April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin … Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin’s silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin’s odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn’t right.
Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.
The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.
From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity.
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This is a compelling read. To me, Sophie was the “fragile thing” of the title—harmed not just by one man but by two—and yet she was a woman of incredible strength. The friendships formed out of devastation and the family created, despite the odds, was beautiful. And I must say that I loved the ending. Truly satisfying.
This is not a novel about an earthquake. It’s a novel about resilience in its many forms. I loved this book! For some reason I thought the earthquake and its aftermath would take up more page space than it did, but it was fully appropriate for this particular plot. (Isn’t it funny to realize that we bring certain expectations to a book we begin reading? I try not to do that, but it still happens.)
The pace was tight, the atmosphere rich, and I found the mail-order bride protagonist to be completely sympathetic. The history was presented accurately but never even hinted at eclipsing the characters. With so many plot twists and turns, I read this in less than 24 hours. The ending was absolutely satisfying, with each character’s arc ending in the perfect way for that person. (Three cheers for epilogues, right?)
The Nature of Fragile Things is now tied with As Bright as Heaven as my favorite from Susan Meissner.
This was such a refreshing historical read. I love that the author took a major catastrophe (That I didn’t know enough about) and dropped in very memorable characters and a riveting storyline. And just when I thought it was all wrapped up…I won’t say any more, but wow! I highly recommend this book!
I am a huge Susan Meissner fan. This book is her best book yet. What a fabulous peek into human nature and the devastating effects forces of nature and evil can play on the choices we make. Do yourself a favor and get this story immediately.
Susan Meissner has done it again! She has the enviable knack for identifying intriguing events in history and creating believable fictional stories containing characters we absolutely fall in love with! This is my 4th or 5th Meissner book and in my opinion, it’s one of her best! Woven into the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires, we meet an Irish immigrant woman named Sofia who has taken her future and happiness into her own hands by answering a newspaper advertisement asking for a woman to become a bride to a man and mother to a girl, clear across the country. She needed to leave New York where she’d immigrated to, so she saw it as a fresh start. You start out cheering for her new life, but end up with so many more emotions after a twisty turny story that you never see coming!
This book has taken my breath with its brilliance and interconnections. The story of three women, two children, and one man. I’ve inhaled it as an audiobook in two days. I highly recommend it!
The most believable lie is one told with a hint of truth woven within it. As the story unfolds in a twisting, turning manner I kept reading late into the night, eager to learn the details of what was true and what was not. As in most cases, when the chaos of untruths begin to surface, lives are altered and decisions must be made. Timing though is everything and in The Nature of Fragile Things, the timing of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake shakes more than just the ground. Susan Meissner’s intricately woven web of characters whose lives collide without warning highlights the true meaning of tenacity, perseverance, and family.
A masterful story full of complexities and authenticity. I loved that I had no idea how this story would end. It elicited tears and a deep satisfaction. Highly, highly recommend.
historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, early-20th-century, family-dynamics, friendship, loss, love, Ireland, California*****
She came from Ireland to New York to get away, then went to San Francisco to get away, then left ‘Frisco to get away. Along the way she acquired a mail order husband, a lovely but emotionally scarred step-daughter, and some very interesting friends. And the professional attention of a US Marshall. The characters are impressively portrayed and the descriptives are awesome. But the flow and emotional impact of the story is what will remain. Already bought the audio.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!
A quote I want to write down before I forget this is so very true!
Deputy Logan was telling Mrs. Mcgough that he believes her and that he believes in justice too, but that he knows that sometimes it is not delivered in the way it should be. Sometimes it is not delivered at all, and the evil man walks free.
My thing is truth will prevail no matter what you do to hide it.
We all will have to answer to the Higher One.
What an awesome story! I simply couldn’t put this book down it was full of so many wonderful things!
Mystery, lies, secrets, oh my! A little something for everyone here.
This will be another book to add to my favorite reads from 2021
I was NOT disappointed at all! I wanted to read this book so bad that I got it through my library.
Bless those librarians!
I wasn’t disappointed at all!
Meissner is a superb storyteller! The way she described those scenes from the earthquake made me feel like I was in the middle of all the chaos! And what a chaos!
(I actually experienced one in Kentucky once. Not a pleasant feeling. I didn’t know that Kentucky had a fault line but I do now! ) It sort of gives you this weird feeling when you start to feel the shaking. Sort of off balance like. Scary if you ask me lol.
I feel that this book is Meissner’s best yet! An awesome story!
I also wanted to comment on the cover of the book that I thought the scene was pretty cool. I think you could tell what’s happening even without reading the story but oh! you must!
I finished this book in one afternoon because I couldn’t put it down! I know that my mouth hung open in surprise in some places because I just couldn’t fathom how and what was going on. Just wow! This is why I kept turning the pages it was so good! I’m probably repeating myself by now but I’m just….. floored at the awesome writing in this book? Yes Yes!!
Thank you Ms. Meissner for another wonderful story! Please keep them coming. Your subjects are impressive. I love your research into these events. You left my heart feeling full and satisficed once again. Now, I’m left empty handed because I was so impressed and I cried when the book was finished. I didn’t want to say goodbye. Well done!
I feel that this book is Meissner’s best yet! An awesome story!
Highly recommend!
Thanks to my library for a copy of this amazing story!
First things first let me start by saying I am a huge Susan Meissner fan! Her books have the most amazing characters and the way she writes the reader feels like you are in the story! Sophie is a poor Irish immigrant living in horrible conditions in New York. When she sees an ad from Martin Hocking in San Francisco looking for a wife and a mother for his 5 year old daughter, Sophie jumps at the chance! Sophie loves Kat, but Martin is cold and aloof but Sophie is very happy with her choice. Until one night when there is a stranger knocking on Sophie’s door. As Sophie’s world starts unraveling, the earthquake of 1906 hits the next morning. Sophie, Kat, and Belinda, must rely on each other for survival. This was a wonderful historical fiction book. I loved the characters, the history of this famous and deadly earthquake, and the mystery involved for the characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
You can never go wrong with a novel by Susan Meissner. Her beautiful prose and detailed research delivers everything historical fiction readers crave. PLUS well-developed characters that weave their way into our hearts forever.
A woman moves across the country to get a new start in life. What begins as a situation with minor quirks becomes an earth-shattering reality, in more ways than one. Author Susan Meissner excels both in historical fact and compelling fiction in her newest book The Nature of Fragile Things.
At the turn of the 20th century, Sophie Whalen knows she needs to get out of New York City. She left behind her beloved Ireland to start life afresh, but the cramped, dingy living conditions in her tiny shared apartment are making it difficult to imagine anything clean and new. Add to that the horrible work in the factory, and Sophie is desperate to leave.
When she sees an ad in the newspaper offering her a way out, she jumps at the chance. A gentleman in San Francisco is looking for a mail-order bride. A widower, he needs a new wife to take care of his daughter. Sophie doesn’t even blink; she answers the ad, packs up her meager belongings, and jumps on the train across the country.
Sophie isn’t blind to the eccentricity of her situation, and she isn’t looking for romance. She just wants a quiet life in a home of her own, and she gets it with Martin Hocking…more or less. Martin doesn’t talk much, and his daughter, Kat, doesn’t talk at all. Martin confides in Sophie that Kat thinks her mother’s death is her fault but reassures Sophie that in time things will get better.
After bringing both Sophie and Kat to a new house in San Francisco, Martin leaves for a business trip. So starts Sophie’s new routine: getting to know her new home city and her new step-daughter. In no time, both charm her. Kat begins to open up to Sophie, and it seems as if life will finally start settling down. Although Sophie can’t quite figure out why Martin needs to be away so much for his job and why he’s so stiff around Kat, she decides not to question what is arguably a situation that favors her.
The questions do come from someone else, however. On an ordinary April day, a woman shows up on Sophie’s doorstep asking for answers that Sophie can’t provide. Within twelve hours, Sophie, the woman, and Kat barely survive a deadly earthquake and forever become tied to one another. As Sophie fights for survival, she starts to put together the odd pieces that make up her husband in a brand new picture that first frightens her and then emboldens her.
