Flicker Shimmer Shine

By: Hannah Rae

Narrated by: Cassandra Alling

When nine-year-old Oli’s brother Brooks takes his own life, she assumes she’ll never see him again. She assumes she’ll now be forced to rely on photographs and memories and little more.

But then, deep in the woods on Halloween night, Brooks returns for one day.

For twenty-four hours.

For one thousand four hundred forty minutes.

Against all odds, Oli is being given the gift of more time, and over the next fleeting hours, she must decide whether to create new memories, revel in cherished moments, or face a painful past and the fear of a future without Brooks.

©2025 Hannah R Meeson (P)2025 Hannah R Meeson

Warmth and forgiveness

As a woman who has also lost a brother much too young (he was 20 and I had just turned 23), this lovely story touched me and warmed my heart. I wish I could be Ollie and spend time with my Brooks.

The Gift of the Second Chance

Flicker Shimmer Shine offers the opportunity for a do-over where in a brief, suspended moment in time, the veil between worlds thins enough to allow for a second connection. The most agonizing part of losing a loved one—especially to suicide—is the mountain of "what if" questions left behind.
• What if I had said this? * What if I had stayed five minutes longer? In Flicker, Shimmer, Shine, we are given a window to sit in the presence of someone who is gone and finally get the answers that death usually keeps hidden. It explores the profound relief of being able to reminisce while the person is still "there," bridging the gap between memory and reality. In our initial grief, we are often blinded by shock. The "flicker" of Brooks’ presence allows Oli to navigate their relationship with a new wisdom. It’s a chance to:
• Replace regret with presence.
• Speak truths that were left unsaid.
• Act with a secondary awareness that makes every second of the "shimmer" count.
It suggests that if we were given even a few flickering moments back with those we’ve lost, we wouldn't use them to mourn—we would use them to connect deeper than we ever did in life. It is a poignant reminder that while we can’t always change the ending, the chance to "re-do" the middle, even in spirit, is a powerful form of healing.

Poignant, Powerful, Memorable and Beautifully Done

When her brother Brooks makes a decision that can’t be undone, Oli’s life is forever changed. Then, magically, one Halloween, Oli has the opportunity to ask questions, get answers, and resolve feelings … if she dares! Rarely does a story touch me like “Flicker Shimmer Shine”. I LOVE it when cohesive writing pairs with smooth flow and PALPABLE emotion! Enter “Flicker Shimmer Shine”. Everything about this smoothly flowing, poignantly powerful, MEMORABLE story is beautifully done! EVERYTHING! I was drawn into another world at the start of the prologue and I didn’t surface until the closing words of the epilogue, my attention firmly held throughout! As I listened with rapt attention, over and over it struck me how relevant this story is to today! Details could translate to spoilers, so let me just say please, listen with an open heart, FEEL the story, embrace the story, embrace these wonderfully drawn characters and hold all judgements until the last words have been spoken. As I listened, my streaming tears were at points interrupted by giggles as this multi-layered story played out! I marveled at how every character was so “naturally” defined and developed! As I delved deeper into this mesmerizing story, organically growing to learn more about each deeply drawn character, I found that some I didn’t initially take a shine to became BELOVED by story’s end! Forgive me for not giving details, but this beautiful story deserves to be experienced free of ANY hints that might ruin the awe worthy MAGIC created by an amazingly insightful, powerfully gifted author, AND brought to stunning, vibrantly emotional life by a brilliantly talented professional narrator! I was so invested in this story and these characters that I listened THREE times through! This story is just that relevant, just that good, just that powerful, and just that magical! Five awe worthy - I LOVED it, stars!

This was a hard listen.

I have lost a child. Not to suicide, but to addiction... which is not the same, but the same.

I didn't want to listen to this book. It was hard. But in the end, I'm glad I listened. "A Flicker in Dreams" was my favorite part. And I know that this book is very important to the author.