While I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did Powner’s other book, it was an okay read for me. It had good lessons, and great writing. I just didn’t connect with the characters for some reason.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A lovely story, with hard notes. Losing someone you love to dementia or Alzheimer’s is never fun. This story walked you through a sense of many losses, ones from the past and present. Well done.
It walked through generations of pain, secrets and loss, showing each step of healing takes work.

A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner is a general fiction novel from Bethany House Publishers.

I rarely read fiction without romance these days, but I loved Katie Powner’s first book The Sowing Season so I picked up A Flicker of Light. Of course, since it’s not my typical genre, I put off reading it. But with the author’s third book, Where Blue Skies Begin, releasing last month, it was time to read A Flicker of Light. And now I’m wondering why I waited so long.

A Flicker of Light is an amazing story! I began it one night and suddenly I was two-third of the way through and past my bedtime. I didn’t want to put it down. The characters and writing tone drew me in until I was wrapped up in the story. Honestly, I didn’t want the story to end. I cared about the characters and wanted happiness for them.

The topics addressed in the story aren’t easy ones, but they are real life ones. Like aging parents, job loss, and getting pregnant in difficult circumstances. This is a book that will appeal to readers in multiple stages of life.

If you’re looking for a story that is real and touching, definitely try A Flicker of Light. Now I can’t wait to read Where the Blue Sky Begins.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

This was a beautiful book - the kind of book I love to read. It's about ordinary life. It's about loss and grief and learning to live again. It's about finding your way in the world. It's about aging and family and relationships.

Bea and Jeremy move in with Bea's dad temporarily until Jeremy finds a new job and they get on their feet. Grandma June is struggling with life. And the pesky neighbor keeps showing up with food.

It's just about life in a small town, it's about choosing your spouse over a parent. It's about opening your heart to the community that wants to help you, about letting people help you and not shutting them out.

"We wish for a lot of things in life, Beatrice. But wishing doesn't change what we have. It only makes what we do have harder to love." Grandma June This is such a good quote and one I need to remember. Contentment with what I have and where I am right now is the way to truly love and enjoy life.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading anything else that Katie will write in the future.

I received this book from Bethany House via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Flicker of Light is a Christian multi-generational family story featuring Bea as the main character. Fans of character driven stories are sure to enjoy this emotional, secret-filled story featuring the Jensens-Bea, her father Mitch, and her grandmother June. I’m more of a plot-driven story kind of person, so this one was a little slow to me, but I am definitely interested in trying more from this author.

Thanks go to @NetGalley and @BethanyHouse for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this character driven novel immensely. I read the authors first novel and loved it so I knew this would be a good read and it most certainly was. I love a story with family dynamics. and this one is all about that. I enjoyed getting to know Mitch, June and Bea.
Pretty emotional storyline which I really loved.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley

A Flicker of Light
by Katie Powner
Pub Date 05 Oct 2021
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian | General Fiction (Adult)


I am reviewing a copy of A Flicker of Light through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:



The Jensens have have raised their families in the small Montana town of Moose Creek for generations. Moose Creek, where gossip spreads faster than the wind. Yet some secrets need to be told.






After twenty one year old Bea discovers she's pregnant on the heels of her husband losing his job, she's forced to admit she needs help and asks her dad for a place to stay. But past resentments keep her from telling him all that's going on.



Mitch Jensen is thrilled to have a full house again, but he’s unimpressed with Bea's decisions: dropping out of college, marrying so young--and to an idealistic city kid, of all things. Mitch hopes that he will be able to convince Bea return to the path he's always envisioned for her, but she's changed since her mom died. And he refuses to admit how much he's changed, too, especially now that he might be losing his mother as well.



Grandma June has always been good at spinning stories, but there’s one story she has never told. With her mind starting to fade her time to tell it is running out. But if she reveals the truth before her memories are gone forever, the Jensen family will never be the same.



I give A Flicker of Light five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I enjoyed reading A Flicker of Light and being introduced to Katie Powner's writing. I am giving it four stars and will be looking forward to more by tis author.

