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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Sophie has become a mail order bride. She could not take the tenements in NYC anymore. So, she answers the ad and moves to San Francisco. She meets and marries her new husband, Martin Hocking. He is a handsome man but he is very aloof. However, he has the sweetest little girl named Kat. Sophie begins to be very attached to Kat and when her relationship with this little girl is threatened, Sophie stops at nothing to protect her.
Sophie is a strong woman fallen on hard times. She takes a risk to change her stars. Little does she know that her husband is not who he says he is. She finds this out right before the earthquake changes her and Kat’s life.
Wow! This is a super good read. It is twisted, heartbreaking and intense all at the same time. I adored Sophie. She is a lady of integrity and strength. This is proven time and time again during this read.
This is a story you will not stop once you start. It is captivating and powerful! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Historical viewpoint!
Absolutely a beautiful story with tragedy, family and love! As all of Susan Meissner’s books, this one is so beautifully written! Just before the earthquake so much is revealed to Sophie Hockings and then to Belinda. Kitty Kat is such a sweet character that draws me in only wishing for the best! This is a must read, snuggle down and let it snow kinda of book!
Two fantastic books in two weeks. Both of them have incredibly strong women as the main character.
When I really love a book I have a hard time writing a review. I don’t want/need to recap the story. I cannot point out what I enjoyed about the book……EVERYTHING! I cannot point out what I didn’t like about the book…..NOTHING!
The book is set in San Fransisco, 1906 in the days leading up to and including the devastating earthquake. Sophie, the heroine has just entered into a marriage of convenience to a widower with a young daughter. Naturally, nothing is ideal and starting the night before the earthquake everything goes from bad to worse.
Sophie’s character is very well developed. She is a loving and caring person. She is ready to take on new experiences. She is brave and she is smart. She is also harbouring a deep secret which is hinted at throughout the book.
The description of the aftermath of the earthquake is vivid and numbing. Fires broke out almost instantly after the tremors broke the gas lines. The devastation that occurred over the four days afterwards is horrifying. Ms. Meissner researched the subject well and presented it in a way that I was experiencing it along with Sophie.
This is a well written and well-researched book. There are a few twists along the way and an unexpected ending. I have read a few of this author’s books and enjoyed them all. This book tops my list as the favourite of Ms. Meissner’s books. It will stay with me for a long time.
Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance. – Jean de La Fontaine
Young Sophie Whalen emigrated from Ireland to New York City in 1905, escaping a past she wants to forget. But New York City is almost unliveable because of filth and hunger and living conditions. So Sophie answers a newspaper ad to become a mail-order bride. She travels cross country by train to San Francisco and is soon married a widower father with a young daughter.
It doesn’t take long for Sophie to start questioning the actions of her new husband, who she believes is some sort of insurance agent and travels a lot, leaving Sophie and her new daughter Kat in their new home in San Francisco.
Events start coming to a head when a young pregnant woman appears at her door, questions are asked and answered and then…the terrible 1906 earthquake hits San Francisco and the surrounding areas are devastated.
I enjoyed this story very much. I liked the well-developed characterization of Sophie and other secondary characters.
I was saddened by the in-depth look at the April 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I had heard about it but didn’t realize just how overwhelmingly devastating the event was.
I lived fairly near to San Francisco in 1989 and had and have been there many times and seeing the damage from this lesser earthquake was terrifying enough. I don’t even know how many times I had driven on the Bay Bridge before the quake but it was almost unbelievable seeing it collapsed on television.
I highly recommend this book to you if you enjoy thrillers, stories about mail-order brides, or stories about the 1906 earthquake.
I received this book from Berkley Publishing through Edelweiss and from Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
This was a really really good audiobook. I loved the narration. It is my first book by this author and I’m definitely interested in reading more by her.
Sophie, an Irish immigrant, living in unbearable conditions in Manhatten, becomes a mail order bride to Martin who lives in California. This is not a marriage of love but Sophie hopes maybe that will develop.
Martin has a young daughter named Kat who Sophie forms an instant connection with. She becomes like Sophie’s own daughter even as no connection grows between Martin and Sophie. In fact, Sophie begins to question some things about Martin.
