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The Fragments
INGA Karlson died in a fire in New York in the 1930s, leaving behind three things: a phenomenally successful first novel, the scorched fragments of a second book— and a mystery that has captivated generations of readers.
Nearly fifty years later, Brisbane bookseller Caddie Walker is waiting in line to see a Karlson exhibition featuring the famous fragments when she meets a charismatic older woman.
The woman quotes a phrase from the Karlson fragments that Caddie knows does not exist—and yet to Caddie, who knows Inga Karlson’s work like she knows her name, it feels genuine.
Caddie is electrified. Jolted her from her sleepy, no-worries life in torpid 1980s Brisbane, she is driven to investigate: to find the clues that will unlock the greatest literary mystery of the twentieth century
Nearly fifty years later, Brisbane bookseller Caddie Walker is waiting in line to see a Karlson exhibition featuring the famous fragments when she meets a charismatic older woman.
The woman quotes a phrase from the Karlson fragments that Caddie knows does not exist—and yet to Caddie, who knows Inga Karlson’s work like she knows her name, it feels genuine.
Caddie is electrified. Jolted her from her sleepy, no-worries life in torpid 1980s Brisbane, she is driven to investigate: to find the clues that will unlock the greatest literary mystery of the twentieth century
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2018
50 people are currently reading
1174 people want to read
About the author
Toni Jordan
24 books274 followershttps://www.tonijordan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authortonijo...
Toni Jordan has worked as a molecular biologist, quality control chemist, TAB operator and door-to-door aluminium siding salesperson.
She is the author of six novels including the international bestseller Addition, which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, Nine Days, which was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards and was named in Kirkus Review's top 10 Historical Novels of 2013, and Our Tiny, Useless Hearts, which was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
Toni has been published widely in newspapers and magazines.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology and a PhD in Creative Arts.
Toni lives in Melbourne.
https://www.facebook.com/authortonijo...
Toni Jordan has worked as a molecular biologist, quality control chemist, TAB operator and door-to-door aluminium siding salesperson.
She is the author of six novels including the international bestseller Addition, which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, Nine Days, which was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards and was named in Kirkus Review's top 10 Historical Novels of 2013, and Our Tiny, Useless Hearts, which was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
Toni has been published widely in newspapers and magazines.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology and a PhD in Creative Arts.
Toni lives in Melbourne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
September 14, 2019
A enjoyable book, The Fragments is about a manuscript that gets destroyed by fire in 1930's New York, only a few fragments of the book remain. It's revered author famously perished with it. Fast track to 1980's Brisbane where bookseller Caddie goes to an exhibition featuring the fragments of the book, where she meets mysterious stranger Rachel, who seems to know more lines in the book than the fragments reveal. This seems impossible however, as the only people who had ever read the book perished in the fire.
This sends Caddie off on a quest to discover the truth about the book, it's author, and the elusive Rachel. What was the truth behind the fire? Did anyone else really read the book? And is Rachel legit or an imposter, making the words up on a whim?
While I did enjoy this book, I much preferred the timeline set in Brisbane, probably because I live there and am aware of the locations mentioned in the book. On the other hand I found the New York timeline quite tedious and was bored on those alternate chapters. And as for the twist at the end, I could see it coming a mile off. I am happy that I've read this book, but I don't think it's particularly memorable.
My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This sends Caddie off on a quest to discover the truth about the book, it's author, and the elusive Rachel. What was the truth behind the fire? Did anyone else really read the book? And is Rachel legit or an imposter, making the words up on a whim?
While I did enjoy this book, I much preferred the timeline set in Brisbane, probably because I live there and am aware of the locations mentioned in the book. On the other hand I found the New York timeline quite tedious and was bored on those alternate chapters. And as for the twist at the end, I could see it coming a mile off. I am happy that I've read this book, but I don't think it's particularly memorable.
My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2019
This book is part mystery and part historical novel. Inga Karlson was the literary phenomenon of her day. Her one book was considered a masterpiece. But then, right before the publication of her second book, she dies in a warehouse arson fire and the book is almost completely lost as well. Only a few pages, fragments, remain.
Fast forward fifty years and Caddie Walker is a bookseller in 1986 Brisbane. She goes to see an exhibit on The Fragments and meets an elderly woman, Rachel, who quotes from the Fragments. But her quote is longer than what appears on paper.
We also see Rachel’s life starting in Depression Era Pennsylvania. The chapters alternate as Rachel grows up and Caddie tries to solve her mystery of who the elderly woman is and what she knows.
This book took a while to grab my interest. It’s slow moving and it really wasn’t until almost the halfway point that I was drawn in. Which doesn’t mean I didn’t get incredibly frustrated with Caddie. I’m sorry, I like my main characters to be smart. The ending was predictable and a bit of a disappointment.
My thanks to netgalley and Text Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
Fast forward fifty years and Caddie Walker is a bookseller in 1986 Brisbane. She goes to see an exhibit on The Fragments and meets an elderly woman, Rachel, who quotes from the Fragments. But her quote is longer than what appears on paper.
We also see Rachel’s life starting in Depression Era Pennsylvania. The chapters alternate as Rachel grows up and Caddie tries to solve her mystery of who the elderly woman is and what she knows.
This book took a while to grab my interest. It’s slow moving and it really wasn’t until almost the halfway point that I was drawn in. Which doesn’t mean I didn’t get incredibly frustrated with Caddie. I’m sorry, I like my main characters to be smart. The ending was predictable and a bit of a disappointment.
My thanks to netgalley and Text Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
October 28, 2019
4★
“Caddie has worked for Christine on and off since she was fifteen. Back then, Christine was over seventy. Now that Caddie is older, Christine is about fifty.”
And isn't that just how we think at that age? :)
Brisbane, 1986, and Caddie’s still working in Christine’s bookshop, treading water, marking time, and for what? Always a booklover, she’s particularly besotted with one with a character “Cadence”, for whom she was named. It’s as if she were named “Scout” because her parents loved To Kill a Mockingbird, but Caddie’s father loved “All Has An End” by Inga Karlson and used to read it to her. Her father died a few years earlier, so now she reads it herself, every year, at least once.
“All Has An End” was the only book Karlson published before she was killed in a fire that took all the first copies of her second novel, “The Days, The Minutes”. At least that’s what’s left at the top of one of the burned scraps of paper, known as The Fragments, which were found after the fire. These tiny remains are making the rounds of museums, and at last, they are in Brisbane, where Caddie and long queues of Karlson fans wait in the tropical heat of a Brisbane summer.
“Caddie can see the fragments, and seeing them makes her long for her father in a way she hasn’t for years, an ache that spreads up her side and finishes behind her sternum, which is a bone she knows to be smooth in other people’s chests but imagines laced with steely holes like a box grater in her own.”
New York, 1938, Rachel Lehrer is a young waitress in Schrafft’s, trying desperately to make her way on her own after a troubled upbringing in Pennsylvania. She loved life on their family farm, but when she was about 10, her father moved them to a factory town. She was another little girl who grew up with a book always under her arm and a father she adored – until the move when he became bitter. Her mother never accepted the change in status.
“‘We’re not really factory people.’
‘We’re factory people now,’ Walter says.
Mary reaches over to flatten the curl in Rachel’s collar. ‘Your father’s people owned land in this valley. You keep yourself nice, better things will come.’
Walter stands, an eruption of force, and his chair tips over to the floor behind him. Snorts once through his nose. Picks up his plate scraped clean and hurls it at the wall.
George yelps. The plate has broken into three. The divot and crumbled plaster fall like snow.
‘That’s what we are now,’ he says. ‘Factory people. One more word, Mary. One more, so help me.’
He collects his coat and is out the door.”
Rachel crosses paths with Inga Karlson and the New York celebrity scene, their tender relationship forming half of the book. Alternating chapters are Caddie’s story and her obsession with The Fragments, the mythical second Karlson novel.
Both timelines are convincing and interesting. When it began, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it, but I gradually got caught up in both worlds, Caddie’s and Rachel’s, and their very different stories.
Jordan certainly knows the tropical heat and damp and general stickiness that is a Brisbane summer. It is the kind of weather that permeates everything you do, much the way living in snow country affects your day-to-day life. In this heat, though, you also get hail.
“Caddie wakes in the early hours, sweating and tangled in sheet, to the sound of hail pounding the corrugated-iron roof. These heavy summer storms are common in Brisbane but more usual in the afternoon. You glance out the window to find the air suspiciously still. If you drive anywhere with any regularity, to an office or a factory or school, you carry with you a mental map of all the undercover parking places along your route: bridges, overpasses, the awning of an abandoned petrol station. Some days the clouds have a greenish, bruised tinge and when the skies are like that the hail can come down without warning. An oval becomes a sea of white, birds are struck dead on the branch. Holes drill through windows like a straight drive down a fairway, divots as deep as your first knuckle appear on car bonnets. Then the wind picks up, then the rain. Turmoil, like being trapped inside a washing machine. The price to be paid for all those days of endless blue.”
