magician's tale

I borrowed this book from the collection of books tucked away in a cabinet in the house we stayed in on the beach. I assume the collection of books is assembled from both the owners of the house, and those left behind by other visitors over the years. The front cover was torn away, so I'm guessing that the cover image I've posted is the correct one based on the color scheme which carried onto the rear cover of the copy I read.

The Magician's Tale is from the mid-1990s, written by David Hunt. A quick look online tells me it was pretty popular when it came out and spent some time on the best sellers list.

The Tale is told in first person by a strong female character, Kay Farrow, who is an independent photographer working in the streets of San Francisco, documenting the people living on the wrong side of the law, and one of the less savory neighborhoods of the city.

Our hero has come to know many of the characters who live in the neighborhood, and has become quite friendly with some of them, spending time photographing them, documenting their lives, and the way they live. Farrow captures the lives of the street hustlers, and the johns that pay for their services, with eye toward producing a photo journal of the neighborhood. What sets Farrow apart, aside from her retired cop father, is her colorblindness. Not just red-green confusion, but a total lack of color sensitivity. Hunt's character is a professional photographer who can only see in shade of gray. Guess what kind of film she shoots with.

This story is edgy, smart, progressive, thoughtful, dense, intricate, exciting, and satisfying. If you have a chance, find this book in your library, keep an eye out in used book sales, or stay where I did this summer. Its in the cabinet at the end of the table.

Read this book.