Virtually all the characters are real figures; protagonist Jessie Ann Gaebele is inspired in this "biographical fiction" by the writer's own grandmother. Jessie Ann loves photography, and when she is hired as an assistant to photographer F. Bauer, she learns about the field of her dreams and also about herself, as she finds herself attracted to her married boss, who battles his own feelings in return. Kirkpatrick renders the war among desire, duty and restraint with exquisite nuance.
There are no unsympathetic characters in this tangle of relationships. Kirkpatrick deserves a wide audience for this coming-of-age tale that is aching and hopeful. A Flickering Light is as engaging, well researched and finely written as her other best selling historical novels. Her characters are real people with real temptations and at the end of the novel, this reader wants to know what happens next. A master at weaving historical accounts with threads of story, Jane has that rare ability to take her reader on a journey through time.
You nearly feel the ground move beneath your feet. Her attention to historical detail is greatly appreciated and defines her mark on this story. I will watch with great anticipation to see where this journey takes us as the series continues. You'll want to read slowly so you can savor each paragraph, each scene, each chapter. Kirkpatrick's compassionate recreation of Jessie Ann's life as one of the first female photographers.
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- A Flickering Light (Portraits of the Heart, book 1) by Jane Kirkpatrick.
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Kirkpatrick accomplishes with absolute grace through memorable imagery is recognizing and honoring the eternal plight of all soul-seeking women through the story of one young girl who was determined to follow her creative passion. A Ranch Wife's Chronicles. What would you like to know about this product? Please enter your name, your email and your question regarding the product in the fields below, and we'll answer you in the next hours.
You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign in or create an account. Search by title, catalog stock , author, isbn, etc. More in Portraits of the Heart Series. Product Close-up Editorial Reviews This product is not available for expedited shipping. The Reconciled Hearts Trilogy. Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows.
Bauer hires her in to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality. With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man' s profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attraction to the very married Mr.
This luminous coming-of-age tale deftly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing—and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on. Paperback , pages. Published April 14th by Waterbrook Press first published January 1st Portraits of the Heart 1. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
To ask other readers questions about A Flickering Light , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This is a book I wrote. But I'm posting this review for a Canadian reader who had trouble posting it. It was a life which offers us a glimpse into the background of the little known profession early photography. Because of that experience a bond was made between us that was highly emotional and we are grateful. View all 3 comments. Dec 24, Tara Chevrestt rated it really liked it Shelves: This was an enjoyable read for the most part.
It is written somewhat like a memoir and told from the viewpoint of a teenage girl in the early s. Jessie comes from a very religious family with very set ideas regarding women and "their place," but Jessie is a bit of a black sheep and despite some misgivings from her parents, she desires a career in photography. Photography in the s was a mostly male dominated profession and the chemicals used often had negative effects on the users so it w This was an enjoyable read for the most part. Photography in the s was a mostly male dominated profession and the chemicals used often had negative effects on the users so it was a bit dangerous.
Jessie, however, is not intimidated by this and becomes a photographer's assistant. He has been married seventeen years, has lost a child, suffers mercury poisioning and pneumonia often, and his wife has banned him from her bed while suffering many strange maladies and headaches. It is no great surprise he somewhat falls for young Jessie and in turn, Jessie falls for the man who is teaching her so much.
While Jessie practically runs the photo studio on her own half the time, the rest of the time, she is dealing with conflicting emotions regarding her married employer. Having dabbled in a dark room myself, I was fascinated by the photography details, methods, and contraptions they used in I almost gave this three stars tho due to the very annoying Mrs.
Bauer her illness is never explained and the self rightous, overly pious sister Lily. I wanted to jump into the pages and kick both the mentioned ladies in the arses. However, the fact that I could really visualize the early s and my desire to read the next installment of Jessie's life brings it back up to a four star rating. The next one is due out in March of I look forward to finding out all that Jessie accomplished. Aug 02, Christy rated it liked it Shelves: I struggled with this book.
A Flickering Light is dripping with jealousy, bitterness, animosity and only one likeable main character. I couldn't find any likeable thing about Mr. Bauer her love from a far interest. It was truly difficult for me to understand what drew this woman to this unfortunate man. She spent most of her life entangled in wretched drama. I never did find the light in this story.
I will howeve I struggled with this book. I will however say there are a few photos from the early 's in this book and I found them quite nice. I will not be able to find the strength to read the sequel to this tale. I unfortunately purchased it as well. I do have to clarify that I enjoyed the writing very much; just not the story line. Dec 24, Susan aka Just My Op rated it it was ok. I was delighted when a generous winner of an Advanced Reading Copy passed it on to me. As an ARC, it did have errors that most likely were corrected prior to publication, as I expect in an uncorrected proof. Aside from that, I'm afraid it is just not my kind of book.
