An Absence so Great

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Book:  An Absence so Great

Author:  Jane Kirkpatrick

Did Photography replace an absence in her life - or - expose the truth of her heart's emptiness?

    While growing in confidence as a photographer, 18 yr old Jessie Ann Gaebele's personal life is at a crossroads.  Hoping she's put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as "water under the bridge," she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those owners who have fallen ill with mercury poisoning.
    Jessie gains footing in her dreams to one day operate her own stuiod & soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession.  But even a job she loves can't keep painful memories from seeping into her heart when the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life.
_________________

I love photography, so when I saw this book was about a women who wanted to pursue a career in that field, in a time where women were just beginning to provide for themselves, it instantly drew me to this book.

Apparently, there is a first book in this series called "A Flickering Light" - I did not read that book & did not really need to in able to enjoy this book... though, as intriguing as this book was, I wish I would have read it to know more background - & I may even go get it now just to see the "pre" story...

I loved getting to know Jessie in this book & see who she was as an indepedent woman - & a woman in love - with a man, she shouldnt be in love with.  The romance in this book, with fellow photographyer, Fred, just captured me.  It wasn't your "typical" romance - but left me anxious to turn the page to see what would happen next.

My favorite part of this book - throughout the chapters, there would be works of Jessie's - pictures from the time era of the 1900's - along with a background of the picture.  Again, being a photography buff, I just loved these stops in the story. 

I also particularly enjoyed in the front of the book, there is a Character List - & how they are related or interacted with each other.  I wish EVERY book had this!  So helpful!

Finally, at the end, the question & answer section revealed that Jessie was actually the author's grandmother & these people are real - & these pictures are real... made it even more fantastic to me...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book... loved getting in the feel of the time period... getting to feel the "absences" that were throughout the story in the characters lives - & how the healing of those empty areas in someone's lives can be filled...

If you are interested in purchasing this book, you can click right here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781578569816

My rating:  4 skeins

Enjoy this video as well - it really gives a wonderful description of the story.