A beautiful scarf, passed down through the generations, connects two women who learn that the weight of the world is made bearable by the love we give away….September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss … whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries…and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she’s made. Will what she learns devastate her or free her?
September 2011. On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers…the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. Will a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf open Taryn’s eyes to the larger forces at work in her life?
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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4.5 stars
A story centered around a scarf that withstands more than 100 years and shows us how love can overcome anything. A Fall of Marigolds is set in 1911, 2001, and 2011. Clara is a nurse on Ellis Island after losing the love of her life in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City. She becomes the keeper of a scarf with marigolds when an immigrant becomes sick with scarlet fever. We follow her as she tries to return the scarf to the rightful owner and in turn starts the healing process of grief. Fast-forward 100 years and we join Taryn, a survivor of 9/11. On September 11, 2001, she was to meet her husband in the North Tower but a client asked for a meeting to discuss copying the scarf with marigolds. The scarf saves her from a terrible fate that day but it did not save her from losing the love of her life. Does the scarf have healing powers?
I was entranced from page one and found the world melted away while I listened/read. I went from listening to the story on Hoopla and reading on my kindle as I could not wait to find out what was next. The prose was beautiful and poignant.
I had never heard of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in 1911 in New York City. I took the time to look up information regarding and could not imagine the horror. But again, I could not imagine the horror of 9/11 either. How can one city have such horror and heartache and still be so resilient?
Tissues are a must.
Warnings: death, 9/11
What a moving, unforgettable story! The ties between the great tragedies of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and 2001 September 11th terrorist attacks were central to the story and the emotional journeys of the two main protagonists. So impactful. A novel that is important and so relevant.
“Everything beautiful has a story it wants to tell. But not every story is beautiful.”
In this case the beautiful item was a scarf, an Indienne textile, French-made from an Indian design, and well over a hundred years old. Copper colored, with the repeating pattern of marigolds cascading throughout. The stories it had to tell were not beautiful. Or maybe time and patience were needed to discover their beauty.
A Fall of Marigolds tells the story of two young women living their lives in limbo after surviving life altering traumatic events in New York City. The scarf plays major roles for each – sending both off in directions that will alter the course of their lives, and eventually bringing them back full circle.
I really enjoyed this book, although at moments it’s a bit hard to read. It is beautifully written with characters I immediately became invested in – which is typical for author Susan Meissner’s writing. Her touch for historical fiction – thorough research combined with excellent world and character building – added to her skilled story telling make her novels among my all time favorites.
Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, has an interest in Ellis Island, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the 9/11 Twin Towers collapse, or just wants to get lost in a well written book.
I really wanted to like this book. But, sadly, I did not.
Based on the book description, I was expecting strong female protagonists. However, I found the characters to be tiresome, flaky and indecisive.
The historical aspect was interesting and the book well researched, but I felt the ending was rushed after such a drawn out plot.
The only reason I finished this book was to find out how the scarf traveled from 1911 to 2011.
Excellent story with historically accurate settings.
This excellently written novel ties together 2 women who suffered tremendous loss in dramatic and unique events — the shirtwaist factory fire of 1911 and the fall of the Trade Center towers of 2001. The story is very informative, emotional and riveting. Very realistic paths of recovery for the women. I loved it and have read it twice, years apart.
I became discouraged about halfway through this book because of the jumping back and forth between decades and people. Glad I persevered and read it to the end! Very inspirational!
I am always thrilled to find a novel by Susan Meissner that I haven’t read previously! She never fails to provide a wonderful, thought-provoking experience. A Fall of Marigolds intertwines the lives of two women who are both survivors of horrific New York events—9/11 and the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The characters are beautifully and lovingly rendered. One is instantly drawn into this gripping tale and it’s one that will remain with you long after you complete the book.
I really loved this book. It is one I would read again. The author weaves the tale between two strong women, both owners of the scarf, in a beautifully written story. The setting of the story is in New York City. The story is told in two different eras. One involves a nurse ministering to newcomers at Ellis Island. The second is a 911 widow trying to move forward.
I really liked the fact that the plot of this book was different from anything I have ever read, blending the events of the immigrants of Ellis Island in 1911 with the Manhattan of 9/11/01. I think the author did a fabulous job at portraying the events of both times in history.
A beautifully told story tying together two historical events, the emigration of Europeans through Ellis Island in the early 1900s and the horrific events surrounding 9/11. She skillfully wove together two very different stories using a simple marigold scarf with the name Lily stitched into the corner. This is the first novel I have read by this author, but I plan to read more.
I really enjoyed this listen on Audible. Beautiful story!
Susan weaves the past and the present together in this split timeline tale of a scarf and the lives it intertwined. An entertaining and heartwarming read.
The connection of two women and the tragedies in their lives over different centuries was amazing.
I loved this book. The entire story about the journey thru Ellis island when people had to be approved to enter the country. There’s a lot more to the story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am a nurse and was interested in what nursing looked like in 1911. I admired both leading characters and found it interesting to see the connecting item… won’t spoil plot by saying more
My new favorite author!!!
I love historical fictions, and this was a great one. Comparison between to similar ladies, one from 1911 and one from 2011, all wrapped up in a beautiful story of a special scarf. Loved it!
I couldn’t put this book down. I loved how the author wove the two stories that were years apart together. Highly recommend.
I read this book twice a few months apart and definitely enjoyed it better the second time. As the story goes back and forth in time I missed details the first read. I loved the idea of the story and found the author’s historical knowledge very interesting. Learning about the Ellis Island Hospital was eye opening, a fascinating subject.