The author is a writer of Christian fiction, not one of my favorite genres, and I did not realize that when I requested it. Still, the book did not get as preachy as it could have. To me, the characters seemed a bit too much cut from cardboard. The story moved very slowly for my taste and was repetitive, sometimes boring to me. And, generally not being a romance reader, I really did not like the way the romance was developed. Although there were some insights into the photography of the period, I had hoped for more.
I did enjoy the photographs included in the book, thought they were interesting and lovely. View all 7 comments. May 28, Kimberly rated it did not like it Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It took me forever to get through this book I didn't care for any of the characters, especially Jessie, the main character. I grew tired of reading about how she felt responsible and guilty for her younger brother's accident and subsequent speech impediment. Her attraction to FJ was totally annoying, not to mention immoral, as well.
Jessie tries to get away from FJ by moving to Milwaukee, yet when she gets there she finds that he has already set up lodging for h It took me forever to get through this book Jessie tries to get away from FJ by moving to Milwaukee, yet when she gets there she finds that he has already set up lodging for her.
Doesn't seem like Jessie's made much of a break from the much older, married FJ. Perhaps this story is improved upon in the upcoming second book of the series? Also, for supposedly being inspirational fiction, there's not much of a Christian message in this book. Jesse is a young woman, 16 years-old living in a small town of Minnesota in the early s, before the war. She is in love with photography and has found work in a portrait studio.
Her passion is palpable and she has a kind though sickly boss to train her. He has numerous problems, with his unloving wife, that one son died at a young age and perhaps due to his lack of care, and that he is not very forward thinking in his insight into photography. He is against landscape or candid photography. H Jesse is a young woman, 16 years-old living in a small town of Minnesota in the early s, before the war. He believes that photographs must take place in a studio where he can control all of the elements.
Both Jesse and Mr. Bauer develop affection for one another, but everyone around them goes into a tizzy. Her parents don't want her working for him because he had taken a lovely photograph of her. She has mixed up feelings. This aspect of the book is way over done. It goes on forever. The strongest part is watching Jesse grow as a photographer and independent person and the care she has for her younger brother who had an accident as a toddler, for which she feels responsible, and who stutters uncontrollably because of it.
I held on till the end, expecting something to happen. I wish I'd ditched it. I've never read a book with so much whining and angst and repetition. It's saving feature is information about photography at that time in history. Apr 28, Auntie rated it it was amazing. I did enjoy this book for the historical aspect of the dawn of photography in the turn of this century. It was also a good exploration of human emotions and what a Christian has at our disposal to protect others from unhealthy preoccupations.
This was the story of Jane Kirkpatrick's grandmother, and by virtue of that fact, a quite intriguing read. Our book club majority decided that the next book in the series would be a "must read"! Mar 23, Carol Tedder rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: From the first page to the last I felt like Jesse's shadow, seeing what she saw, feeling what she felt, as she experienced new and confusing feelings that challenged her faith and the standards of a loving family and conservative community in an earlier time. This story is rich and compelling, blending love, acceptance and forgiveness into painful and difficult circumstances.
Jul 10, Susanchitter rated it it was ok. It had some interesting streams regarding turn of the century photography, how it involved dangerous chemicals and a male dominated profession which job wasn't at that time but I just couldn't see how a young girl of 16 could find the older man her employer attractive or compelling. Feb 11, Stephanie rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Am reading an ARC of this book. The author is quite accomplished. Nov 16, Narita rated it it was amazing. I am consistently amazed at Ms. They not only bring to light the person they are written about but many social and cultural differences in that time period.
I had never even considered all photography in the early 20th century involved until I read this book. Jessie Gaebele was a bit of a modern woman in the sense that she wanted more than anything to pursue a career in photography. E I am consistently amazed at Ms. Even though she still lived at home under the watchful eye of her parents, she managed to follow her dream. I believe her confidence and poise came from her all-consuming love of taking pictures. In that era it was a bit more than just grabbing a Polaroid or digital camera. I had never considered how dangerous it was until I read about Jessie.
The chemicals used to process the pictures were toxic not only to touch but the fumes were poisonous too. Photographers often suffered from chemical poisoning that made them very ill and ultimately dementia and organ failure. In addition to the chemicals there was the danger of explosions and fires from the flash powders that could kill or maim.
Her opportunity came when she is hired as an assistant to Mr. Bauer of Bauer Studios. She would gain experience and knowledge to hopefully someday open or studio. Although she was young she proved herself a quick learner, talented and responsible. I learned right along with Jessie as she apprenticed. I never thought of how the only lighting they hand was natural light from windows, or how skilled one would have to be to pose subjects considering this.