On the eve of the massive 1906 San Francisco earthquake a pregnant young woman named Belinda shows up on Sophie’s doorstep. Truths about Martin begin to unravel.
I love the way a bond forms between Sophie and Belinda and later another woman named Candace. I loved the way a love of a child keeps their lives joined.
A book filled with fascinating characters who embody the depth, love and power of female friendships. It is book of mystery, lies, loss, love and new beginnings.
We Americans know our country’s history, right? I mean, of course, we’ve at least heard about the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906…at least if you went to school when I did….I don’t know what they teach now! But, let’s assume you know that there was a horrible earthquake way back in the olden days. It was so long ago, so it doesn’t faze us. We don’t consider the enormity of it…that is until we read a novel, albeit fiction, which gives us an in-your-face look at this earthquake.
The Nature of Fragile Things does just that. It makes us care about the characters and throws them into this historical catastrophe.
We first meet Sophie as she is traveling west from New York City to marry a man she’s never met. She knows that he is a widower who needs a mother for his daughter, and Sophie is desperate to escape the appalling tenement in which she lives. If you have ever watched or read anything that realistically portrays the NYC tenements, you can’t blame her for wanting to escape. Surely nothing could be worse than her current situation. Though her situation is better, it is odder.
And the story begins. Once you pick this book up, you won’t put it down. The Nature of Fragile Things is perfectly paced with twists you won’t see coming. The earthquake hits, and the city is in utter chaos. Susan Meissner gives a richly detailed account (albeit a fictional account) things that happened during and after the earthquake, and you start remembering that the San Francisco earthquake was a real thing. It’s history to us; it was their reality. It wasn’t just the earthquake that was devastating; there were fires burning; people were injured with no place to go; people are homeless. It’s just overwhelming to think about. And the earthquake is only part of the story!
You’ve got to read this book for yourself to grasp just how amazing this novel is. It’s got unforgettable characters and an unforgettable story. It portrays women finding the strength to do more than they ever thought they could. Unexpected friendships are forged. I loved everything about The Nature of Fragile Things. I can’t say enough good things about this story. You’ll be mesmerized.
This is my first time reading a book written by Susan Meissner and I am just in awe of her ability to make me feel as if I’m walking alongside these characters on their journey.
All I knew before starting this story was that it was centered around the events of the devastating earthquake and fires of San Francisco in 1906. I didn’t want, or need, to know anything more. I like knowing as little as possible before starting a story. Once again, this has paid off immensely as I was often surprised and caught off guard as this story unfolded.
This is such a remarkably beautiful journey of strength and devotion. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who goes in knowing next to nothing as I do, so I will only say how empowered I felt while reading this journey of such incredibly strong women.
It was powerful. Raw. Emotional. Insightful. Reflective. Hopeful. Informative.
If you enjoy non-WWII historical fiction that is plot driven, but with incredibly well developed characters and extremely atmospheric, I highly recommend giving this a read.
I will be reading anything and everything written by Meissner.
CW: Domestic violence, miscarriage
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley for the review copy.
I tore through this book in two days! Excellent new release by Susan Meissner!
A mail-order husband that turned out to be perfect until one morning a knock at the door shattered Sophie’s life.
Actually there are two more women whose lives are shattered by Sophie’s husband.
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS takes us into the lives of Sophie, Belinda, Candace, and six-year-old Kat.
Each woman has a different story, but Martin, Sophie’s husband, is at the center of all of them.
This book was about life’s choices, the resilience of women, the beauty of friendship, the support women give each other, and an added bit of mystery.
You will wonder where it is heading in the beginning, and it heads to another marvelous book by Susan Meissner.
Ms. Meissner wove the story line around her well-researched account of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which added to the tension and beauty of this book. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Not a dull moment in this heartfelt historical fiction. Showcases the strength of female friendship & the special bond of mothers and daughters.
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…to see the courage and strength we possess when love is our guide.
• Suspenseful, emotional, & powerful
Soon after 22 year old Sophie adjusts to being a mail order bride to husband, Martin, and a mother to his young daughter, Kat, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake literally rocks their world to the core. Will they all survive, and what secrets will it uncover?