A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner – A lovely book with relatable and likeable characters.


I’m not sure what drew me in and made me want to read A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner, an author whose writing is new to me. Perhaps it was the scenic and beautiful setting of a small town in the mountains of Montana. Maybe it was the relationships of this family who had been through some difficult years. What is the secret that Grandma June has kept all of these years?

Bea is 21 years old, and she and her husband, Jeremy, are expecting their first child. Their circumstances have changed, and she’s going to reach out to her father to see if they can stay with him for a few months while they get a handle on things. Mitch Jenson has been alone now for two years, following the death of his wife, Caroline. He couldn’t imagine his life without her, and there’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t desperately miss her. His parents, Randall and Juniper Jenson, health is not the best. Now Mitch needs to figure out how he can help them navigate this new season of life.

A Flicker of Light is about relationships with family and friends. It’s about pain and vulnerability and needing help but wanting to be independent. I loved the town of Moose Creek and the beauty of Montana. I could relate to Mitch as he had to deal with his mother facing dementia and tried to figure out how he could help his parents. I was curious about June and her secret. How would she respond when the truth came out?

I’m so glad that I discovered A Flicker of Light and look forward to reading more books from Katie Powner. The characters in this book were very relatable, likable, and I cared about them. Good decent people that you would like to know. There was a little mystery, and I appreciated seeing the characters grow and change. I took my time reading this book, and it was lovely to end the day spending time with these characters. I appreciated that this book is clean, with no profanity, and faith was a part of the story.

I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

A Flicker of Light is set in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, population 756, and features three generations of the same family.

Juniper (June) Jensen is sixty-three, and showing signs of early-onset dementia. Not that she knows that, but her husband and son have certainly noticed.

Bea Michaels finds out she is pregnant just as her husband loses his job. The logical decision is to go back to Moose Creek and stay with her father— the last thing she and her young husband want to do.

Mitch Jensen was none too happy when his daughter dropped out of college and got married. He’s even less happy to find the husband is now unemployed, living in his house, and not making any effort to find a real job. He’s also worried about his mother—something is wrong.

The story starts in June’s point of view, which is written in first person. I know some readers don’t like first person. If you’re one of those readers, I’d encourage you to keep reading, as the other two points of view (Bea and Mitch) are both written in the more common third person, and they are the main viewpoints.

A Flicker of Lights is a strong and thought-provoking family drama. I once read that all great characters have a secret, and the characters in A Flicker of Lights certainly have secrets, and those secrets provide the basis for the novel.

It’s an easy read with no high angst (I don’t like angst for the sake of angst). But there are plenty of problems and plenty of emotion. There are real characters with real problems – unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, death, dementia. But it’s through the problems that the characters grow emotionally and spiritually, reminding readers that there is always a way through the hard times, even if it doesn’t always look like what we’d expected.

A Flicker of Light doesn’t have the rose-coloured glasses of many novels set in small towns. Bea especially is all too aware of the downsides of small-town living. But there are also moments of levity—a cat named Steve, the busybody neighbour, the small-town “moosevine”.

I think that’s what I liked about it. It was realistic without being depressing. In fact, it was ultimately uplifting—which is what I want in a novel.

Recommended for readers looking for a realistic yet uplifting Christian novel that’s not a romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

A Flicker of Light contains good writing and realistic characters. I did find the pacing to be slow as we follow the characters as they go about their day to day lives of the characters (Mitch, June, Rand, Bea, Jeremy, and the cat, Steve). I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the Montana mountains and Moose Creek. It sounds like a beautiful area. Each member of the family is having a problem. Mitch lost his wife to cancer two years prior and misses her every single day. June, Bea’s grandmother, is having memory issues. Bea and Jeremy are having a rough time. Jeremy lost his job, their apartment is in terrible condition, and Bea is pregnant. They need a place to live until Jeremy can decide about the business he wishes to begin. I thought the situations were realistic. Life is full of ups and downs. You just need to have hope and faith. Mitch is lucky to have a generous church family, though, he has yet to realize it. I was never able to get into A Flicker of Light. The story moves along slowly as we follow the characters as they go about their daily lives. There is no action, and I found it to be a depressing story. The ending is nice, but it seemed to take forever to get there. I suggest you obtain a sample to see if A Flicker of Light is the right fit for you. A Flicker of Light is a Christian tale about healing, regret, letting go, faith, forgiveness, hope, community, and family.

