An Absence So Great: A Novel

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...