Photographic evidence of your awkward childhood is mortifying enough.

But what if those pictures of you in the nude (making mud pies, playing in the tub) were taken by a famous photographer who just so happened to be your mother? And what if they showed at galleries, were called exploitive (by some), and made headlines?

That’s what heroine Clara Dunne experiences in Black & White, Dani Shapiro’s thought-provoking new novel inspired (in part) by the work of artist Sally Mann.

When she was 18, Clara ran away from New York City, the photos, and her controversial mother without looking back. A decade later, when she learns her mother is dying of cancer, Clara leaves her family and returns to Manhattan to face her past and her mom while there’s still time.

Black & White explores the web of family, obligation, and trust.

And reveals life’s shades of gray.

Available online at amazon.com.