A Flickering Light

Jane Kirkpatrick's novel, A Flickering Light, was inspired by her grandmother's life and characterized by the author as biographical fiction. The author's typical attention to detail and thorough research make this a story to remember. Jessie Ann Gaebele's love of photography dominates her life. Nothing pleases her more than to roam the countryside with her camera to capture Minnesota landscapes. Boys her own age bore her; homemaking is nothing but a series of chores. What could be more fascinating than finding just the right angle, telling stories with her images? At nearly sixteen, Jessie is through with school, but must find work to contribute to her family's finances. Jesse applies for a job as a photographer's assistant. Luckily, the job suites her interests more than some jobs she's held, though for her, portraits were not as satisfying as the spontaneity of nature photography. Soon though, she finds her niche in the shop, and under the guidance of her employer, Mr. Bauer, shows unusual talent for studio photography. Usually considered a man's profession, photography in the early 1900's had toxic hazards with explosive powders and darkroom chemicals, including mercury, that could cause serious and recurring illness and even death. Ms. Kirkpatrick has an extraordinary ability to draw readers into the world of her characters. In A Flickering Light, we recognize Jesse as an emerging young woman, dedicated to her unusual profession, but who soon realizes she can't control her attraction for Mr. Bauer. We sympathize with Mr. Bauer's struggle dealing with his children whom he loves, his effort to appease sour and often ill Mrs. Bauer, and the guilt he bears for the tenderness he feels toward Jesse. Not only is the author adept in drawing us into this complex story, we also are brought into the world of photography, not only its creative nuances, but also the challenges and mechanics of the profession in the early 1900's. A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick is an amazing novel, one I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a book you want to savor and don't want it to end. An Absence So Great, a sequel to A Flickering Light,is due to be released March, 2010. For more information about Jane Kirkpatrick, visit her website [...]. Mary Trimble, Author of Rosemount and McClellan's Bluff

Jane Kirkpatrick's first book in the series, Potraits of the Heart, was absolutely enthralling! When I was given this book, I thought it was going to be something I would not be able to get into, but I was so wrong! A Flickering Light is based on the life of Jane Kirkpatrick's grandmother, and knowing that made the story even more intriguing! Jane Kirkpatrick takes her readers on a journey in the life of Jessie, a teenage girl who loves taking pictures. Jessie is a young woman who takes a job in the studio of Mr. Bauer, who has promised to help her learn much about taking pictures and developing them. There at the studio with her friend Voe, Jessie learns all that she can under Mr. Bauer's tutorledge, and also comes to know Mr. Bauer and his family quite well. When Mr. Bauer becomes sick, Jessie helps take over the studio and finds that she does quite well, and wants to spend her life in photography and eventually own her own studio. As the months go by though, Jessie's life is filled with tempatation as she trys to deny her attraction to the very married Mr. Bauer. As Jessie trys to decide what is right she must also decide what is important for her career. Will her growing fondness of Mr. Bauer get in the way? This book was quite different from anything I have ever read. It drew me in from the beginning, from the storytelling to the diary entries and pictures included. All of those things and also Mrs. Kirkpatrick's abounding research made this story, one I will soon not forget!

A Flickering Light is a lovely story of a 15 year old girl growing up in Winona, Minnesota, amidst the turn of the century, in a strict, but loving family. Her love for the art of photography draws her to answer a want ad for a Photographer's assistance. Jessie is hired by F.J. Bauer and her career begins. Mr. Bauer shares with her all that he knows about photography and his business, but the surprise is how much he learns from her, not only about the art but about life. Jane Kirkpatrick weaves an intricately beautiful tale about a young girls heart and a gentleman's desire. She pulls you into the story and leaves you with that warm, cozy feeling that you have made a new friend. I look forward to the next book in the series!

All of Jane Kirkpatrick's books are great, but this one opens a new insight into Jane herself by getting us close to her family history. This book reaches out and grabs you at the very beginning and you want to stay with it until you have finished. It is a wonderful book! Many 'thanks' to Jane for another wonderful story that will keep you feeling good inside for a long time.

A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick in the first in the historical fiction series A Portrait of a Woman. Kirkpatrick has fictionalized the story of her grandmother Jessie Gaeble who worked as a photographer's assistant in 1907 Winona, Minnesota for F.J. Bauer. Jessie is a feisty, tiny girl of fifteen when she starts working at Bauer's studio with her own ideas about how photographs should be taken. Bauer takes her under his wing and teaches her how to pose photos, develop them, and run a studio, which is necessary when he succumbs to occasional mercury poisoning leaving him unable to run the business for months on end. Bauer has a less than perfect marriage, and the two are drawn together by their common love of their craft. Kirkpatrick has an unusual talent for creating incredibly real characters. It's the rare book that is so great that its characters find their way into my dreams. For me, that's an indicator of a book that is far above the masses of similar books in the genre. I am completely pulled into the story, and when the final page is turned, find myself missing the characters inside. Thank goodness this is a series! Kirkpatrick captures turn of the century life in a small Midwestern town and fills it with characters the reader can't help but take to heart.