Readers first meet Bea and her husband Jeremy. They are young college age couple facing hard situations for the first time. They get exciting and sad news that drastically changes their lives. What were they going to do? Could Bea and her husband go back to live with her father? She had run off to college, leaving the family home when her mother passed.

Everyone handles grief differently, Mitchell (Bea’s father) had been bombarded with casseroles, and platitudes from scripture when his wife lost her battle with cancer. Mitchell couldn’t stand the attention and empty sayings, so much so, he stopped going to church. He pushed his daughter away too. Until an unexpected phone call from his daughter changes everything. It just so happens to be at the exact time he gets news about his mother’s health.

I liked how the author tells this story through Grandma June’s eyes and that of her granddaughter Bea. Secrets kept make Grandma June uneasy as she realizes something is not quite right with her health and her mind. Mitchel’s parents Rand and Juniper Jensen faced some bad news of their own. Grandma June thinks, “Secrets are like pennies. Everybody’s got one, even the poorest among us. Some are new and shiny, and some are tarnished and worn smooth from age. I should’ve tossed mine in the Gallatin River years ago so, I couldn’t pull it out and turn it over in my hand, wondering why. Wondering if. But I didn’t. “

This author respectively deals with tough subjects delicately and with compassion. This is a real, beautiful story of family, redemption, restoration, and coping with the realities of dementia. Powerful and Gripping. The author says, “To everyone watching a loved one suffer from dementia, I hope you have a light in your life that gives you hope. It is such a hard road.”

It was a brief glimpse into the lives of some very relatable individuals and how they found hope, friendship and how they grew during hard times. This is a heart-warming story you won’t soon forget, as these characters deal with a crisis of faith, family drama, love, forgiveness, grace, in a small-town where everyone knows your name and business.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

This book was really really good. I was drawn into it right away and I was happy to let it carry me away until the last page.
These characters were sweet and realistic. I loved getting to know them.
I would recommend this book to anyone.

Wow. This is the first book that I have read by Katie Powner but will go back and read her first novel as well.

Secrets are like pennies. Everybody's got one, even the poorest among us.

Powerful. Emotional. Heart-wrenching. Deep. Gripping.

There are several layers in this story. Three generations, each with struggles, some with secrets. When Grandma June starts having medical issues hard decisions have to be made. Bea struggles with the decisions that Mitch (her dad) is making about his mother. It seems they are constantly having spats over Jeremy (her husband who Mitch feels doesn't quite measure up) and her grandmother. It's hard coming back home, even if it is supposed to be temporary.

Joy, fear, confusion, anxiety, and amazement battled for control, flushing her cheeks and tingling her toes. This couldn't be real. Couldn't be true.

This story is full of faith, family, small-town charm, tenderness, love, forgiveness, and grace.

The characters are wonderful, the friendships real, and the emotional upheaval, unforgettable. It is difficult to describe or even write a proper review of this book. I will just say this is one you do not want to miss.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

★★★★★/5

Author Katie Powner has penned a beautiful story of family, loss, grief, and love in her newest book A Flicker of Light. Set in Moose Creek, Montana and told from the points of view of several of the characters, it is thought-provoking and emotional. It was interesting seeing what the different characters in the story were thinking and feeling while going through the same experiences. The characters are realistic and engaging, and I enjoyed seeing the changes and growth they went through during the story. There were a few parts that felt a bit slow, but it’s definitely well worth reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

One of the things I love most about women's fiction is the flexibility to it. There's no formula to how everything will turn out like a straight-up romance (though I love those too.) A Flicker of Light was even better than I expected. The story just felt right and familiar and real and honest--perfect, without being tied up in an unrealistic kind of bow.

