Book Review & Giveaway : An Absence so Great

Since I haven't had much time to be creative or productive there hasn't been a lot of blogging going on lately. So it seems like book reviews are all that gets posted, I apologize for that and sure hope that changes soon. In the meantime I do have good news, the next few books I am reviewing I will have a copy to give away, to you! So if one peaks your interest, let me know in the comments and it just might be heading your way.

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Author Jane Kirkpatrick makes her home on a ranch in Oregon and is best known for her stories and research into the lives of actual historical women. An Absence so Great is a tale spun from the threads of truth that Ms. Kirtpatrick has researched and discovered about her own Grandmother, the heroine of the story Jessie Ann Gaebele.

My favorite aspect of the book was actually the author interview at the end of the book in which she explains where and how she dug up most of her information and elaborates on the elements of historical fact and the imaginative snippets that are intertwined to fill the gaps.

It was a very interesting, albeit odd story of love and scandal all set against a fascinating era in a frustrating time for a woman who was set on making her own way in the world. It was almost hard to believe at times that the story told was somewhat historically accurate. I can't say that I was drawn to any one character in a deep way but that lies mostly in the fact that I just didn't relate to the struggles and decisions that the characters faced throughout the story. I disagreed with many of the choices made by the characters and with the paths they took in life, but those elements that I did not agree with were mostly historically accurate and so to judge against the book based on those things which are the facts of a person's life and story seems foolish.

With the element of photography surrounding the character's lives it seemed fitting that every few chapters there was a photograph, actually taken from Jessie's collection of works. I felt that addition brought the setting and the characters most alive for me and I enjoyed that aspect very much.

You can read an excerpt from the book here. And find more information on the book here. If you'd like to win a copy of the book just leave a comment.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group*