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The Nature of Fragile Things
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.
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.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2021
3654 people are currently reading
85368 people want to read
About the author
Susan Meissner
34 books9,488 followersSusan Meissner is a USA Today bestselling novelist with more than a million books in the hands of readers, and in eighteen 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, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling.
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, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling.
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February 23, 2025
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner (Author), Alana Kerr Collins (Narrator), Jason Culp (Narrator)
It's the early 1900s and Sophie is a young Irish immigrant, running from a hurtful and possibly dangerous past in Ireland. Living in a squalid tenement in New York, she is anxious to escape this new life so answers an ad for a wife, placed by San Francisco widower, Martin Hocking. The man she meets when she arrives in San Francisco is extremely handsome but very cold and she finds she is left on her own to raise his five year old daughter, while Martin travels for days on end, doing "insurance" work. But, Sophie now lives in a nice house, with her own room, has all that she needs to survive in a very comfortable manner, and she adores Martin's mute daughter, Kat. By the next year, 1906, Sophie loves Kat as if she was her own daughter and she does everything she can do to make up for Martin's coldness to Kat and herself.
On the eve of the massive San Francisco earthquake, April 18, 1906, Sophie and Kat's world is rocked when pregnant Belinda arrives on their doorstep looking for her husband. Soon the two women know that they are connected to other women, including Kat's mother, in devastating ways. Martin isn't just cold, he's evil and dangerous and they must get away from him before he causes more harm. But before they can leave, the earthquake hits and the women must work together to save themselves and Kat.
The earthquake plays a part in the story but in many ways, it's just a side character. This story is more about a devious and dangerous man who destroys all in his path and the women who attempt to continue on in life, after they know the true nature of this man. Sophie has the most to lose if all the events right before the earthquake are brought to light. But she also has her secrets of her time in Ireland that she must keep hidden. She is walking a tightrope of wanting to do what is best for Kat, who she feels is hers now, and allowing Kat to find her real mother, if possible. This is a story of good people getting caught in the snares of an evil man but also of good people coming together to help each other in times of physical and emotional upheaval.
There are a lot of places in this story where the characters seem to repeat words and phrases over and over. I'm not sure if I would have noticed this as much as I did if I had been reading the book rather than listening to it. Still, I enjoyed the book and I had no idea just how much damage and death was caused by the 1906 earthquake. Thanks to this story, I have another subject I want to research.
Pub February 2nd 2021
It's the early 1900s and Sophie is a young Irish immigrant, running from a hurtful and possibly dangerous past in Ireland. Living in a squalid tenement in New York, she is anxious to escape this new life so answers an ad for a wife, placed by San Francisco widower, Martin Hocking. The man she meets when she arrives in San Francisco is extremely handsome but very cold and she finds she is left on her own to raise his five year old daughter, while Martin travels for days on end, doing "insurance" work. But, Sophie now lives in a nice house, with her own room, has all that she needs to survive in a very comfortable manner, and she adores Martin's mute daughter, Kat. By the next year, 1906, Sophie loves Kat as if she was her own daughter and she does everything she can do to make up for Martin's coldness to Kat and herself.
On the eve of the massive San Francisco earthquake, April 18, 1906, Sophie and Kat's world is rocked when pregnant Belinda arrives on their doorstep looking for her husband. Soon the two women know that they are connected to other women, including Kat's mother, in devastating ways. Martin isn't just cold, he's evil and dangerous and they must get away from him before he causes more harm. But before they can leave, the earthquake hits and the women must work together to save themselves and Kat.
The earthquake plays a part in the story but in many ways, it's just a side character. This story is more about a devious and dangerous man who destroys all in his path and the women who attempt to continue on in life, after they know the true nature of this man. Sophie has the most to lose if all the events right before the earthquake are brought to light. But she also has her secrets of her time in Ireland that she must keep hidden. She is walking a tightrope of wanting to do what is best for Kat, who she feels is hers now, and allowing Kat to find her real mother, if possible. This is a story of good people getting caught in the snares of an evil man but also of good people coming together to help each other in times of physical and emotional upheaval.
There are a lot of places in this story where the characters seem to repeat words and phrases over and over. I'm not sure if I would have noticed this as much as I did if I had been reading the book rather than listening to it. Still, I enjoyed the book and I had no idea just how much damage and death was caused by the 1906 earthquake. Thanks to this story, I have another subject I want to research.