I ended up liking this a lot. I can’t tell how much is because I recognise all the references to life and politics in Queensland in the 1980s and how much is because I was engaged with the story – which I was. I will admit that I also was taken to Schrafft’s by my grandmother, so that could have swayed me a little, too. :)
I also loved her debut novel:
Link to my review of "Addition"
I hate to say there’s a great twist at the end, because absolutely everybody always says that, but . . .well, yes, there is.
Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.
“Caddie has worked for Christine on and off since she was fifteen. Back then, Christine was over seventy. Now that Caddie is older, Christine is about fifty.”
And isn't that just how we think at that age? :)
Brisbane, 1986, and Caddie’s still working in Christine’s bookshop, treading water, marking time, and for what? Always a booklover, she’s particularly besotted with one with a character “Cadence”, for whom she was named. It’s as if she were named “Scout” because her parents loved To Kill a Mockingbird, but Caddie’s father loved “All Has An End” by Inga Karlson and used to read it to her. Her father died a few years earlier, so now she reads it herself, every year, at least once.
“All Has An End” was the only book Karlson published before she was killed in a fire that took all the first copies of her second novel, “The Days, The Minutes”. At least that’s what’s left at the top of one of the burned scraps of paper, known as The Fragments, which were found after the fire. These tiny remains are making the rounds of museums, and at last, they are in Brisbane, where Caddie and long queues of Karlson fans wait in the tropical heat of a Brisbane summer.
“Caddie can see the fragments, and seeing them makes her long for her father in a way she hasn’t for years, an ache that spreads up her side and finishes behind her sternum, which is a bone she knows to be smooth in other people’s chests but imagines laced with steely holes like a box grater in her own.”
New York, 1938, Rachel Lehrer is a young waitress in Schrafft’s, trying desperately to make her way on her own after a troubled upbringing in Pennsylvania. She loved life on their family farm, but when she was about 10, her father moved them to a factory town. She was another little girl who grew up with a book always under her arm and a father she adored – until the move when he became bitter. Her mother never accepted the change in status.
“‘We’re not really factory people.’
‘We’re factory people now,’ Walter says.
Mary reaches over to flatten the curl in Rachel’s collar. ‘Your father’s people owned land in this valley. You keep yourself nice, better things will come.’
Walter stands, an eruption of force, and his chair tips over to the floor behind him. Snorts once through his nose. Picks up his plate scraped clean and hurls it at the wall.
George yelps. The plate has broken into three. The divot and crumbled plaster fall like snow.
‘That’s what we are now,’ he says. ‘Factory people. One more word, Mary. One more, so help me.’
He collects his coat and is out the door.”
Rachel crosses paths with Inga Karlson and the New York celebrity scene, their tender relationship forming half of the book. Alternating chapters are Caddie’s story and her obsession with The Fragments, the mythical second Karlson novel.
Both timelines are convincing and interesting. When it began, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it, but I gradually got caught up in both worlds, Caddie’s and Rachel’s, and their very different stories.
Jordan certainly knows the tropical heat and damp and general stickiness that is a Brisbane summer. It is the kind of weather that permeates everything you do, much the way living in snow country affects your day-to-day life. In this heat, though, you also get hail.
“Caddie wakes in the early hours, sweating and tangled in sheet, to the sound of hail pounding the corrugated-iron roof. These heavy summer storms are common in Brisbane but more usual in the afternoon. You glance out the window to find the air suspiciously still. If you drive anywhere with any regularity, to an office or a factory or school, you carry with you a mental map of all the undercover parking places along your route: bridges, overpasses, the awning of an abandoned petrol station. Some days the clouds have a greenish, bruised tinge and when the skies are like that the hail can come down without warning. An oval becomes a sea of white, birds are struck dead on the branch. Holes drill through windows like a straight drive down a fairway, divots as deep as your first knuckle appear on car bonnets. Then the wind picks up, then the rain. Turmoil, like being trapped inside a washing machine. The price to be paid for all those days of endless blue.”
I ended up liking this a lot. I can’t tell how much is because I recognise all the references to life and politics in Queensland in the 1980s and how much is because I was engaged with the story – which I was. I will admit that I also was taken to Schrafft’s by my grandmother, so that could have swayed me a little, too. :)
I also loved her debut novel:
Link to my review of "Addition"
I hate to say there’s a great twist at the end, because absolutely everybody always says that, but . . .well, yes, there is.
Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.
December 11, 2018
3-4 stars, so I will go with 4.
A lovely tale of Rachel and Inga, and a book that was never to be. All that remains are the fragments of Inga's next work. After a terrible fire ravages all copies all that is left are some burned pieces of a few pages. Inga Karlsson is famous world wide, her death is a tragedy with no bounds.
Caddie is a young book lover working in a book store and obsessed with Inga, she is dying to find out what happened. Told in alternating chapters from Caddie's days in Brisbane 1986 and the New York in the 1930's, this is a well written book with well drawn characters. Loved to read about Brissie in the 80’s.
I enjoyed both timelines, and considered there to be no other way to go about the storytelling. The heat and tension of Brisbane's summer was well contrasted to the simmering tension leading up to the reveal. Toni Jordan is a wonderful author, nothing can top Addition for me, but this offering was very good.
A lovely tale of Rachel and Inga, and a book that was never to be. All that remains are the fragments of Inga's next work. After a terrible fire ravages all copies all that is left are some burned pieces of a few pages. Inga Karlsson is famous world wide, her death is a tragedy with no bounds.
Caddie is a young book lover working in a book store and obsessed with Inga, she is dying to find out what happened. Told in alternating chapters from Caddie's days in Brisbane 1986 and the New York in the 1930's, this is a well written book with well drawn characters. Loved to read about Brissie in the 80’s.
I enjoyed both timelines, and considered there to be no other way to go about the storytelling. The heat and tension of Brisbane's summer was well contrasted to the simmering tension leading up to the reveal. Toni Jordan is a wonderful author, nothing can top Addition for me, but this offering was very good.
June 22, 2019
I could not have loved this book more!! A book told from 2 points of view and in 2 different periods. Toni Jordan you have a new fan. I could not resist reading a book about a book...what book lover could. And to top it all off it s by an Aussie writer and partially set in Brisbane. Thank you Text Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read.
It tells the story of a famous book that was never published. Destroyed in a fire in 1938 all that are left are charred fragments. In 1983 these fragments travel to Brisbane and Caddie can't resist seeing them being a life long fan of the writers first and only book. A chance encounter on her way home sparks a hunt for the truth.
It is beautifully written, it is sad, it is funny and I just loved it so much! You need to read this book.
It tells the story of a famous book that was never published. Destroyed in a fire in 1938 all that are left are charred fragments. In 1983 these fragments travel to Brisbane and Caddie can't resist seeing them being a life long fan of the writers first and only book. A chance encounter on her way home sparks a hunt for the truth.
It is beautifully written, it is sad, it is funny and I just loved it so much! You need to read this book.
June 22, 2019
The Fragments by Toni Jordan is a literary mystery that alternates between 1930s New York City and 1980s Brisbane, Australia. The back and forth succeeds in retaining the interest and attention of the reader. In the 1930s, Inga Karlson wrote a much-loved bestselling book. The public was enthralled and anxiously awaited the next novel. However, tragedy struck which led to the partial destruction of all copies of the new book, leaving only scorched fragments. In 1980s Brisbane, Caddie Walker, a bookstore clerk, attends an exhibition of the Inga Karlson book fragments. Something that happens there causes Caddie to investigate the occurences of the 1930s to get to the bottom of what led to the loss of such an important book. What follows will not disappoint. This is a quiet thriller that surprises and entertains the reader. Highly recommended. Thank you to Text Publishing Company and NetGalley for the e- ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2019
3.5 stars (rounded down)
A Fire in New York, in the 1930’s took the life of author Inga Karlson, along with all of the copies of her soon-to-be published second novel, “The Days, The Minutes.”
What remained were the damaged remnants of just a few pages. In order, they were 46, 53, 108, 117, 187, 200 and 238. Page 108 has suffered only charring down the right hand side, and a small oblong hole. Page 200 had one whole corner burnt away, and other parts were crumbling.
”The fragments” are on display at the new State Gallery , in Brisbane, Queensland in 1986, and bookseller, and fan, Caddie Walker is taking her time appreciating each and every part of the visiting exhibit.
While there she meets an elderly woman, who asks her which words from “The Fragments” are her favorite-and without hesitation Caddie answers:
“And in the end, all we have are the hours and the days, the minutes and the way we bear them”
The woman says those are her favorite words as well, and she finishes the partial sentence with :
“The seconds spent on this earth and the number of them that truly mattered.”
Caddie becomes convinced that despite all that has been written about this tragedy, that this unknown woman somehow KNEW what had been written and that the words she spoke were the actual words penned by the author, and not words that she just made up...
So begins a mystery, fifty years in the making that will have Caddie Walker looking into that long ago fire and the woman who MAY just have the answers, that the World has been waiting for-
Told from two alternating timelines ...1938 and 1986- I thought this would be a book for bibliophiles, and I loved the concept!
