2010 Book #13: An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick

I have finished reading An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick.

Here’s a summary:
While growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-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 dream to one day operate her own studio and 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.

My thoughts:
I was disappointed in this book. First of all, it was hard for me to get into it. It wasn't one of those book that I "just couldn't put down." This is the second in a series, and I did not realize that when I started reading. Maybe it would have been easier to follow had I read the first book. I was confused with the characters and knew they had previously had some relationship they weren't supposed to have, but it was never clear exactly what that relationship in the past was. I had a bad feeling towards the two main characters, Jessie and Fred, because it seemed they were so wrapped up in their own feelings that they didn't care who they were hurting because of their obvious continued affections for one another. It makes it hard to write a negative review because this book is based on the life of the author's grandmother. I mean it's not like she could change the facts of what happened. I just didn't agree with their attitudes that their relationship was okay, so I did not enjoy reading the book. I also know there is more to the story than just their inappropriate relationship. The book shows the reader how a woman pursued her love of photography at a time that the business world was dominated by men.

On a positive note, it was well-written, and I kept thinking how it would be a great book to use as a study like we did in high school English classes. There were certain themes that ran through this book on so many levels, and these would be interesting to study and follow throughout the book. Many comparisons are made to life being like a portrait. I enjoyed the black and white photographs that were included and the stories about them.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Click here to learn more or buy this book.

Have a day of blessings!