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Europa Editions

The Girl with the Leica: Based on the true story of the woman behind the name Robert Capa

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WINNER The Strega PrizeGerda Taro was a German-Jewish war photographer, anti- fascist activist, artist and innovator who, together with her partner, the Hungarian Endre Friedmann, was one half of the alias Robert Capa, widely considered to be the twentieth century’s greatest war and political photographer. She was killed while documenting the Spanish Civil War and tragically became the first female photojournalist to be killed on a battlefield. August 1, 1937, Paris. Taro’s twenty-seventh birthday, and her funeral. Friedmann, who would henceforth assume the moniker Robert Capa alone, leads the procession. He taught Taro to use a Leica. Together, they left for the Spanish Civil War to bear witness to fascist war crimes. He is devastated, but there are others, equally bereft, in the procession: Ruth Cerf, Taro’s old friend from Leipzig with whom she fled to Paris; Willy Chardack, ex-lover; Georg Kuritzkes, another lover and a key figure in the International Brigades. They have all known a different Gerda, and one who is at times radically at odds with the heroic anti-fascist figure who is being mourned by the multitudes. Gerda Taro is at the heart of this kaleidoscopic novel but another of its main characters is the era itself, the 1930s, with economic depression, the rise of Nazism, hostility towards refugees in France, the century’s ideological warfare, the cultural ferment, and the ascendency of photography as the age’s quintessential art form. The Girl with the Leica is a must-read for fans of historical fiction centered on extraordinary women’s lives. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Europa Editions


Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 8, 2019


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 364 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1609455479


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 77


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #467,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1,208 in Biographical Fiction (Books) #1,576 in World War II Historical Fiction #16,189 in Literary Fiction (Books)


#1,208 in Biographical Fiction (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Engaging
Format: Paperback
The author and translator do a fantastic job of creating an intimacy between the reader and of the main character though the point of view of three of her compatriots. The shift in perspectives in terms of the viewer was done in three sections, but in each section the nonlinear storytelling made me feel like I was reliving real memories. The prologue and epilogue dealing with more factual information about the real people behind the characters was also a well done. Overall a fantastic glimpse into the time, place and mindset of the early resistance to fascism. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2020 by Bukkene Bruse
    • Me Leica... very much
Format: Paperback
A stunningly written (and marvelously translated) work that would be a must-read on style alone this book floored me with a stpry that, although probably known to many, I had never heard before! This is no small matter as I thought I had a pretty firm grip on most of the more prominent historical figures of the anti-fascist 30s and 40s, and "Robert Capa" was certainly an important icon of that time Fon't miss this one! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2019 by enubrius
    • Couldn't get into it, let alone through it
Format: Paperback
As a fan of literary fiction and someone who has been into photography since childhood, I had high hopes for this book, especially since it won Italy's most prestigious literary prize. Alas, it was not to be. Perhaps European readers prefer different kinds of literature than I do, but from the first pages, this book was hard to follow, impossibly dense, with mountains of extraneous detail and utterly failed to engage me. I usually try to give books at least 50 pages before I cast them aside, but I didn't even make it to 40 pages before I realized I wasn't going to be able to make it through. I have so many other books waiting that I'd rather read. My gut told me to rate this two stars, but as a writer, I recognize the amount of work that goes into writing a book, so I try not to rate books lower than three stars out of respect for the authors' efforts. So let's just call this one two and a half. stars . I really wonder at the editors who thought this book would appeal to American readers. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2019 by Daffy Du
    • Good Story
Format: Kindle
I was drawn to this book by the title. I have used Leicas for most of my life and I am fascinated by the camera's role in bringing WWII to millions of people. The story centers on a woman named Gerta and the people around her who dealt with the horrors of war. It's a good story whether you like photography or not. A little slow but great characters and details about their lives. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2019 by Kindle Customer
    • Unreadable
Format: Paperback
I guess I am not as smart as the Strega Prize judges, but I found this utterly unreadable. Save your time, save your money.
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2022 by Jonathan D. Mueller
    • a bewildering reading experience !
Format: Paperback
Historical fiction, unless carefully presented, can be a deceit to history. "The Girl With the Leica" is a meandering, muddled multi-part portrait of Gerda Taro, a woman photographer who partnered with the famous Robert Capa during the Spanish Civil War but who died in 1937 in a tragic car accident. Author Helena Janeczek tosses the reader into a three (3) part barrel of reminiscences by her "purported" contemporaries who may or may not have known Taro (as Janeczek does not say). Weaving Taro's background becomes secondary to these three individuals' life styles and causes reader disorientation with multiple names, locales (three in one paragraph, namely, Berlin, Paris and Buffalo) and incidents. Those parts, while interesting at times, result in directionless tedium; a bewildering reading experience with no substance as history. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2019 by JEDrury
    • "The Girl with the Leica"
Format: Paperback
“The Girl with the Leica” is a novel-like biography of Gerda Taro, a famous Spanish Civil War photographer who, unfortunately, is famous not only for her photos of the conflict but for being the first female war correspondent to die in the battlefield. It’s told through the eyes of three people who were close to her during different (though, sometimes, interloping) periods of time - Willy Chardack, Ruth Cerf, and Georg Kuritzkes. I did appreciate the idea to tell Greta’s story this way but it had its cons; for instance, I never felt like I actually got to know Gerda. Even at the very end of the book, she still remained this obscure figure who consists of bits and pieces of other people’s memories instead of coming forward as a strong and unforgettable personality. Don’t get me wrong, Gerda was definitely a fascinating personality with a sharp sense of justice, who was incredibly strong and fearless, who never thought twice about fighting for her beliefs, and who most definitely was a very gifted photographer, it’s just I wish I got to know her better through this book. The positive thing is that the story is meticulously researched and it shows in the tiniest of details. Germany, France, and Spain of the 1930s, with all their political unrests and the threat of fascism spreading over them like a dark shadow, come alive as the characters gather secretly in their apartments, have run-ins with the SA and get jailed, leave one country and then the other while they still can, ponder the fates of the ones who were left behind and do what they can to shed light on the war and its terrors. The issues of politics, feminism, xenophobia are set against the most touching personal stories and the contrast came out delightful. Recommended. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019 by Amazon Customer

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