But, Caddie made some exasperating decisions, and the book spent too much time developing some personal relationships which I wanted to skim past to get back to the suspense aspect of the book!
Fortunately, the book redeems itself in the end, just as I was giving up hope!!
A Fire in New York, in the 1930’s took the life of author Inga Karlson, along with all of the copies of her soon-to-be published second novel, “The Days, The Minutes.”
What remained were the damaged remnants of just a few pages. In order, they were 46, 53, 108, 117, 187, 200 and 238. Page 108 has suffered only charring down the right hand side, and a small oblong hole. Page 200 had one whole corner burnt away, and other parts were crumbling.
”The fragments” are on display at the new State Gallery , in Brisbane, Queensland in 1986, and bookseller, and fan, Caddie Walker is taking her time appreciating each and every part of the visiting exhibit.
While there she meets an elderly woman, who asks her which words from “The Fragments” are her favorite-and without hesitation Caddie answers:
“And in the end, all we have are the hours and the days, the minutes and the way we bear them”
The woman says those are her favorite words as well, and she finishes the partial sentence with :
“The seconds spent on this earth and the number of them that truly mattered.”
Caddie becomes convinced that despite all that has been written about this tragedy, that this unknown woman somehow KNEW what had been written and that the words she spoke were the actual words penned by the author, and not words that she just made up...
So begins a mystery, fifty years in the making that will have Caddie Walker looking into that long ago fire and the woman who MAY just have the answers, that the World has been waiting for-
Told from two alternating timelines ...1938 and 1986- I thought this would be a book for bibliophiles, and I loved the concept!
But, Caddie made some exasperating decisions, and the book spent too much time developing some personal relationships which I wanted to skim past to get back to the suspense aspect of the book!
Fortunately, the book redeems itself in the end, just as I was giving up hope!!
January 15, 2019
”Books are art that talks to us.”
At the height of her popularity, writer Inga Karlsson perishes in a warehouse fire, along with her publisher and copies of her yet to be released latest book. All that remains are “fragments” of pages, around which this novel is based.
”The fragments are here, locked behind steel and glass inside the new State Gallery. The fragments. Irreplaceable, priceless. Here in Brisbane.”
There are secrets and lies and entanglements to be unravelled. We meet both quirky and devious characters, as the mystery of Inga Karlsson’s demise is brought to light.
I love how Toni Jordan shows the obsession/s people have for their favourite writers, and just how much their books mean to people. I agree wholeheartedly! Great books touch the soul.
Who’d have thought that intertwined stories between 1930s New York & 1980s Brissie** could be so good. I won’t talk about the obscure link between the two cities, as so many other reviewers have already done so. Just know it’s exceptionally well done, and believable. This was an absolute pleasure to read.
A solid three & half ★s for me.
** Brissie = Brisbane, Qld
July 15, 2019
Inga Karlson's debut novel published in 1935, All Has an End was a major literary success loved and read by all. Four years later her much anticipated second book, The Days, the Minutes was on the verge of being released in New York, when Inga, her publisher and all copies of the book were engulfed in a fire in the warehouse where the books were stored. All that remains are a few scorched fragments, with snippets of beautiful prose hinting at the lost promise of the novel.
In 1986, Caddie Walker, a young woman working in a Brisbane bookstore, queues to see an exhibition on Inga Karlson and in particular the fragments of that second book. At the exhibition she meets an older woman called Rachel who, just as she's leaving in a taxi, quotes a passage from the fragments to her, but Caddie realises it's an extended version of the passage. Has she discovered someone who has read The Days, the Minutes? Together with Jamie Ganivet, an ex-graduate student and expert on Inga Karlson, Caddie delves back into the history of Inga's life and the cause of the fire to find out if it's possible that someone other than Inga and her publisher read a copy the book before it was destroyed.
Written in two time lines, the Fragments tells the story of the writing of The Days, the Minutes and the events leading up to the catastrophic fire in 1939 and Caddie's search for answers in 1986. The novel is beautifully written with gorgeous prose and snippets of wry humour and the plot is well paced with a rising tension as Rachel's and Caddie's stories unfold. Rachel's life in her tiny apartment in New York in the 1930s, with the world on the brink of war feels authentic, as does Caddie's life in 1980s Queensland, in a time before internet made research so much easier. A little twist at the end makes for a surprising and very satisfying ending. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for an advanced copy to read.
In 1986, Caddie Walker, a young woman working in a Brisbane bookstore, queues to see an exhibition on Inga Karlson and in particular the fragments of that second book. At the exhibition she meets an older woman called Rachel who, just as she's leaving in a taxi, quotes a passage from the fragments to her, but Caddie realises it's an extended version of the passage. Has she discovered someone who has read The Days, the Minutes? Together with Jamie Ganivet, an ex-graduate student and expert on Inga Karlson, Caddie delves back into the history of Inga's life and the cause of the fire to find out if it's possible that someone other than Inga and her publisher read a copy the book before it was destroyed.
Written in two time lines, the Fragments tells the story of the writing of The Days, the Minutes and the events leading up to the catastrophic fire in 1939 and Caddie's search for answers in 1986. The novel is beautifully written with gorgeous prose and snippets of wry humour and the plot is well paced with a rising tension as Rachel's and Caddie's stories unfold. Rachel's life in her tiny apartment in New York in the 1930s, with the world on the brink of war feels authentic, as does Caddie's life in 1980s Queensland, in a time before internet made research so much easier. A little twist at the end makes for a surprising and very satisfying ending. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for an advanced copy to read.
October 15, 2018
4.5★
Toni Jordan seems to be able to turn her hand to any genre. This time it's literary mystery, and I loved it!
In late 1930s New York, Inga Karlson is a literary sensation. Her wildly successful first novel All Has An End has become a must-read for a world on the brink of war again, heightening the anticipation of her soon-to-be-published second, The Days, The Minutes. But on the eve of publication, the reclusive Karlson is killed in a warehouse fire, where all copies of the novel are destroyed, but for a few random fragments.
In 1980s Brisbane, Caddie Walker is a bookseller who, like hordes of others through the generations, adores Karlson and re-reads All Has An End every year. So when an exhibition of the Fragments and other Karlson memorabilia comes to Brisbane, she can't stay away. At the exhibition she meets a mysterious older woman who quotes from the Fragments, and the line stays in Caddie's head for days.
So begins the mystery of the Fragments. Is it possible that someone other than the author and the publisher (who also died in the fire) has read The Days, The Minutes?
I love that Jordan takes us straight into the mystery. There is no build-up; we are there on page 2, already uncovering information. Then she dishes it out at a good pace, sustaining the reader's interest for the entire novel.
I also loved that the later thread in the story wasn't quite contemporary. In Brisbane in 1986 Caddie didn't have the internet to help with her research. It actually made me feel a bit nostalgic for my uni days, immediately prior to the computer age. It was all done the hard way, relying on intellect, a bit of nous, and the goodwill of one or two curious fellow-researchers to help out.
There were one or two tiny little plot points where I had to suspend disbelief, and although they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel, they make me reluctant to give it the full five stars. But near enough! A great read.
With thanks to Text Publishing for an advance copy to read and review.
Toni Jordan seems to be able to turn her hand to any genre. This time it's literary mystery, and I loved it!
In late 1930s New York, Inga Karlson is a literary sensation. Her wildly successful first novel All Has An End has become a must-read for a world on the brink of war again, heightening the anticipation of her soon-to-be-published second, The Days, The Minutes. But on the eve of publication, the reclusive Karlson is killed in a warehouse fire, where all copies of the novel are destroyed, but for a few random fragments.
In 1980s Brisbane, Caddie Walker is a bookseller who, like hordes of others through the generations, adores Karlson and re-reads All Has An End every year. So when an exhibition of the Fragments and other Karlson memorabilia comes to Brisbane, she can't stay away. At the exhibition she meets a mysterious older woman who quotes from the Fragments, and the line stays in Caddie's head for days.
So begins the mystery of the Fragments. Is it possible that someone other than the author and the publisher (who also died in the fire) has read The Days, The Minutes?
I love that Jordan takes us straight into the mystery. There is no build-up; we are there on page 2, already uncovering information. Then she dishes it out at a good pace, sustaining the reader's interest for the entire novel.
I also loved that the later thread in the story wasn't quite contemporary. In Brisbane in 1986 Caddie didn't have the internet to help with her research. It actually made me feel a bit nostalgic for my uni days, immediately prior to the computer age. It was all done the hard way, relying on intellect, a bit of nous, and the goodwill of one or two curious fellow-researchers to help out.
There were one or two tiny little plot points where I had to suspend disbelief, and although they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel, they make me reluctant to give it the full five stars. But near enough! A great read.
With thanks to Text Publishing for an advance copy to read and review.
