The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

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 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.

MY REVIEW

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! 

Highly recommend!

Thanks to my library for a copy of this amazing story!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Meissner is a USA Today bestselling novelist with more than half a million books in print in fifteen languages. Her critically acclaimed works of historical fiction have been named to numerous lists including Publishers Weekly’s annual roster of 100 best books, Library Reads Top Picks, Real Simple annual tally of best books, Goodreads Readers’ Choice awards, Booklist’s Top Ten, and Book of the Month.

She attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper. Susan’s expertise as a storyteller and her thoroughly researched topics make her a favorite author of book clubs everywhere. Her engaging and warm speaking style appeal to all manner of women’s groups, literary organizations, libraries and learning institutions, and service clubs.

When she is not working on a new novel, she enjoys teaching workshops on writing and dream-following, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling.