Book Review: A Woman I Once Knew by Rosalind Fox Solomon

Book Review: A Woman I Once Knew by Rosalind Fox Solomon

Rosalind Fox Solomon’s A Woman I Once Knew is an evocative and deeply personal exploration of identity, memory, and the inevitable passage of time. Known for her extraordinary ability to capture the human condition through photography, Fox Solomon turns her lens inward in this book, crafting a narrative as intimate as it is universal. Through a fragmented, poetic structure, she invites the reader into her reflections on femininity, relationships, and the shifting perceptions of self that come with age and experience.

This review will examine A Woman I Once Knew’s thematic depth, stylistic choices, and emotional resonance. While its unconventional format may challenge readers, the book’s raw honesty and artistic vision make it a poignant and rewarding read.

All images – Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

To Purchase this book, please go here.

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A Portrait of Identity and Memory

At its core, A Woman I Once Knew is a meditation on identity. The title speaks to the elusive nature of the self, suggesting that the woman Fox Solomon describes may be both a stranger and a reflection of herself. Throughout the book, she blurs the lines between personal memory and collective experience, weaving a tapestry of emotions and experiences that feel simultaneously unique and familiar.

The narrative is fragmented, composed of vignettes, musings, and observations that echo the disjointed nature of memory. This structure mirrors how we piece together our histories—through fleeting images, forgotten moments, and the occasional vivid recollection. Fox Solomon’s reflections are not presented chronologically but thematically, creating a kaleidoscopic view of her life and the lives of the women she has encountered.

A recurring theme is the tension between the roles society imposes on women and their inner lives. Fox Solomon writes with a sharp eye and a tender heart about the pressures to conform to beauty ideals, motherhood, and submission, juxtaposing these expectations with the often messy, uncontainable reality of being a woman. This duality is captured in a line long after it is read: “I wore the mask they handed me, but underneath, my face was melting.”

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The Stylistic Complexity of Fragmentation

Fox Solomon’s choice to present her narrative in fragments is both a strength and a potential stumbling block. On one hand, this fragmented style captures the ephemeral quality of memory and the fluidity of identity. Each piece feels like a snapshot—brief but vivid, revealing something essential yet leaving much unsaid. This mirrors her work as a photographer, where an image can suggest a story but never fully tell it.

On the other hand, the lack of a linear narrative may alienate readers who prefer more traditional storytelling. The book demands active engagement, as the connections between fragments are not always immediately apparent. However, the rewards are significant for those willing to embrace its unconventional structure. The fragmented format allows Fox Solomon to layer meaning and emotion in ways that a more straightforward narrative might not.

Her prose is poetic and evocative, often resembling the captions of a photograph. In one passage, she describes a woman she photographed in the 1970s: “Her hands, clenched but trembling, told me everything and nothing. The lines on her face were a map of places I’d never been.” This ability to capture complex emotions with economy is a hallmark of her style, drawing readers into the spaces between words.

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Themes of Ageing and Transformation

Ageing is a central theme of A Woman I Once Knew. Fox Solomon writes with unflinching honesty about the physical and emotional changes that come with growing older. She reflects on the loss of youth, not with bitterness but with a quiet acceptance that is both poignant and inspiring. “The face in the mirror is not the one I remember,” she writes, “but it is the face I have earned.”

Her exploration of ageing is interwoven with reflections on time and memory. She suggests that as we age, we carry with us our own experiences and the echoes of those who came before us. This idea is particularly evident in her descriptions of family, where the boundaries between her mother, herself, and her daughters blur. The women in her life become a continuum, each shaped by the others yet distinct in their individuality.

Transformation is another key theme. Fox Solomon portrays ageing not just as a process of loss but as one of evolution. She celebrates the wisdom and resilience that come with time, even as she mourns the things left behind. In this way, the book is both a lament and a celebration—a nuanced portrayal of the complexity of human experience.

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A Feminist Undertone

While A Woman I Once Knew is not overtly political, it is undeniably feminist in exploring gender and power. Fox Solomon examines how women navigate a world that often seeks to define and confine them. She highlights how women resist, adapt, and assert their agency, even in the face of societal constraints.