“It is the nature of fragile things to break… And just as it is the nature of men and women to build, it is also in our nature to begin again after disaster… I am not some delicate thing that has been broken too many times. I am strong, I am resilient.”
This story was intriguing and suspenseful from the very first pages, and definitely grabbed my attention throughout. I loved the quick pacing and thought it read more like a mystery/thriller than a historical fiction novel. I’ve dubbed it a historical thriller hehe. Lastly, I also loved the cast of strong female characters and their blossoming friendship which soon ripened into a strong, familial bond.
The aftermath of the 45 second earthquake (and the ensuing fires) was horrendous, and my heart ached for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the catastrophic event.
From the Acknowledgements: “Starting just before daybreak on Wednesday, April 18… The first round lasted only a few breaths’ time; the second, a terrifying forty-five seconds. The quake broke apart major water mains in the heart of San Francisco and burst open gas lines, which then started dozens of fires… Roughly five square miles of San Francisco burned over the next three days—five hundred city blocks. An estimated twenty-eight thousand buildings were destroyed and half the city’s four hundred thousand inhabitants were made homeless. The official death toll in San Francisco from both the quake and the resulting fires is estimated to have exceeded three thousand people.”
Location: San Francisco, California
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Nature of Fragile Things is set around the 1906 earthquake in San Fransisco. Sophie has traveled from the east coast to the west coast to marry Martin and be a mother to Kat. As Sophie learns more about her husband she realizes that things are not quite as she expected. She works to unravel the mystery surrounding Martin. Sophie understands that she is not only fighting for her well being but also that of Kat and the other’s that Martin has deceived.
Susan Meissner is a must-read author for anyone who loves historical fiction. She takes a time from long ago and uses her talent to bring the story to life. She tells how the characters live their lives, what they see, what they do, and how they do it. As I read the story, I can picture the house that Sophie lives in with Martin, I can hear her voice as she becomes a mother to Kat, and I can feel her fear as the life she thinks she has finally achieved is threatened.
I recommend picking up your own copy of The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner. This book tells an amazing historical fiction story.
In March 1905, Sophie Whalen is standing on the deck of a ferry looking at San Francisco. She left the crowded and filthy tenements of New York six days ago and at the end of her journey she will marry Martin Hocking, a man she’s never met. A widower, Martin placed an ad in the newspaper looking for a new wife as well as a new mother for his five-year-old daughter, Kat. Sophie, desperate for a new beginning far away from New York, answered his ad. Now, she is close to what she wants-a warm home with plenty to eat and clean clothes to wear.
Sophie is to meet Martin at the docks. Her first glimpse of Martin confirms what Sophie has realized from his photograph-Martin Hocking is striking man. Sophie’s doubts about her impending marriage return. Why does a man like Martin want a mail-order bride? He’s a man of means-not wealthy, but comfortable. From his looks, he would be able to attract his choice of well-bred women in San Francisco or anywhere along the West Coast. Why did he want someone from the East Coast? Why an Irish immigrant fresh from the poverty of New York? Sophie concludes Martin wants someone who won’t make demands or have high expectations from this marriage.
One year into her marriage, Sophie has settled into her new life, which centers around Kat. Sophie, taken with Kat since their first meeting, has grown to love the little girl. Even though her life with Martin still seems off, Sophie continues to ignore the doubts she can’t quite silence. One evening, while Martin is away, a pregnant woman shows up on Sophie’s doorstep and the life Sophie thought she had crashes down around her and Kat. The next morning, the women and Kat are forced into the streets when the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and resulting fires lay waste to much of the city. Sophie is forced to begin again. But this beginning threatens to circle back around to her past, exposing the secret she’s never told anyone.
Recommendation
The Nature of Fragile Things starts on November 6, 1906, in San Francisco, months after the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires. The main character, Sophie Hocking, is being interviewed by U.S. Marshal Ambrose Logan. The interview takes place in various chapters throughout the book and deepen the mystery of Sophie Hocking. The historical detail immerses the reader into Sophie’s world in Ireland, the New York tenements, and finally San Francisco. Meissner’s writing makes it almost impossible to put the book down. I stayed up late the second night because I needed to know how the novel ended before I could even try to go to sleep. Highly recommended.