February 2, 2019
I’m in two minds about this book, although it all played out rather nicely at the end I was left a little underwhelmed by the actual storyline. Even though I accepted the mystery at face value for what it’s worth I found it a little unbelievable that Caddie would take such a small nugget of information (from a complete stranger mind you) and then go to such great lengths to uncover what essentially becomes a major coup, risking her job and all, including spending much time and energy on what is essentially a hunch to uncover a historical mystery, it mostly left me wondering why all the fuss. There is enough coincidental conveniences that ties the ending to make you feel somewhat satisfied for going along with it. I think I just had some lingering doubts why anyone would be so fascinated by these supposedly important artifacts but it never really showed what was so special about them. There were patches of the story that felt unfinished and unpolished.
Although some passages and conversations felt confusing to me, I’m having trouble trying to accurately articulate exactly what bothered me exactly. Toni Jordan is an accomplished writer and there was a lot I was impressed with, I was particularly fond of her descriptions of Brisbane, I had a great sense of time and place.
Overall the book had too many holes and misses that it dramatically reduced my complete enjoyment of this book. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.
Although some passages and conversations felt confusing to me, I’m having trouble trying to accurately articulate exactly what bothered me exactly. Toni Jordan is an accomplished writer and there was a lot I was impressed with, I was particularly fond of her descriptions of Brisbane, I had a great sense of time and place.
Overall the book had too many holes and misses that it dramatically reduced my complete enjoyment of this book. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.
October 17, 2018
The Fragments is the fifth novel by award-winning Australian author, Toni Jordan. For most of her life, Caddie Wilson has been enthralled by the story of her favourite author. In New York in 1935, Inga Karlson’s first novel was published and became a world-wide best-seller. Hounded by an adoring public, she withdrew into seclusion to write, but in 1939 every copy of The Days, the Minutes, her second novel, was destroyed in the warehouse fire that took her life and that of her publisher, the only people who had ever read it. Scorched fragments were all that remained.
In the first months of 1986 those Fragments are on display at Brisbane’s new State Gallery, and Caddie is waiting in a lengthy queue to see them. She knows each of them by heart, having read all there is to know about her idol. But she is stunned when another visitor to the exhibition quotes the words on a particular fragment with an extra line. It absolutely fits, but how could that be?
Almost fifty years earlier and quite by chance, nineteen-year-old waitress Rachel Lehrer meets the author of one of the few books she has loved enough to own, All Has an End. Incognito, Inga Karlson trails about New York City trying to escape the pressure from her publisher to meet the deadline for her second novel. An unlikely friendship between a farm girl and a Pulitzer prize-winner ensues.
The two narratives alternate between chapters, so Caddie’s efforts to discover the truth about the fire, the lost manuscript and that inexplicable extra line, run in tandem with the events that find rural Rachel in New York with Inga. With Nazi sympathisers, imposters, covert surveillance of a post office, and a posthumous letter, this is a gripping historical mystery with quite a few twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the final pages.
Jordan’s depiction of the mid-eighties Brisbane summer is absolutely spot-on: not just the weather, the clothing, the food and drink, but also the social attitudes, the politics, the in-jokes, the leisure activities and the dialogue. And of course, the lack of mobile phones, digital records, internet and Google. It’s easy to forget how tedious doing research could be, with the microfiche being at the cutting edge of technology; and how inconvenient personal contact could be, tethered to a landline that was shared by many. Similarly, the nineteen-thirties are well-rendered with plenty of allusions anchoring it firmly in pre-war America.
Jordan gives the reader some excellent characters, most of whom have appeal despite their very human flaws; and of course a few suitably nasty ones who are meant to be despised. Caddie’s emotions affect her good judgement for a while, but she gets it right in the end. There’s some delightful banter between the characters as well as one or two lump-in-the-throat moments. Once again, Jordan shows she is a very talented author, with more than one string to her bow, and it will be interesting to see what she turns her hand to next. Recommended!
In the first months of 1986 those Fragments are on display at Brisbane’s new State Gallery, and Caddie is waiting in a lengthy queue to see them. She knows each of them by heart, having read all there is to know about her idol. But she is stunned when another visitor to the exhibition quotes the words on a particular fragment with an extra line. It absolutely fits, but how could that be?
Almost fifty years earlier and quite by chance, nineteen-year-old waitress Rachel Lehrer meets the author of one of the few books she has loved enough to own, All Has an End. Incognito, Inga Karlson trails about New York City trying to escape the pressure from her publisher to meet the deadline for her second novel. An unlikely friendship between a farm girl and a Pulitzer prize-winner ensues.
The two narratives alternate between chapters, so Caddie’s efforts to discover the truth about the fire, the lost manuscript and that inexplicable extra line, run in tandem with the events that find rural Rachel in New York with Inga. With Nazi sympathisers, imposters, covert surveillance of a post office, and a posthumous letter, this is a gripping historical mystery with quite a few twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the final pages.
Jordan’s depiction of the mid-eighties Brisbane summer is absolutely spot-on: not just the weather, the clothing, the food and drink, but also the social attitudes, the politics, the in-jokes, the leisure activities and the dialogue. And of course, the lack of mobile phones, digital records, internet and Google. It’s easy to forget how tedious doing research could be, with the microfiche being at the cutting edge of technology; and how inconvenient personal contact could be, tethered to a landline that was shared by many. Similarly, the nineteen-thirties are well-rendered with plenty of allusions anchoring it firmly in pre-war America.
Jordan gives the reader some excellent characters, most of whom have appeal despite their very human flaws; and of course a few suitably nasty ones who are meant to be despised. Caddie’s emotions affect her good judgement for a while, but she gets it right in the end. There’s some delightful banter between the characters as well as one or two lump-in-the-throat moments. Once again, Jordan shows she is a very talented author, with more than one string to her bow, and it will be interesting to see what she turns her hand to next. Recommended!
March 18, 2019
There is a quirkiness in Australian novels and films that I find captivating. In The Fragments, by Australian author Toni Jordan, the main character, Cadence, reminds me of so many strong but equally innocent/naive Australian heroines. I'm thinking of Jean Paget in A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute; Sybylla Melvyn in My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin; Meggie in Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds; and the incomparable Buster in D'Arcy Niland's The Shiralee. (All strong females who suffered, endured and survived, but who lack worldly sophistication or experience.)
Cadence Walker is an intelligent and gifted researcher who was unable to complete her university education because of her father's illness and death. She works in a book shop and is an ardent fan of her father's favourite author, Inga Karlson. (I loved the lilting quality of Jordan's writing - it is almost conversational at times:.)
"She (Cadence) is not afraid of effort but she is afraid of reward. She is thin and that's fine with her: She's suspicious of the soft, the obvious, the cozy, the comfortable, as though taking the easy road even once would lull her to death."
While attending a gallery showing of the burned fragments of Karlson's ill-fated second book, Cadence meets an older patron by the name of Ruth. During their animated discussion about which fragment was their favourite piece in the exhibit, Ruth recites:
"And in the end, all we have are the hours and the days, the minutes and the way we bear them, the seconds spent on this earth and the number of them that truly mattered."
When Ruth leaves the gallery, Cadence realizes that the last part of the quote is not in fact printed on the exhibited fragment. And so the quest to solve the mystery begins!
I loved the story and the writing style: there was an 80's beat and vibe to the language used that reminded you that part of the story is taking place in the 80's. (And yes, there is an interesting love triangle - just to keep you even more interested.) This was a very enjoyable read: highly recommended!
.
Cadence Walker is an intelligent and gifted researcher who was unable to complete her university education because of her father's illness and death. She works in a book shop and is an ardent fan of her father's favourite author, Inga Karlson. (I loved the lilting quality of Jordan's writing - it is almost conversational at times:.)
"She (Cadence) is not afraid of effort but she is afraid of reward. She is thin and that's fine with her: She's suspicious of the soft, the obvious, the cozy, the comfortable, as though taking the easy road even once would lull her to death."
While attending a gallery showing of the burned fragments of Karlson's ill-fated second book, Cadence meets an older patron by the name of Ruth. During their animated discussion about which fragment was their favourite piece in the exhibit, Ruth recites:
"And in the end, all we have are the hours and the days, the minutes and the way we bear them, the seconds spent on this earth and the number of them that truly mattered."
When Ruth leaves the gallery, Cadence realizes that the last part of the quote is not in fact printed on the exhibited fragment. And so the quest to solve the mystery begins!
I loved the story and the writing style: there was an 80's beat and vibe to the language used that reminded you that part of the story is taking place in the 80's. (And yes, there is an interesting love triangle - just to keep you even more interested.) This was a very enjoyable read: highly recommended!
.
Read
November 5, 2018‘A mystery that spans cities, class, people and timezones, and it’s a page-turner with plot developments transpiring right to the very last pages...If you love reading Jane Harper or Holly Throsby or indeed Jordan’s other novels, this is the perfect weekend read. The Fragments is undoubtedly Jordan’s finest work to date.’
Readings
‘A captivating read.’
Who Weekly
‘An unusual literary thriller, built around complex twists and a great sense of anticipation…Exploring truth and historicity, The Fragments is a clever novel. Jordan’s fiction examines the overlooked roles of women, whose work often forms the thread that binds stories from the past, and the public’s hunger for what goes missing in the narrative gaps.’
Saturday Paper
‘It’s a treat to step back into 1980s-era Australia with [Jordan].’
