It's 1972 and Judy Morelli moves to San Francisco from Sacramento leaving her controlling husband behind. It's time for her to find herself and rediscover her love for photography. She finds work at a photo store and her new boss shares his unusual collection of prison mugshots. Judy is taken by a photo of Annie Gilmurray who was sent to San Quentin State Prison in 1890 after being convicted of theft. The image of this young, vulnerable woman inspires Judy to photograph real people who are marginalized including those living in her South of Market neighborhood which is about to be destroyed for redevelopment. Judy is also determined to learn more about Annie, a young Irish immigrant she believes was wrongly imprisoned. The story takes us into San Quentin where Annie is trying to survive the horrible conditions and abuse. The women form a support system and Annie finds a strength she never had before. With eighty years separating them, both Judy and Annie are courageous women determined to rise up from their circumstances.
While stories set in New York City remain my favorite, I am also drawn to books set in San Francisco. As learned with her last book The Pilot's Daughter, author Meredith Jaeger is an excellent storyteller. The well-researched, dual timeline The Incorrigibles is set during periods when The City by the Bay was undergoing metamorphoses. This was a captivating book that held my interest throughout as Judy created a new path for herself while working to find out what happened to Annie. Check it out.
Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Historical Fiction.
Publication Date: May 21, 2024.
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