Frozen in Time (Photographs)

An exquisite photographic narrative chronicling a turbulent mother-daughter relationship in the serene setting of a beautiful but decrepit Maine home, Frozen in Time is at once beautiful and heart-wrenching. Sarah C. Butler’s luminous photographs tell a poignant story of coming to terms with a difficult mother in a way that is both intimately personal and universally relatable.Drawn to reconnect with her mother after a long estrangement, Butler found that taking photographs of the partially restored Maine farmhouse where the older woman chose to live ultimately gave her the perspective to understand and respect her mother’s choices. The images Butler made there are striking and evocative. A pair of little girls’ dresses that once belonged to Butler and her sibling, which her mother kept for decades; a corner of the beloved but fading house with its foundation jacked up on a pile of rocks; a partial glimpse of her mother, present yet unknowable-- these and others reveal a complex and compelling psychological narrative. This is a book about family, distance and reconciliation, and, finally, the beauty to be found in acceptance. It is also a stunning visual tour de force that will mesmerize photography aficionados and students of family relations alike.