Books + Publishing
Readings
‘A captivating read.’
Who Weekly
‘An unusual literary thriller, built around complex twists and a great sense of anticipation…Exploring truth and historicity, The Fragments is a clever novel. Jordan’s fiction examines the overlooked roles of women, whose work often forms the thread that binds stories from the past, and the public’s hunger for what goes missing in the narrative gaps.’
Saturday Paper
‘It’s a treat to step back into 1980s-era Australia with [Jordan].’
Books + Publishing
November 16, 2019
3.5
Inga Karlson was a one novel wonder, her novel All Has An End being adored by generations of readers. Unfortunately, she perished in a fire in the warehouse where the copies of her sophomore novel were being kept before publishing in 1939. Only a few fragments remained. These fragments and other objects related and belonging to Inga Karlson are part of an exhibition that opened in 1986 at the Art Galery in Brisbane, Australia.
Caddie Walker is a twenty-something bookseller in Brisbane. She's obsessed with Inga Karlson's novel, knows the book by heart and has read everything and anything on the famous writer. While waiting in line to enter the exhibition, she meets an older lady, who was feeling unsteady. When the lady says a line that seemed to sound like it belonged to Inga Karlson, Caddie is puzzled. The old woman's name is Rachel Leiher.
The Fragments is told in alternate chapters and points of view - one is Caddie's in 1986 Brisbane, the other POV belongs to Rachel Leiher, in the 1930s New York and Pennsylvania.
Caddie is on a quest to find out the old lady and to discover the cause of the fire Inga Karlson perished in. I'll leave it at that, for fear of spoilers.
This was enjoyable enough, even though at times I thought Caddie was too gullible, I guess those flaws led to the novel's main conflict.
Unfortunately, Inga Karlson is just a fictional character, as you can imagine I googled her name.
This was a cosy mystery/historical novel. Caroline Lee's delivery was good, although I did have to increase the speed to 1.25x to make her delivery/the novel more enjoyable.
Inga Karlson was a one novel wonder, her novel All Has An End being adored by generations of readers. Unfortunately, she perished in a fire in the warehouse where the copies of her sophomore novel were being kept before publishing in 1939. Only a few fragments remained. These fragments and other objects related and belonging to Inga Karlson are part of an exhibition that opened in 1986 at the Art Galery in Brisbane, Australia.
Caddie Walker is a twenty-something bookseller in Brisbane. She's obsessed with Inga Karlson's novel, knows the book by heart and has read everything and anything on the famous writer. While waiting in line to enter the exhibition, she meets an older lady, who was feeling unsteady. When the lady says a line that seemed to sound like it belonged to Inga Karlson, Caddie is puzzled. The old woman's name is Rachel Leiher.
The Fragments is told in alternate chapters and points of view - one is Caddie's in 1986 Brisbane, the other POV belongs to Rachel Leiher, in the 1930s New York and Pennsylvania.
Caddie is on a quest to find out the old lady and to discover the cause of the fire Inga Karlson perished in. I'll leave it at that, for fear of spoilers.
This was enjoyable enough, even though at times I thought Caddie was too gullible, I guess those flaws led to the novel's main conflict.
Unfortunately, Inga Karlson is just a fictional character, as you can imagine I googled her name.
This was a cosy mystery/historical novel. Caroline Lee's delivery was good, although I did have to increase the speed to 1.25x to make her delivery/the novel more enjoyable.
October 7, 2019
Three and a half stars.
The literary world goes into mourning when news breaks that Inga Karlson has died in a fire along with her editor. At the same time her newest manuscript is lost. Only a few charred fragments remain. Inga has previously published one book to great acclaim. All fans of Inga’s were looking forward to the new book They want to know what happened that day and more about the contents of that second manuscript. In Brisbane in 1986 Caddie Walker, who works in a bookshop, is one such Karlson fan. While waiting in a queue for an exhibition featuring the Karlson fragments she has a conversation with another woman, called Rachel, who seems to know more about the book than anyone else. But how could she? The manuscript was a closely guarded secret. That conversation sends Caddie searching for more information about the fragments and seeking to unlock this literary mystery.
I found this quietly fascinating initially as the story unfolds. Again this is a dual time line story with Caddie in 1980s Brisbane and the story of Rachel who the reader meets initially as a child in Pennsylvania. Rachel and her mother both suffer from abuse by her father and these scenes make for sad reading. As Rachel goes and leaves home her life changes in ways she never dreams of when she meets Inga. However as the story moved along I wasn’t quite as enchanted. Much of it seems slow, especially once it moves to New York
The ending I thought was predictable from fairly early on. I did like some of the understated humour at times. I liked the contrast of settings between Brisbane and Pennsylvania and then New York. Loved this quote, ’Books are art that talks to us.’ Following on from that line, for me this book was more of a whisper than a strong voice. Overall, enjoyable but not quite as good as I expected it to be. Maybe I just had higher expectations to start with?
The literary world goes into mourning when news breaks that Inga Karlson has died in a fire along with her editor. At the same time her newest manuscript is lost. Only a few charred fragments remain. Inga has previously published one book to great acclaim. All fans of Inga’s were looking forward to the new book They want to know what happened that day and more about the contents of that second manuscript. In Brisbane in 1986 Caddie Walker, who works in a bookshop, is one such Karlson fan. While waiting in a queue for an exhibition featuring the Karlson fragments she has a conversation with another woman, called Rachel, who seems to know more about the book than anyone else. But how could she? The manuscript was a closely guarded secret. That conversation sends Caddie searching for more information about the fragments and seeking to unlock this literary mystery.
I found this quietly fascinating initially as the story unfolds. Again this is a dual time line story with Caddie in 1980s Brisbane and the story of Rachel who the reader meets initially as a child in Pennsylvania. Rachel and her mother both suffer from abuse by her father and these scenes make for sad reading. As Rachel goes and leaves home her life changes in ways she never dreams of when she meets Inga. However as the story moved along I wasn’t quite as enchanted. Much of it seems slow, especially once it moves to New York
The ending I thought was predictable from fairly early on. I did like some of the understated humour at times. I liked the contrast of settings between Brisbane and Pennsylvania and then New York. Loved this quote, ’Books are art that talks to us.’ Following on from that line, for me this book was more of a whisper than a strong voice. Overall, enjoyable but not quite as good as I expected it to be. Maybe I just had higher expectations to start with?
March 31, 2019
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The Fragments by Toni Jordan. (2018).
Beautiful reclusive author Inga died in a fire in New York in 1939 leaving behind the scorched fragments of a second book after her successful first novel. In the 80s Caddie is a fan of Inga and looking forward to seeing the scorched fragments in Brisbane. Caddie is jolted after a conversation with a stranger in line for the exhibition - it seems the stranger knows something new about the fragments. Caddie is driven to follow the clues to unlock the literary mystery that has captivated fans for decades.
I quite enjoyed this story. It was fairly slow paced yet it was still really engaging. The book features dual storylines: the first is Caddie in 1986 trying to track down clues about the burnt manuscript and the second is Rachel's story which begins in 1928. Just before I reached the end of the book I worked out the finish but it was still satisfying and a nice wrap up of the storylines in my opinion. I liked how the author demonstrated how attached readers can get to books and their authors, and just how special one book can be. Caddie was a relatable likeable character and Rachel was admirable and quite independent, particularly for a woman in her time period. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one!
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The Fragments by Toni Jordan. (2018).
Beautiful reclusive author Inga died in a fire in New York in 1939 leaving behind the scorched fragments of a second book after her successful first novel. In the 80s Caddie is a fan of Inga and looking forward to seeing the scorched fragments in Brisbane. Caddie is jolted after a conversation with a stranger in line for the exhibition - it seems the stranger knows something new about the fragments. Caddie is driven to follow the clues to unlock the literary mystery that has captivated fans for decades.
I quite enjoyed this story. It was fairly slow paced yet it was still really engaging. The book features dual storylines: the first is Caddie in 1986 trying to track down clues about the burnt manuscript and the second is Rachel's story which begins in 1928. Just before I reached the end of the book I worked out the finish but it was still satisfying and a nice wrap up of the storylines in my opinion. I liked how the author demonstrated how attached readers can get to books and their authors, and just how special one book can be. Caddie was a relatable likeable character and Rachel was admirable and quite independent, particularly for a woman in her time period. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one!
June 16, 2019
What an unexpected gem this book turned out to be! It contained a bit of everything I enjoy – a compelling mystery, an atmospheric setting, interesting historical elements, two enigmatic female protagonists and just a slight smattering of romance. And what book lover doesn’t like reading about a mystery surrounding an old classic book and famous author?
Caddie, a bookseller living in a shared flat in 1980s Brisbane is drawn into an age old mystery when she encounters a mysterious old woman at an exhibition featuring the “fragments”, charred pieces of an old manuscript written by famous writer Inga Karlson, who perished in a terrible warehouse fire in New York in 1939. Caddie has long been a fan of Karlson’s writing, an obsession passed on to her by her dead father, and she is intrigued by the woman’s intimate knowledge of the story contained in the few pages that survived the fire. Is it possible that this mysterious stranger had read the manuscript before it was destroyed? Never one daunted by a mystery, Caddie sets out to make enquiries with some old university contacts, finding that countless academics have tried and failed to solve the mystery of Karlson’s death and her lost manuscript. But sometimes a new pair of eyes can see things that others have missed, and Caddie is sure that the mystery woman may have some answers – if only she can find her again.
