Returning to her Midwest roots, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick draws a page from her grandmother's photo album to capture the interplay between shadow and light, temptation and faith that marks a woman's pursuit of her dreams.She took exquisite photographs, but her heart was the true image exposed. Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F.J. Bauer hires her in 1907 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. Bauer.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.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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I loved this book. It's a gentle story of a fifteen year girl with a passion for photography, at a time when women weren't encouraged to have careers of their own. Over the next three years, she develops not only her skills as a photographer, but also her desire as a young woman for a man who is not available in more ways than one. What I especially loved was Jane Kirkpatrick's prose. Simple, thoughtful, and elegant. I was also intrigued by that period of history, the early twentieth century, when automobiles were rare, and photography could be a dangerous pursuit due to the chemicals needed to develop film. I am now interested in reading more by this author.