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Her new job brought her face to face with something she had never dreamed of; she became emotionally attracted to her employer. Matters were further complicated because he was not only married albeit very unhappily to a petty nervous wife in fragile health but he was also 26 years older than Jesse! Bauer returned that attraction. This was not a sordid tale as one might think.
It is a beautiful story of having self-control in the face of strong, sinful temptations and staying true to God rather than giving into fleshly desires. The author was very tasteful in handling this. The vintage pictures placed at the beginning of various chapters were so special. They are in a league of their own! Be sure to go to http: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Apr 08, Rachel McMillan rated it really liked it. Jessie Gaebele loves photography. Her mind frames potential images everywhere she looks in her Minnesota town.
I enjoyed this turn- of -the -century tale about a spunky woman who has the rare chance to make something independent of her self: Kirkpatrick does a notable job of creating the dark room world of Jessie, her friend Voe and the imitable FJ Bauer. Likewise, the portraits of domesticity: I often felt I was walking down a street with Jessie, peering above the wrought iron gates to mansard roofs and wafting lace curtains to gaslights and cozy hearths. Kirkpatrick does a remarkable job of painting life as it was. In fact, as is often my highest compliment as an imaginative reader, she made me nostalgiac for a time period I never lived in.
You will recognize from previous entries that the insertion of ephemera rarely inspires me in fiction, but Kirkpatrick uses it well. As this is a fictionalized biography of her grandmother, Kirkpatrick has numerous photos Jessie took or posed for and these loan an interesting and unusual physicality to the plot. Your imagination is somewhat stopped by virtue of the fact that you know what Jessie looks like: I very much enjoyed learning about the dissonant opinions treating photography as art and commercialism. As a Christian novel, this book is rather lightweight evangelically. That being said, there is a calm and subtle symbolism of light that Kirkpatrick uses deftly: At the heart of this unique romance is the attraction between the young Jessie and her employer, FJ Bauer: This coming of age tale evokes the awkward emotional development of a girl who is confused by the feelings racing through her.
This was an engaging read and I look forward to reading more of the series.
A Flickering Light
May 23, Betty Ann Baer rated it did not like it. I didn't like this book because of the love story that developed. The girl was just wanting to learn to be a good photographer. She learned from her employer great techniques and was ready to work for him or to go out on her own. She and the employer got feelings for each other. He is a married man. That is why I don't like the book.
It also took forever to say anything from one chapter to another. May 09, Suzanne rated it really liked it Shelves: During this era, many children do not attend high school. They find jobs to support their family or start their career. Jessie is one of these children. She loves to take pictures. She is interested in every aspect of photography. Jessie is overjoyed when her uncle gives her a camera one year and she treasures it with every breath that she takes.
She takes it wherever she goes because she never knows when a butterfly will flit by or the perfect setting of the sun will occur. It is during her teenage years, 15 to be exact, that she begins her apprenticeship with a photo studio in town. She decides that being a photographer will be her career. She wants to learn the business of running a studio. The photographer is hesitant to bring her into the profession because he fears that she may seek employment elsewhere after he has trained her.
This will be a gamble that he needs to take. So, he agrees to teach her the business for 6 months without pay. She agrees and finds this life very exciting and is eager to learn. During the 3 year span of working beside him, romantic notions rush into her head. She realizes that he is married and has children, but since she has never been in love, she does not know how to deal with matters of the heart.
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Oh, how my father loved to take pictures. In that respect, this book was interesting to me. I just wanted to read about the photography aspect of the book. Toward the end of the book, I felt as if the author was writing a romance book instead of a historical fiction one. A Flickering Light is a memoir about the Kirkpatrick's grandmother and her photography career. Kirkpatrick does a very job depicting the lives and the context of that era.
A Flickering Light, Portraits of the Heart Series #1
Mar 10, Megan rated it liked it. Set in the early s this Christian historical centers around Jessie Gaebele who has a heart for photography. She finds herself working for Mr. Bauer in his studio and darkroom, learning the techniques.
A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick
As time passes, Mr. Bauer suffers debilitating illnesses at two separate times, leaving Jessie and her friend Voe running his studio, while he recovers at home with his wife and children. Jessie proves more than competent as she excels at both the art and business side of studio photograph Set in the early s this Christian historical centers around Jessie Gaebele who has a heart for photography. Jessie proves more than competent as she excels at both the art and business side of studio photography. She branches out and encourages F. The conflict is that working closely with "Mr.
B," as they sometimes call him, proves to be dangerous ground for Jessie. The historical detail in this novel was interesting and educating. Kirkpatrick deals with subjects such as the beginning stages of photography with its related illnesses and women's roles during that era. We see motor cars and horse drawn carriages, and there is a scene including President Taft. I found the main plot line a little slow moving and was more engaged in the side stories involving both the Gaebeles with little Roy, and the Bauers with their past and present trials.