I read and loved Toni Jordan’s first book ADDITION a few years ago, and although her writing style in THE FRAGMENTS is very different, as befits the story and the characters, I was immediately hooked from the moment Caddie meets Rachel on the steps of the museum. It is rare to find a book that unfolds in two different time periods and through two separate POVs and yet be equally drawn to both lead characters and story lines. It must be one of the most difficult things to achieve for an author, and yet Jordan has mastered this wonderfully here. I was so fully invested in both women’s lives that the changing POVs did just what they had intended – ratchet up tension and suspense – rather than favouring one character over the other.
I love books that feature historical mysteries, especially ones that slowly unfold through investigations into the past by a protagonist living in the present, complete with the real-life frustrations and hurdles they encounter along the way. Maybe stemming from a time I had a job that involved research, which always resembles a treasure hunt of sorts, every unearthing of a new clue a minor triumph. Seeing that Caddie’s POV pre-dates the internet era, Caddie does a lot of old-style investigating, which for me added extra depth and intrigue to the story. We also have the bonus of getting glimpses into the time-period Caddie is investigating through the life of yet another feisty and enigmatic female protagonist, Rachel, whose life story will ultimately hold all the answers Caddieis looking for.
Jordan’s writing flows effortlessly, all pieces falling into place seamlessly, and she paints the setting so well that it almost felt like time travel into 1930s New York, which I loved. It’s almost impossible to categorise this book, as it contains so many elements, perfectly balanced to create a compelling and unforgettable story. And of course there is also one of my favourite elements in fiction – the “book inside a book” concept, as we get tastes of excerpts from Karlson’s famous novels.
THE FRAGMENTS is Australian fiction at its best. I loved every minute of it, and as the tension increased towards the end of the book I found it almost impossible to tear myself away – I may have even held my breath a few times as the story raced towards its heart pounding finale. Both readers of mysteries and historical fiction should enjoy this one, and if you are also a book lover you will be intrigued by this wonderful story that spans several decades and takes us from one side of the world to another in the pursuit of answers. Very highly recommended!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Text Publishing for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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Caddie, a bookseller living in a shared flat in 1980s Brisbane is drawn into an age old mystery when she encounters a mysterious old woman at an exhibition featuring the “fragments”, charred pieces of an old manuscript written by famous writer Inga Karlson, who perished in a terrible warehouse fire in New York in 1939. Caddie has long been a fan of Karlson’s writing, an obsession passed on to her by her dead father, and she is intrigued by the woman’s intimate knowledge of the story contained in the few pages that survived the fire. Is it possible that this mysterious stranger had read the manuscript before it was destroyed? Never one daunted by a mystery, Caddie sets out to make enquiries with some old university contacts, finding that countless academics have tried and failed to solve the mystery of Karlson’s death and her lost manuscript. But sometimes a new pair of eyes can see things that others have missed, and Caddie is sure that the mystery woman may have some answers – if only she can find her again.
I read and loved Toni Jordan’s first book ADDITION a few years ago, and although her writing style in THE FRAGMENTS is very different, as befits the story and the characters, I was immediately hooked from the moment Caddie meets Rachel on the steps of the museum. It is rare to find a book that unfolds in two different time periods and through two separate POVs and yet be equally drawn to both lead characters and story lines. It must be one of the most difficult things to achieve for an author, and yet Jordan has mastered this wonderfully here. I was so fully invested in both women’s lives that the changing POVs did just what they had intended – ratchet up tension and suspense – rather than favouring one character over the other.
I love books that feature historical mysteries, especially ones that slowly unfold through investigations into the past by a protagonist living in the present, complete with the real-life frustrations and hurdles they encounter along the way. Maybe stemming from a time I had a job that involved research, which always resembles a treasure hunt of sorts, every unearthing of a new clue a minor triumph. Seeing that Caddie’s POV pre-dates the internet era, Caddie does a lot of old-style investigating, which for me added extra depth and intrigue to the story. We also have the bonus of getting glimpses into the time-period Caddie is investigating through the life of yet another feisty and enigmatic female protagonist, Rachel, whose life story will ultimately hold all the answers Caddieis looking for.
Jordan’s writing flows effortlessly, all pieces falling into place seamlessly, and she paints the setting so well that it almost felt like time travel into 1930s New York, which I loved. It’s almost impossible to categorise this book, as it contains so many elements, perfectly balanced to create a compelling and unforgettable story. And of course there is also one of my favourite elements in fiction – the “book inside a book” concept, as we get tastes of excerpts from Karlson’s famous novels.
THE FRAGMENTS is Australian fiction at its best. I loved every minute of it, and as the tension increased towards the end of the book I found it almost impossible to tear myself away – I may have even held my breath a few times as the story raced towards its heart pounding finale. Both readers of mysteries and historical fiction should enjoy this one, and if you are also a book lover you will be intrigued by this wonderful story that spans several decades and takes us from one side of the world to another in the pursuit of answers. Very highly recommended!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Text Publishing for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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March 23, 2019
After that emotional ending, I needed to let this one sit for a couple days before I could pen a review. Now that I’ve given it some thought I have a lot of questions, the main one being “Why isn’t EVERYONE talking about this book?!” It was a beautiful, unique literary mystery that reeled me in from the first page. It was absolutely astounding and I don’t really understand why this isn’t a massive hit across all the best-seller lists or being optioned for a movie/series.
Our shy bookseller, Cadence, visits a travelling exhibition in her hometown of Brisbane about the tragic ending of her favourite author, Inga Karlson. Inga, a one book wonder who died in a fire in 1930’s NYC that also consumed the only copies of her much anticipated second novel, is an enigmatic legend shrouded in mystery. After a chance encounter at the exhibition, Caddie suddenly finds herself close to solving this dark mystery that has plagued academics and fans for decades.
Even though I more or less realised where this was going about halfway through, it didn’t make the big reveal any less intense. I became so invested in Inga and Rachel’s backstory that I couldn’t tear myself away from the book. Caddie was a little wishy washy and went off on really odd trains of thought, but the flashbacks to the absolutely wonderful relationship between Rachel and Inga more than made up for this. It didn’t take long to realise why the world was so enamoured with the eccentric author- I was enamoured too.
Despite all that though, this book utterly moved me and I’m so glad I was given a chance to read this in exchange for a review. What a shame that Inga’s books aren’t real! They were described so powerfully that I’m desperate for them to be real publications.
As always, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.
Our shy bookseller, Cadence, visits a travelling exhibition in her hometown of Brisbane about the tragic ending of her favourite author, Inga Karlson. Inga, a one book wonder who died in a fire in 1930’s NYC that also consumed the only copies of her much anticipated second novel, is an enigmatic legend shrouded in mystery. After a chance encounter at the exhibition, Caddie suddenly finds herself close to solving this dark mystery that has plagued academics and fans for decades.
Even though I more or less realised where this was going about halfway through, it didn’t make the big reveal any less intense. I became so invested in Inga and Rachel’s backstory that I couldn’t tear myself away from the book. Caddie was a little wishy washy and went off on really odd trains of thought, but the flashbacks to the absolutely wonderful relationship between Rachel and Inga more than made up for this. It didn’t take long to realise why the world was so enamoured with the eccentric author- I was enamoured too.
Despite all that though, this book utterly moved me and I’m so glad I was given a chance to read this in exchange for a review. What a shame that Inga’s books aren’t real! They were described so powerfully that I’m desperate for them to be real publications.
As always, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.
August 21, 2019
I've always been intrigued by serendipity, and this book is filled with it. It starts in Brisbane in 1986, when Caddie, a bookseller, visits an exhibition of bookfragments saved from a fire. She meets a mystery woman who quotes more from the book than what's on show. Before Caddie gets the chance to ask questions, the woman is gone.
The story moves to 1938 New York City, where Rachel, a young girl new in town, meets a lady writer, who takes her under her wings.
From here we move from Brisbane back in time, solving the puzzle of the missing fragment by trying to find the mystery woman. At the same time we move from New York onward in time, finding out what really happened to the book.
The characters are true to life, each one as indepth and exciting as the other. There's no rush. History has a lot of stories to tell and the book has just the right pace to keep me glued. There's a good distinction between American and Australian culture with a touch of European added to the mix. Being surrounded by books makes this one a soft place to fall.
As the plot thickens, there's a sudden shift in honesty and I start to dislike some of the characters. Luckily, it's all for the good of the story and the twist in the end is amazing.
Thank you Netgalley and Text Publishing for the ARC.
The story moves to 1938 New York City, where Rachel, a young girl new in town, meets a lady writer, who takes her under her wings.