Author Susan Meissner grounds her book in such authenticity that readers will feel like they’re standing right next to Sophie as she disembarks the train in California at the start of the story. Meissner also chose to tell the story in flashbacks, a risky endeavor, but here it works. The scenes in the “present,” as short as they might be, propel the narrative forward and readers will be flipping or swiping pages as fast as possible to find out what happens next.
The entire book is a gem, but the sections that hit the hardest come during the earthquake itself. One of the most devastating events in California history, Meissner gives readers a virtual tactility with the disaster. The descriptions are incredible, offering readers all five senses before, during, and after the tragedy.
Sophie will win readers over as the determined protagonist, and Meissner doesn’t make things easy for her main character. The harder Sophie fights for answers, though, the more readers will cheer her on. Kat’s mutism is heartbreaking, and all of the women Sophie gets to know along the way show the strength of having a village full of loved ones.
Readers who enjoy historical fiction or a book about strong women will thoroughly enjoy this book.
I started reading and could not put this book down. The story was original, historical and I was always wondering what would happen next. Everytime I thought I knew something I was mistaken. At the end my mouth was hanging open with a new revelation.
Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant desperate for more, she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a San Francisco widower Martin Hocking. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin’s five-year-old daughter.
A pregnant stranger appears on Sophies doorsteps looking for her husband who worked with Martin. The fate of these women intertwine thrusting them onto a journey that will test their belief that love can overcome fear.
Sophie lost so much and because of her honesty and humbleness she is repaid with so much more.
This story shows the bonds of friendship, motherly love, and the power of female solidarity.
One of my favorite authors. I love all her books.
The Nature of Fragile Things is a page turner and I read it from cover to cover in one long sitting!
We just read this in our book club and everyone enjoyed it. She is a great writer who
can weave a story with many different characters. We had a great discussion. Great for a book club
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner transports readers to San Francisco, California in 1905 where Sophie Whalen has agreed to marry Martin Hocking. Sophie was living in New York after immigrating from Ireland when she saw Martin’s advertisement for a bride and mother for his daughter, Kat. They marry the day Sophie arrives in San Francisco, and she quickly adjusts to her new role. Martin travels for work leaving Kat and Sophie alone. One April evening, Sophie is surprised by the visitor. This woman sets in motion a chain of events that will change their lives and that of another woman with a connection to them. The next morning a devastating earthquake hits the San Francisco area forcing the women to flee. The Nature of Fragile Things is a well-written and crafted historical novel. The authors descriptive writings captured the time-period and events. She really captured the earthquake and its devastation with her word imagery. I could visualize the scenes and what our characters were experiencing. I could tell that Susan Meissner did her research for this book. The characters were developed and at the heart of the story. It was fascinating how it all tied together with the amazing “oh my goodness” moment near the end. I especially appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up this fascinating tale. I do not want to say too much and ruin this captivating story for you. I have read all of Susan Meissner’s novels and I found this one better yet different from her other books (such as Lady in Waiting). The Nature of Fragile Things has secrets, love, lies, loss, friendships, betrayal, a mother’s love, and justice. Now we must wait another year for Susan Meissner’s next novel (sigh).
For Sophie, being in San Francisco during the 1906 earthquake was challenging. But that was actually not her biggest struggle. As a mail order bride, she thought she had found a decent husband. But then she finds out that there was far more to the man she married than she originally thought. This book starts with her basic discovery (so this review is not giving any spoilers), but then goes on to unravel what was happening behind the scenes.
This book is not suspenseful or romantic, but it definitely does involve a mystery. There were many surprises. What I appreciated most is the fact that no matter what she uncovered, Sophie’s goal is making the best of challenging circumstances. This was not a happy read, but it was a meaningful one. I definitely could not stop reading it. Most of all, I loved how the epilogue answered some more questions and added a fulfilling ending.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read a copy of this book through NetGalley. Knowing that I wanted to review it helped me to keep going through some of the sad parts. (Yes, I was glad that I did read this one.) All opinions are my own.