Light and Shadow

In 1874, the acclaimed photographer Eadweard Muybridge-famed for capturing the first motion image of a galloping horse-shot and killed his wife's lover, Major Harry Larkyns. In what became known as the trial of the century, Muybridge was acquitted on the grounds of justifiable homicide. His much younger wife, Flora, died less than a year later, leaving behind a son, Florado-whose paternity was in question and whose future would be shaped by silence, shame, and abandonment.

In Light and Shadow, Candida Baker weaves fact and fiction into a moving, multilayered novel that explores the emotional legacy of this infamous Victorian scandal. Narrated by Rosa Maria de Martinez-Florado's imagined daughter-the story unfolds as Rosa embarks on a lifelong search to piece together her hidden family history. Her journey takes her from Mexico to the United States, and finally to Australia's Snowy Mountains, where her love of horses and connection to the land offer a chance at healing.

Told as a letter to a younger friend, Light and Shadow is a meditation on love, loss, betrayal and resilience. As Rosa brings to life the imagined voices of Eadweard, Flora, and Harry, she also confronts her own wounds-of abandonment, shame, and unspoken grief. Alongside Muybridge's groundbreaking photography, which serves as a visual metaphor for the novel's emotional terrain, Baker offers a profound reflection on how women survive the shadows of their past-and where they find the light.

Candida Baker is a writer, editor, photographer and poet. She also runs a horse charity, is an accredited EFL (Equine Facilitated Learning) practitioner, and teaches her own 'horse listening' techniques honed after many decades studying natural horsemanship.She is the author of two novels, Women and Horses and The Hidden and an award-winning book of short stories, The Powerful Owl. Candida's memoir, The Heart of a Horse, was published in 2021. Candida is also well known for her series of non-fiction books entitled Yacker - Australian Writers Talk About Their Work, and her most recent series of anthologies - The Infinite Magic of Horses, The Wonderful World of Dogs and The Amazing Life of Cats and The Wisdom of Women. She has also written several children's books, including Belinda the Ninja Ballerina, and her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Candida held positions on many of Australia's major publications. She was a feature writer with the Melbourne Age for seven years; deputy editor of the Good Weekend magazine; arts editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and editor of The Weekend Australian Magazine. She regularly reviews books and writes features for a variety of magazines and newspapers.