From here we move from Brisbane back in time, solving the puzzle of the missing fragment by trying to find the mystery woman. At the same time we move from New York onward in time, finding out what really happened to the book.
The characters are true to life, each one as indepth and exciting as the other. There's no rush. History has a lot of stories to tell and the book has just the right pace to keep me glued. There's a good distinction between American and Australian culture with a touch of European added to the mix. Being surrounded by books makes this one a soft place to fall.
As the plot thickens, there's a sudden shift in honesty and I start to dislike some of the characters. Luckily, it's all for the good of the story and the twist in the end is amazing.
Thank you Netgalley and Text Publishing for the ARC.
March 3, 2019
Well written, stylish and intriguing, the two timelines flow and converge at the right times. I realize that I hadn't read a novel set in Brisbane before -- it is an area of Australia I am not familiar with, but it came to light in the 1986 sections, as did late Depression New York and, earlier, small town Allentown. Two very likeable heroines plot their own fate 50 years apart, drawn together by love of an iconic book, the only one written by a genius author who died in a fire along with her second novel in 1939. Nothing is what it seems, and Jordan releases her clues and information in such a way that interest is held throughout.
March 2, 2019
It’s not you it’s me.. I guess. I only cared about Rachel’s story and I found myself skimming the rest. I just really didn’t like the writing and it’s my fault for not abandoning it right at the beginning.
October 16, 2019
A well-loved author, Inga Karlson, died in a fire in the 1930s and all that was recovered of her not yet published second novel, The Days, The Minutes, were fragments of a handful of pages. No one lives who has read the entire book before it was destroyed. The fragments of the book are being displayed for a short time in Brisbane, Australia where Caddie Walker goes to see the exhibit. While there, she meets a mysterious old woman who quotes the end to one of the sentence fragments. This plays on Caddie's mind and she begins to try to figure out if someone else could possibly have read this second book by the author. She involves both a rare book dealer, Jamie, and a professor from the university with whom she had an earlier relationship, in her investigation into finding out the truth.
This story is told in two timelines - the 1930s and the 1980s. I found both equally interesting. I became engrossed and invested in this story and went through the book quickly wanting to know what happened - and no, it is not really what I would call fast-paced; it just kept me interested throughout. I loved the ending!
Thanks to Toni Jordan and Text Publishing Company through Edelweiss for an advance copy.
This story is told in two timelines - the 1930s and the 1980s. I found both equally interesting. I became engrossed and invested in this story and went through the book quickly wanting to know what happened - and no, it is not really what I would call fast-paced; it just kept me interested throughout. I loved the ending!
Thanks to Toni Jordan and Text Publishing Company through Edelweiss for an advance copy.
December 21, 2018
Author Toni Jordan is renowned for giving us stories that are literary and well-researched whilst still being accessible and a joy to read. Her latest novel The Fragments (Text Publishing 2018) is no exception, and it is yet another example of her ability to move fluidly between genres, with each of her five published novels different enough to keep us on our toes but with the same high standard of writing.
The Fragments is a literary mystery wrapped up in a story of identity and self-esteem, ambition and greed, wound loosely with tendrils of friendship, passion and desire that grow quietly as the story develops, with the reader always hoping and anticipating that love will flower. The story is told in alternate chapters moving between 1938 New York and 1986 Brisbane, from the perspectives of Rachel Lehrer, a young woman who escapes a violent household in the 30’s seeking a better life, and Caddie Walker, a young bookseller in the 80’s who has almost put her life on hold as she waits for something to happen. The two are linked by a third woman, Inga Karlson, the beautiful, reclusive and talented writer, author of the famous book All Has an End, known the world over. Inga Karlson died in a tragic warehouse fire in 1939, along with her publisher, Charles, and all the copies and printer’s plates of her yet-to-be released second novel. All that remains are seven burnt fragments, preciously preserved and currently on tour at the Brisbane art gallery, along with photos, correspondence and other material about Karlson. The novel opens as Caddie attends the exhibition and has a chance encounter with a stranger who appears to know something more about the fragments than is possible. Disconcerted, Caddie begins to investigate the small clue, and discovers more than she could have ever imagined.
Both the main characters in this novel, Rachel and Caddie, are engaging, empathetic and appealing. Despite living decades apart, as young women they both suffer from a similar crisis of confidence, a yearning for something more than their lot in life. And we find ourselves willing both women the strength to escape from the negative influences in their lives, and for their full potential to bloom. The male characters are no less important, including one endearing bloke who we hope will blossom and shine, and one particularly unpleasant chap who we hope might come to a nasty end. There are darker themes, too, running in a subterraneous way through the narrative, reflective of the post-war sentiment of the 30’s, and the political and social fears of the time. Toni Jordan once again demonstrates her ability to manoeuvre her readers from historical settings to more recent times, seamlessly developing characters that have more in common than their years apart would suggest. We are just as invested in each of the simultaneous narratives, and she has a special skill in pacing and tension – every chapter, particularly in the second half of the book, finishes on a cliff hanger, so that each alternate chapter we are desperate to find out what happens. In addition to all the sub-plots in the book that gradually develop, uncovering aspects of both Rachel’s and Caddie’s lives, the book finishes with a twist that is completely unexpected and surprising, but which is yet satisfying and entirely makes sense.
And of course, The Fragments is chock full of Toni Jordan’s quick wit and dry humour, delivered by her characters in believable dialogue, and those who know Brisbane will recognise and delight in her authentic descriptions of a Queensland summer: the sounds and smells, the heat and humidity, the wildlife and the parochialisms.
The book opens with the line: ‘When Caddie Walker thinks back to this morning, she will try to remember everything. She will lie in bed and sift the moments for a clue.’ And indeed, this is what readers will do once they reach the end of this story – they will return to the beginning and search for all the hidden clues that now make perfect sense.
The Fragments would make a great last-minute Christmas gift for almost anybody – it’s a story with broad appeal, and a mystery with a deeper message about sacrifice and betrayal that many will appreciate.
The Fragments is a literary mystery wrapped up in a story of identity and self-esteem, ambition and greed, wound loosely with tendrils of friendship, passion and desire that grow quietly as the story develops, with the reader always hoping and anticipating that love will flower. The story is told in alternate chapters moving between 1938 New York and 1986 Brisbane, from the perspectives of Rachel Lehrer, a young woman who escapes a violent household in the 30’s seeking a better life, and Caddie Walker, a young bookseller in the 80’s who has almost put her life on hold as she waits for something to happen. The two are linked by a third woman, Inga Karlson, the beautiful, reclusive and talented writer, author of the famous book All Has an End, known the world over. Inga Karlson died in a tragic warehouse fire in 1939, along with her publisher, Charles, and all the copies and printer’s plates of her yet-to-be released second novel. All that remains are seven burnt fragments, preciously preserved and currently on tour at the Brisbane art gallery, along with photos, correspondence and other material about Karlson. The novel opens as Caddie attends the exhibition and has a chance encounter with a stranger who appears to know something more about the fragments than is possible. Disconcerted, Caddie begins to investigate the small clue, and discovers more than she could have ever imagined.
Both the main characters in this novel, Rachel and Caddie, are engaging, empathetic and appealing. Despite living decades apart, as young women they both suffer from a similar crisis of confidence, a yearning for something more than their lot in life. And we find ourselves willing both women the strength to escape from the negative influences in their lives, and for their full potential to bloom. The male characters are no less important, including one endearing bloke who we hope will blossom and shine, and one particularly unpleasant chap who we hope might come to a nasty end. There are darker themes, too, running in a subterraneous way through the narrative, reflective of the post-war sentiment of the 30’s, and the political and social fears of the time. Toni Jordan once again demonstrates her ability to manoeuvre her readers from historical settings to more recent times, seamlessly developing characters that have more in common than their years apart would suggest. We are just as invested in each of the simultaneous narratives, and she has a special skill in pacing and tension – every chapter, particularly in the second half of the book, finishes on a cliff hanger, so that each alternate chapter we are desperate to find out what happens. In addition to all the sub-plots in the book that gradually develop, uncovering aspects of both Rachel’s and Caddie’s lives, the book finishes with a twist that is completely unexpected and surprising, but which is yet satisfying and entirely makes sense.
And of course, The Fragments is chock full of Toni Jordan’s quick wit and dry humour, delivered by her characters in believable dialogue, and those who know Brisbane will recognise and delight in her authentic descriptions of a Queensland summer: the sounds and smells, the heat and humidity, the wildlife and the parochialisms.
The book opens with the line: ‘When Caddie Walker thinks back to this morning, she will try to remember everything. She will lie in bed and sift the moments for a clue.’ And indeed, this is what readers will do once they reach the end of this story – they will return to the beginning and search for all the hidden clues that now make perfect sense.
The Fragments would make a great last-minute Christmas gift for almost anybody – it’s a story with broad appeal, and a mystery with a deeper message about sacrifice and betrayal that many will appreciate.
September 21, 2019
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Toni Jordan, and Text Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Fragments of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am thrilled to recommend this work to friends and family.