My favorite quote from this book:
Perhaps it was the only kind thing it could do. Perhaps all during the catastrophe that began at dawn on the eighteenth of April, this was the only kind thing it could do. The earth can’t help its nature to shift from time to time as it settles itself back into its proper place. The earth did not build the city here, nor pipe it with gas, nor construct its bowels with water mains that couldn’t withstand the natural movement of the planet. People did that. It is the nature of the earth to shift. It is the nature of fragile things to break. It is the nature of fire to burn.
This book is the best book yet by Susan Meissner. It’s got all the feels that you would expect from one of her books. It will make you laugh in a few parts and shed big fat ugly tears in others. It is written in a way that you will not want to put it down. I only did to sleep. I put it down near the end so I could get my eyes adjusted after all the tears. Tears of joy and sadness are in this book. It’s just pure greatness. I’ve read a lot of books this year and this one is my very favorite.
This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The ups and downs and twists and turns don’t stop. From the first page to the dramatic ending you will not want to miss a thing. It has it all. This book is told from Sophie’s point of view. From Ireland to New York to California you will take a trip with her to places you may not like but you will enjoy anyway. Things that happen will make you wonder why. Or how. Or did it really. Who are these people. Who is this woman and why did she marry this man. She wanted a family and was offered one. Was it the best thing for her or did she make a grave mistake?
There is a lot of emotion in this book. Some will surely grab you and not let go. How things play out will leave you breathless. It’s such a story. From the earthquakes in 1905 to the finale in 1926 you will not let go. This story was so well researched. So well written. It is like you are there. Like you can feel everything that Sophie feels. Everything. You will love her. You will treasure her for the things she does and goes through. The way she is with young Kat. With Belinda and Candace. These names will become familiar to you along this ride. You will learn to truly dislike Martin Hocking. He’s not a very likable man.
As Sophie travels through this story you will learn so much about her life. How she got here. Why she came here. What happened to her along the way and what happened after she married Martin. What she does is to me nothing short of heroic. To me she is one strong and lovely woman. To me she deserves the best in life.
Susan Meissner has done such a good job with this book. She leaves nothing undone. It has all the feels. All the action. All the descriptions. And that ending. It’s the best ending ever. No stone is left unturned. You will learn everything you need to. This story begins and it ends without you wondering. It truly is her best book ever.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #Berkleypublisher, #SusanMeissner for this ARC. This is my own review as I see it.
5/5 huge stars and the highest recommendation every!! Read this book!
Rich, tortuous, and absorbing!
The Nature of Fragile Things is a captivating, mysterious tale set during 1906 that takes you into the life of Sophie Whalen, a young, Irish Immigrant who after answering a newspaper ad for a bride travels from New York to San Francisco to become the wife of widower Martin Hocking and the mother to his five-year-old daughter Kat. But things aren’t as straightforward as they first appeared, and as an earthquake destroys the very foundation of the city and fires rage for days, malicious actions will be hidden, long-buried secrets will finally be uncovered, and unexpected, unbreakable friendships will be forged.
The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are brave, resourceful, and dependable. And the plot is an enigmatic tale full of twists, turns, surprises, deception, betrayal, danger, family, friendship, life, loss, heartbreak, bigotry, and survival.
Overall, The Nature of Fragile Things is a skillfully crafted, perfectly plotted tale by Meissner that highlights once again her ability to write immersive, atmospheric, beautifully written novels that are moving and unforgettable.
“It’s the nature of fragile things to break.” Three women, one child, one man. Who among them is fragile? Who will stand strong as the earth shifts at their feet? Uncovered secrets will destroy some, but others will emerge stronger than before the quake. Suspenseful, heartbreaking, perfectly paced, this story of strong female friendships, a mother’s love, and resilience will grab you and not let go until the shocking ending.
