Critical Praise

"Jane Kirkpatrick’s brilliance as a storyteller and her elegant artistry with the written word shine like a beacon in A Flickering Light. 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."

—Susan Meissner, author of The Shape of Mercy

"Historical novelist Kirkpatrick (A Tendering in the Storm) is exceptionally authentic in her use of early 20th-century history. 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.J. 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. Bauer's wife --- also named Jessie --- may be difficult to live with, but she has her reasons. The period detail --- dangerous chemicals used in photography, debilitating and frequent illnesses, the routine constraints on women's choices --- offers a compelling portrait of the time. Kirkpatrick deserves a wide audience for this coming-of-age tale that is aching and hopeful."

—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Readers will be happy at the end of Kirkpatrick’s new offering, a coming-of-age story about a woman in a profession that was once considered a man’s job. The characters have many layers for the reader to peel away as they learn their strengths and weaknesses. The author truly makes the characters come alive."

—Romantic Times

"Jane Kirkpatrick has done it again. 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."

—Lauraine Snelling, author of One Perfect Day