Her portraits of women—both literal and metaphorical—are filled with empathy and insight. She writes about the invisible labour of motherhood, the quiet courage of survival, and the strength found in vulnerability. One particularly moving passage describes an encounter with a woman who had escaped an abusive relationship: “Her scars, visible and hidden, were not marks of defeat but of battles fought and won.”

Fox Solomon also critiques the cultural obsession with youth and beauty, challenging the idea that a woman’s worth diminishes with age. She celebrates the beauty of imperfection and the richness of a life fully lived, reminding readers that every wrinkle, every grey hair, tells a story.

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The Influence of Photography

Fox Solomon’s background as a photographer is evident throughout the book. Her prose often reads like a series of verbal photographs, each capturing a moment, a feeling, or a fragment of truth. Her keen observational skills shine in her descriptions of people and places, rendered with clarity and precision that bring them to life.

Photography is not just a stylistic influence but a thematic one as well. Fox Solomon frequently reflects on seeing and being seen, exploring the power dynamics inherent in both. She questions whether it is ever truly possible to capture someone’s essence in an image—or in words. “A photograph is a lie,” she writes, “but sometimes, it is a truthful lie.”

This interplay between photography and writing adds depth to the book. Fox Solomon uses both mediums to grapple with the complexity of human experience, acknowledging their limitations even as she embraces their power.

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Emotional Resonance and Universal Appeal

What makes A Woman I Once Knew so compelling is its emotional resonance. While the book is deeply personal, it speaks to universal themes that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds. Fox Solomon’s honesty and vulnerability create a sense of intimacy as if she is sharing her innermost thoughts with the reader.

Her reflections on love, loss, and self-discovery are particularly moving. She writes about the pain of failed relationships, the joy of unexpected connections, and the bittersweet nature of memory with a depth of feeling that is both raw and refined. “Love is a photograph,” she writes. “It captures a moment, but the moment is already gone.”

This universality is one of the book’s greatest strengths. While it is firmly rooted in Fox Solomon’s experiences, it transcends the personal to explore what it means to be human. Her insights into identity, ageing, and resilience will resonate with anyone who has ever grappled with these questions.

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Conclusion

Rosalind Fox Solomon’s A Woman I Once Knew is a remarkable work that defies easy categorisation. Blending memoir, poetry, and photography offers a deeply personal yet universal exploration of identity, memory, and transformation. While its fragmented structure and introspective style may not appeal to all readers, those who embrace its unconventional approach will find a book of extraordinary beauty and emotional resonance.

Through her sharp observations and lyrical prose, Fox Solomon captures the complexity of the human experience with rare honesty and insight. A Woman I Once Knew is not just a book—it is a mirror, reflecting the faces of all the women we have been, are, and might yet become. For readers willing to engage with its challenges, it is an unforgettable journey into the heart of what it means to be alive.

About Rosalind Fox Solomon

At thirty-eight, while living in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Rosalind Fox Solomon began a new life as a photographer. Studying with Lisette Model in the early 1970s, she honed the photographic voice that would define the prodigious half-century of work to follow. After moving to a loft in New York City in 1984 and travelling to Peru, India, South Africa, Cambodia, and beyond, she became renowned for her unflinching photography of everyday life worldwide.

Throughout the same period, Solomon made self-portraits. Taking photography as a means of insistent introspection, Solomon studied the evolution of her ageing body over five decades and embraced the self-estrangement her camera affords. A Woman I Once Knew brings these self-portraits together alongside extended texts by Solomon to form a unique work of autobiography, ambitious in its combination of image and text. Solomon’s writings allude to the periodic depressions and euphoric experiences in other cultures that defined her extraordinary life and shaped her empathetic approach to photography. They sit in fraught and suggestive dialogue with her revelatory self-portraits. A remarkable new work from an epochal photographer, this volume shows a startling rigorousness and sensitivity of self-examination, suggesting the boundless possibilities of taking the self as a subject.

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