'The Fragments' is a taut, intricate tale told very well. We have Allentown, PA from 1928 through 1938 told in the first-person voice of this young student, then silk-weaver Rachel Lehrer, a woman who understands male dominance and abuse from a tender age. We travel with her in 1939 to New York City. We see this glorious city through Rachel's eyes, always something newly built, something cutting edge, books and movies and film stars - and the slow slide to the financial crash, European rumbles of impending war, life on the fast track, faltering. Then Rachel meets Inga Karlson, author of an inspirational and widely acclaimed Pulitzer prize-winning first novel, 'All Has an End' with the second novel in its middle stages and the general public waiting impatiently for book two. Until the fire. All the copies of the second novel, 'The Days, the Minutes', along with the only two people who had read the novel, publisher Charles Cleborn, and author Inga, are burned in a warehouse arson fire. Left are half-burned fragments of several assorted pages of type, a melted glass necklace, and memorabilia and correspondence between Inga and Charles found in their offices.
Then we have Brisbane, Queensland, 1986. Cadence "Caddie" Walker was named by her gentle father after the main character in 'All Has an End'. She inherits a bit of her father's obsession with Inga Karlson. Caddie is a bookseller in a local private book store and takes an afternoon off to attend a traveling display of memorabilia from the life of Inga Karlson including those fragments, funeral photos, obituaries, letters, and correspondence from people all over the world to Inga, both after her death and still today. There Caddie meets an older lady who laughingly quotes from the second book - including a line that was not present on the fragment of paper in the display. Caddie was feed Inga from birth - her father read her passages from 'All Has an End' at bedtime and often quoted her work in the everyday life they shared. She knew Inga's work intimately. The concluding line fit too well to be random. But no one else has ever read 'The Days, The Minutes'. Or had they?
In trying to solve the puzzle of 'The Days, The Minutes', Caddie is torn between an old love and a new possibility. How can she be sure she is making the right choice? And what happened to Inga's secretary, Rachel?
Pub date Sept 10, 2019
Text Publishing
Reviewed on Sept 7, 2019, at Goodreads and Netgalley. Reviewed Sept 21, 2019, on AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo and GooglePlay.
'The Fragments' is a taut, intricate tale told very well. We have Allentown, PA from 1928 through 1938 told in the first-person voice of this young student, then silk-weaver Rachel Lehrer, a woman who understands male dominance and abuse from a tender age. We travel with her in 1939 to New York City. We see this glorious city through Rachel's eyes, always something newly built, something cutting edge, books and movies and film stars - and the slow slide to the financial crash, European rumbles of impending war, life on the fast track, faltering. Then Rachel meets Inga Karlson, author of an inspirational and widely acclaimed Pulitzer prize-winning first novel, 'All Has an End' with the second novel in its middle stages and the general public waiting impatiently for book two. Until the fire. All the copies of the second novel, 'The Days, the Minutes', along with the only two people who had read the novel, publisher Charles Cleborn, and author Inga, are burned in a warehouse arson fire. Left are half-burned fragments of several assorted pages of type, a melted glass necklace, and memorabilia and correspondence between Inga and Charles found in their offices.
Then we have Brisbane, Queensland, 1986. Cadence "Caddie" Walker was named by her gentle father after the main character in 'All Has an End'. She inherits a bit of her father's obsession with Inga Karlson. Caddie is a bookseller in a local private book store and takes an afternoon off to attend a traveling display of memorabilia from the life of Inga Karlson including those fragments, funeral photos, obituaries, letters, and correspondence from people all over the world to Inga, both after her death and still today. There Caddie meets an older lady who laughingly quotes from the second book - including a line that was not present on the fragment of paper in the display. Caddie was feed Inga from birth - her father read her passages from 'All Has an End' at bedtime and often quoted her work in the everyday life they shared. She knew Inga's work intimately. The concluding line fit too well to be random. But no one else has ever read 'The Days, The Minutes'. Or had they?
In trying to solve the puzzle of 'The Days, The Minutes', Caddie is torn between an old love and a new possibility. How can she be sure she is making the right choice? And what happened to Inga's secretary, Rachel?
Pub date Sept 10, 2019
Text Publishing
Reviewed on Sept 7, 2019, at Goodreads and Netgalley. Reviewed Sept 21, 2019, on AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo and GooglePlay.
March 30, 2019
The Fragments is a lovely story about a story that was tragically never finished. There are two points of view telling the story of how this manuscript was destroyed in a fire, and the writer died. It's a beautiful mystery for book lovers. If you believe books change lives, you'll enjoy this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2019
If your favoured reading material is a novel with a good sprinkling of history and mystery, academic intrigue and a soupçon of romance, then feel at liberty to read Toni Jordan's latest offering - The Fragments.
Toni Jordan gives the reader some excellent characters, most of whom have appeal despite their flaws and of course, there are a few suitably nasty ones who are meant to be despised.
Told in alternating chapters from between New York City in the 1930's and 1980's Brisbane, Australia, the back and forth worked in retaining my interest and attention and even though parts of the novel were quite slow-moving, I was never bored but instead, was lured ever deeper into this wonderful tale.
Nothing was what it seemed, and Toni Jordan released her clues and information in such a way that I did not want to put down my kindle and wait for the next chapter.
The writing really flowed and there were wonderfully crafted descriptions of the places as well as the people. What stood out for me was the Australian setting and the portrayal of the academic life with its niggling jealousies, providing a rich arena for intrigue and backstabbing. What worked less well was the motive for the murder.
Overall, I'd say that The Fragments is a little gem and a book that I'm so pleased to have read!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Text Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Toni Jordan gives the reader some excellent characters, most of whom have appeal despite their flaws and of course, there are a few suitably nasty ones who are meant to be despised.
Told in alternating chapters from between New York City in the 1930's and 1980's Brisbane, Australia, the back and forth worked in retaining my interest and attention and even though parts of the novel were quite slow-moving, I was never bored but instead, was lured ever deeper into this wonderful tale.
Nothing was what it seemed, and Toni Jordan released her clues and information in such a way that I did not want to put down my kindle and wait for the next chapter.
The writing really flowed and there were wonderfully crafted descriptions of the places as well as the people. What stood out for me was the Australian setting and the portrayal of the academic life with its niggling jealousies, providing a rich arena for intrigue and backstabbing. What worked less well was the motive for the murder.
Overall, I'd say that The Fragments is a little gem and a book that I'm so pleased to have read!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Text Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
March 23, 2019
I received a free copy of this book on NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I love books about literary mysteries, like AS Byatt's PossessionPossession and Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the WindThe Shadow of the Wind, and Toni Jordan's The Fragments is a worthy addition to the canon.
Switching between 1980s Brisbane and 1930s New York, the book explores two women - Caddie and Rachel who struggle to live their own lives, whether due to poverty and a violent father for Rachel, or grief and a narcissistic ex for Caddie.
Both are bewitched by the novelist Inga Karlsen, whose missing second novel provides the fragments and the mystery for the plot to develop around.
The prose is delicious, the mystery unfolds elegantly and the twist is unforgettable.
I love books about literary mysteries, like AS Byatt's PossessionPossession and Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the WindThe Shadow of the Wind, and Toni Jordan's The Fragments is a worthy addition to the canon.
Switching between 1980s Brisbane and 1930s New York, the book explores two women - Caddie and Rachel who struggle to live their own lives, whether due to poverty and a violent father for Rachel, or grief and a narcissistic ex for Caddie.
Both are bewitched by the novelist Inga Karlsen, whose missing second novel provides the fragments and the mystery for the plot to develop around.
The prose is delicious, the mystery unfolds elegantly and the twist is unforgettable.
February 8, 2020
There is a certain amount of 'belief suspension' required to enjoy this book, but once you set aside those doubts it's a hugely enjoyable read. Jordon has a lovely, witty and engaging writing style. I love nothing better than a crime/thriller/mystery set in the world of books and literature and this one comes with a bonus 1980s Brisbane setting, which, being from Brisbane, I really loved. Perfect escapist/weekend reading novel. Think A.S. Byatt's Possession, with a more populist bent, and you're in the right territory. Admittedly, I did see the big plot twist coming at the end , but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book.
May 24, 2019
There are books you love and then there are books you really love and this is one of them. Absolutely adored every sentence, every word of this novel. Was so totally immersed in this story, was so taken with how it was constructed with alternative chapters telling us the past and the present - this worked so well and I kept thinking how the author Toni Jordan cleverly planned it out, building up to reach its wonderful conclusion whilst keeping the reader on edge all the way through.
I was torn as I didn't want to leave Cadence's world in Brisbane in 1986 but then couldn't wait to get back to Inga and Rachel's world in New York 1938/9.
Highly recommend this one, so much to love about it from the characters, the carefully constructed plot, the detailed and divine descriptions and the warmth and energy it exudes.
It deserves an encore read.
I was torn as I didn't want to leave Cadence's world in Brisbane in 1986 but then couldn't wait to get back to Inga and Rachel's world in New York 1938/9.
Highly recommend this one, so much to love about it from the characters, the carefully constructed plot, the detailed and divine descriptions and the warmth and energy it exudes.
It deserves an encore read.
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