Susan Meissner takes us to the April 1906 earthquake that destroyed much of San Francisco. Sophie Hocking is devastated as she learns of the complexities of the lies from the man she married. Three women will find their lives suddenly intertwined. And Sophie has her own secrets that she prays will never be revealed.
Having spent a lot of time in San Francisco, I enjoyed the visit back to one of my favorite cities. My heart broke as little Kat had to deal with too much loss for a young child. I was so happy as Sophie began breaking through Kat’s silence, but then my breath was taken away as I realized that Kat could lose Sophie. This book evoked so many emotions in me, that it left me emotionally spent.
Honestly, I haven’t read a book by this author that I didn’t just love. The Nature of Fragile Things was no different. I realize it’s early in the year but this one is probably going to one of my favorites of the year. Such a memorable story!
Susan has created a enthralling, believable story centered around an Irish immigrant, a woman who comes to the United States for a chance of a better life. Sophie is thrown into a challenging world but strives for what she knows is important.
I love Susan’s writing. She has such an wonderful, flowing writing style. I felt very comfortable with her characters and setting from the start. I have always been fascinated with this time period in San Francisco and what the residents had to go through in that catastrophic earthquake of 1906, so this story captivated me.
The Nature of Fragile Things is a story that I highly recommend! It’s beautiful, heartwarming, and one that you won’t soon forget. I know I won’t.
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Nature of Fragile Things” by Susan Meissner, Berkley Publishing, February 2, 2021
Wow! Susan Meissner, the author of “The Nature of Fragile Things” has written an exhilarating, intriguing, captivating, and memorable novel. The genre for this novel is Historical Fiction. The timeline for this story is set during the destructive Earthquake in San Francisco in 1906. The story goes both to the past and future when it pertains to the characters and events. Susan Meissner vividly describes the events, characters, landscape, and plots of the story. I appreciate the historical research that the author has done regarding this time in history. Susan Meissner describes are dramatic characters as flawed, secretive, complex, and complicated. One of my favorite themes in this story is how there is a ‘sisterhood” of women who are trusting and courageous. Just like the devastating earthquake that demolishes much of San Francisco, there are deadly secrets, dangerous betrayals. and mysterious deaths.
Sophie Whalen, the protagonist in this story is an Irish immigrant that jumps at the opportunity to marry a widowed man with a young daughter from an advertisement that he placed in the newspaper. Sophie has no illusions about love with this man but is drawn to his young mute daughter. Her husband is not obviously who he says that he is, and Sophie gets the opportunity to meet two of his other current wives. The background of these meetings happens during the earthquake.
I found myself so immersed in this story that I couldn’t put this book down. It is such a memorable and thought-provoking novel that I highly recommend it to other readers! Kudos to Susan Meissner for writing such an exemplary novel about a historical tragedy.
Susan Meissner is a masterful story teller that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end!! She creates beautiful characters and lets them tell their story!!
We begin with Sofie Whalen, an Irish immigrant, answering an advertisement in the paper to be the wife of Martin Hocking and mother to his six-year-old daughter Kat. Sofie, looking for a better life, packs her bags and moves from New York to California. She quickly falls in love with Kat and enjoys being her mother, but her feelings for Martin never grow nor does Martin show any love towards her.
On a night that Martin is out of town, a woman named Belinda knocks on the door of the Hocking home looking for him. Sofie invites her in and soon the secrets that Martin keeps start to unravel. These two women form an unlikely bond and venture to find some answers.
Of course, neither of them knew what lied ahead. We are then transported to the 1906 earthquakes in San Francisco, California. Meissner provides a well-researched account of the devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the fires that burned for days afterwards, destroying everything in its path. While reading, I could actually picture the ashes falling from the sky and smell the burning fire. If this earthquake happened today, it would be considered a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale.
I’m not going to reveal any more about the intertwined lives of Sofie, Kat and Belinda. I don’t want to spoil a marvelous read for you. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction, a story full of secrets, lies, love, loss, and female friendships. Everything a five-star read should be!!
Thank you Edelweiss, Susan Meissner, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of The Nature of Fragile Things in exchanged for my unbiased review.