The depth of the characters was amazing. Mitch reminded me of Gibbs from NCIS. His thoughts and interactions with Marge were some of my favorite parts of the story. (And also the way he verbally cut Jeremy. That was hilarious.) And of course, Grandma June. I'll remember Grandma June for a good long while.


There was humor to break up some heavier topics like grief and memory loss, but this novel still made me bawl. So keep that in mind if you're a mood reader. I loved it.

I can't say there's anything I'd change about the book. If you're wanting a deep, rich, heart-wrenching story of family, read this one. I think you'll be glad you did.

A Flicker of Light is a beautiful story filled with hope, heartache, and possibilities. Mitch Jensen's heart still aches for his wife, who passed away. Bea and her hubby need to start over and figure out their future, with a baby-to-be in tow. Rand wants the best for his wife, whose mind is fading. Grandma June throws an unexpected twist into the story as she begins to forget. The characters and their stories found a place in my heart as I read this heartrending story. I love the next-door neighbor, and Mitch's friend, the pastor. They added so much to this already wonderful story. Katie Powner knows how to write a lovely story. The spiritual thread and family ties blend together beautifully. If you enjoy a good story filled with heart, read A Flicker of Light. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this novel about family and community. The setting of Moose Creek, Montana, is written beautifully and is the perfect backdrop for the development of the characters in the novel. I really liked the way the author approached the family struggling with a loved one with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis; it was told in such a raw and real way. I enjoyed reading about the growth and change that occurred in each character and the way the family grew and evolved as well. There is depth and substance to the story. The power of love is strong and weaves its way through each of the character’s lives in a unique way. If you’re looking for a heartwarming story where hope triumphs, I highly recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Juniper Jensen has lived out most of her 63 years in Moose Creek, Montana, with her husband of forty-some years. Ranching together and raising a son together, and now growing old together. But feisty June holds a secret that may change their lives forever. If she can only confess before the memory flickers and dies out.

Beatrice Michaels, June’s only grandchild, finds out she’s pregnant the same day Jeremy, her husband, loses his job. With some misgivings, they ask Bea’s dad if they can move back in with him temporarily while Jeremy finds work. Even though it means moving out of their run-down apartment in California and moving home to Moose Creek—a place Bea never wanted to return to.

Mitch Jensen has lived a lonely existence since his beloved wife Caroline passed away and their daughter Bea went off to college. And then dropped out of college and got married to a city kid with lots of ideas. Now they want to move back home for a spell until the kid can figure out how to support his daughter.

While Mitch welcomes the thought of filling up the house again, he has a hard time with Bea’s decisions and seeing her as an adult. To make matters worse, something is wrong with his mom. For a 63-year-old, she seemed too young to lose touch with reality. But something’s going on, and Mitch doesn’t want to consider the possibilities.

Can the members of the Jensen family work through their past griefs before the next crisis hits?

Why I Loved This Book

Powner builds the cozy town Moose Creek, Montana, and peoples it with a cast of endearing characters. The town may be small, but the residents have a lot of heart. In a world where we often don’t know the family living across the street, Moose Creek and its residents bring a refreshing reminder of the work it takes to build community. And the benefits of living in community with others—from our town, our church, or our place of work.

Community helps us in times of need, nurtures us through our sad times, and sits with us in our grief. Sometimes, we get it wrong, but patience and persistence will help us understand the heart of community is love.

I had previously read Katie Powner’s debut novel, The Sowing Season, which I very much enjoyed. I think she has a lot of talent as an author!

Other reviewers have described the book’s plot, so I won’t do that here. It failed to grab me as The Sowing Season did, but certainly enough to keep reading to its conclusion. It spoke with real feeling and in depth about family situations such as unexpected pregnancy, unemployment and dementia, all coupled with a faith in God who causes all thing to work together for good for His children.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.