or old friends, Myla receives an anonymous communication that sends her back home to sort through the tangled strands that bound the knot of friends and family and confront her past.

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout their childhood till their early teens, two sisters Myla and Pru pose for a critically acclaimed series of photographs as figurative models. A female family friend is the photographer. The girls are beautiful, intellectually gifted, and motherless. They fiercely bond through their sense of loss, as well as through the art they help produce. However, this art was challenged over whether it was nothing more than child pornography. The novel has two narrators, Myla, as an adult who has created a secret identity to escape the fame associated with her youth, and Pru, who is now deceased, as the little girl growing up in front of the lens. A lingering thought provoking read.

[Tatiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

the preachy-ness of this book really ruined a lot of it for me, if she had just let the art just exist instead of beating me over the head with how i should think about it and what i should take away from it, i would have liked it a lot more. it had moments, here and there, but the narration was uneven and at one point commits a faux pas that can't be forgiven in my mind. and i really think the author's climax was a cop out. it should have been much more brutal and terrible to really make her point. i think she thought about it, but then veered onto the safe path at the last minute. boo.

[Ngaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on my shelf and couldn't remember where it came from. I read the jacket and decided to give it a try. I loved this book! It was haunting and stayed with me. Really made me think about different perspective. I would definately recommend it!

[Rose]

met this author at the doc lab - i should read her novel!

[Glenda Burchett · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was ok, but I really didn't agree with the author's point of view. That made me unable to sympathize with any of the characters, so I didn't really feel a connection with the book.

[T. Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading this amazing book by my amazing friend (who wasn't my friend the first time I read it), and thinking all sorts of good thoughts about the serendipity of things.

[sarah b. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. The story was good and made me think beyond just the plot, plus it had enough mystery to keep me interested.

[Julie Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't remember a lot about it

Throughout their childhood, Myla and Pru Wolfe pose for a haunting series of photographs, many involving nudity. Young, beautiful, and motherless, the sisters bond fiercely in their shared sense of loss, unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and status as favorite subjects for family friend and photographer Ruth Handel. The photographs fire each girl's psyche with a sense of artistic accomplishment. Until their world irrevocably shifts... Thirteen years later, Myla receives a mysterious communication that calls her back to her past. Awkwardly fleeing the one man who has managed to pierce her defenses, she flies home to Oregon, where a series of packages are sent to her in measured installments. They are time bombs of revelations, and artifacts that force her to relive—and come to terms with—the event that changed her family forever. Edgy, richly evocative, and profoundly moving, The Effects of Light is an unforgettable debut novel, and a story drenched in luminous epiphany and unexpected truth.

[Alex Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this so unpleasant. It's been more than a month since I finished this, so pardon my brief summary, but I was mad at the time. Just everything about it. The dialogue was awful. It sounds like it's trying so hard to be "smart" and totally failing. The characters were flat. The alternating back and forth was so annoying because I didn't care at all what happened in the past and those chapters felt like such a drag.

It tries so hard to have a conversation about art and pornography and childhood innocence and completely fails in every respect. There's no subtlety. One of the earliest scenes is a literal academic lecture about these topics. It's pretty unpleasant to be lectured to as a reader.

I wouldn't recommend this one. I wish I'd written this review while it was still fresh because I would love to get into every detail that I hated, but alas most of this has disappeared from my brain.

[Phyllis Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this story evolved; the book captured my interest right away. Alternating chapters, told by the two sisters, Pru and Myla. Pru tells the story from the past, whereas, Myla is in the present. Pru, being younger, is so much more innocent and therefore, a more lovable character. Myla, being older, has gone through more hurt and trauma, therefore she is more seasoned and hardened because of these life experiences.
These girls were raised with so much love from friends and family, but there is also conflict and tragedy. Be prepared to read a lot of intellectual discussion regarding art and photography and how these affect our lives and how our lives affect them. It was interesting and added more substance to this story.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wish I'd read this with my book club - so many things I'd like to discuss! I wavered between 4 and 5 stars here, meaning I really loved most of it. My biggest gripe was with the boyfriend - he just seemed so bland and convenient, he needed more depth to not feel like a plot device and provide credibility that he really belonged on Myla's soul-searching trip to her past.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I (mostly) enjoyed joining the characters on their journeys, and it made me consider a lot of things. I really love this author - she captures atmosphere and moods in a way that really resonates with me.

[Nori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was reading this on the recommendation of a friend, but it turns out she meant to say “All The Light We Cannot See.” Rereading my review of that one, I think I had a similar reaction to this one: 3 stars; didn’t NOT enjoy it; found it compelling enough to keep going; but ultimately downgraded for slightly hating the protagonist (I mean, I know you’ve been through a lot, but get it together, girl!), and also un-beautiful turns of phrase that clearly sounded better in the author’s mind.

[Kathie Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. It took a bit to start enjoying this one. The plot and characters developed slowly, but eventually the mystery clarified and my enjoyment speeded up. I’m not an artist, so all of the philosophies of art in the book didn’t interest me, although they were relevant to the psyche of the main character. Overall, the story of the two sisters, both past and present, was good and well-written, and the plot twists were interesting.

[Sunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. As someone with a studio art degree with a minor in art history, it was phenomenal. Loved the art ideas discussed throughout it. I could see where other people would possibly lose interest, but I felt like this book was written for me. It was deliciously heartbreaking and beautiful. Aside from the art talk, the characters has depth, feeling and dynamics. We'll done, great read.

[Eko-Owoicho Genevieve Agada · Rating 5 out of 5]

The storyline has a way of pulling you in and along till the very end. The end was quite shocking what can I say I’m a sucker for happy ending in which everyone is alive. Learnt a little bit about art and how it shapes us. This book holds important life lessons that are so relevant and would still be in times to come.

[Faith Rens · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read/seen Proof, it resembles that story a lot but with the twist of murder. I found it pretty slow to start, but it also is a very beautiful book: I could see each photograph M.B-W describes so clearly and how beautiful both the girls are. A good book, but definitely doesn't make my all-time favourites list.

[Julie Verstraete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi boek over een verhaal van 2 zusjes die graag gefotografeerd worden. Iedereen heeft een andere mening over de soort foto's. Het bepaald hun volledige leven. De oudste zus keer na 13 jaar terug naar haar land van afkomst. Gevlucht voor haar verleden. Keert terug naar de beste vrienden van haar vader en komt veel te weten over hem.

[BookMutant · Rating 1 out of 5]

It feels as if the author tries to groom the reader into believing taking nude pictures of children and publishing/selling them is normal, and that she tries to distract you with some Davinci code style mumbling about art.

I might just throw this book into the trash instead of giving it away.

Check her harddrive

[Paltia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it for the descriptions of Oregon and the Metropolitan Art Museum. Too tidy of an ending. Pleasant read but not particularly memorable. It may be the kind of book I check out of the library years down the road having forgotten that I read it. In fact, I think this may just be the case...

[Suzanne Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is wow! I kept wondering as I read, where is this story going? About halfway I thought I was catching on. By the end, I couldn’t stop turning the pages and tears poured down my cheeks! What a tremendous story with a profound message!