Pub February 2nd 2021
February 21, 2021
I don’t usually enjoy books with a lot of suspense or turns in the story and I don’t enjoy when there are so many secrets kept from me. I find it hard to explain it. They just don’t work for me. BUT, BUT, I was totally taken with this novel, the characters and omg what an ending when all of the secrets are divulged and everything perfectly comes together ! I hope there’s a movie ! Despite these things that usually don’t appeal, there are so many things here that make for the kind of book that I’m drawn to. It’s a terrific work of historical fiction depicting San Francisco in 1906 when the well known earthquake hit. The writing is so good, I swear I felt the earth rumble and saw the devastation that it left. There are characters with so much heart. A heartless polygamist is the exception. It’s a gripping telling how his three wives come together as secrets are slowly divulged. The thread that holds them together - a shared violation of their lives, a developing friendship, decency, but most of all a little girl named Kat who simply wants to be home with the people she loves.
This is probably one of my shortest reviews because I find it hard to say more without giving away the secrets held here. You really need to find them out for yourself.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkeley through NetGalley.
This is probably one of my shortest reviews because I find it hard to say more without giving away the secrets held here. You really need to find them out for yourself.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkeley through NetGalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2021
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
Wow this was a wonderful book and I really don’t want to let go of these characters! This novel had all of the elements that I look for in a great historical fiction and is a solid 5+ stars.
The Nature of Fragile Things has such a unique way to look at the devastating earthquake that took place in San Francisco in 1906. I have visited San Francisco at least 4 times many years ago and it was a beautiful city then. This book took me right into the time prior to and during this great earthquake. I was transported, right into some of the areas I knew including Golden Gate Park.
As the novel opens Sophie has just arrived from New York to California and is about to meet her future husband, Martin Hocking. She answered an ad for a woman to marry him and also care for his 5 year old daughter. Sophie’s life in New York was inhospitable for immigrants at that time, there were just too many. Her tenement “was just a shared room with sagging mattresses, a place where dreams . . . unravel”
Sophie and Martin married as soon as they could get to the courthouse. Martin has a beautiful home and he introduces her to Kat, who has not spoken since her mother died. They form a bond over time that becomes stronger with. Her relationship with Martin is very “distant” even when he is at home and not traveling for work.
Then as the blurb states a woman appears on Sophie’s doorstep, her name is Belinda and these two will discover some incredible secrets about Martin!!
After this the story really explodes with the sounds, smells and visions of what it would be like to try to find shelter during an earthquake. The people were not prepared in any way but the police helped as many as they could find shelter. WHAT WASN’T KNOCKED DOWN BY THE EARTHQUAKE WAS CONSUMED IN THE FIRES THAT RAGED FOR DAYS.
Through the eyes of our main protagonist, we will envision what these events would look like, we can almost smell the fires and the smoke which permeated everything for weeks. Watch the ashes continuing to fall like snow throughout the city. The author’s notes are filled with additional research and information on the earthquake which today would have registered “a magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale.”
For Sophie, Belinda and Kat their trials are just beginning. They will unlock Martin’s secrets and are resolved to stay together as a group
To divulge any more would spoil the story for the reader. I enjoyed this book tremendously and can highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
Wow this was a wonderful book and I really don’t want to let go of these characters! This novel had all of the elements that I look for in a great historical fiction and is a solid 5+ stars.
The Nature of Fragile Things has such a unique way to look at the devastating earthquake that took place in San Francisco in 1906. I have visited San Francisco at least 4 times many years ago and it was a beautiful city then. This book took me right into the time prior to and during this great earthquake. I was transported, right into some of the areas I knew including Golden Gate Park.
As the novel opens Sophie has just arrived from New York to California and is about to meet her future husband, Martin Hocking. She answered an ad for a woman to marry him and also care for his 5 year old daughter. Sophie’s life in New York was inhospitable for immigrants at that time, there were just too many. Her tenement “was just a shared room with sagging mattresses, a place where dreams . . . unravel”
Sophie and Martin married as soon as they could get to the courthouse. Martin has a beautiful home and he introduces her to Kat, who has not spoken since her mother died. They form a bond over time that becomes stronger with. Her relationship with Martin is very “distant” even when he is at home and not traveling for work.
Then as the blurb states a woman appears on Sophie’s doorstep, her name is Belinda and these two will discover some incredible secrets about Martin!!
After this the story really explodes with the sounds, smells and visions of what it would be like to try to find shelter during an earthquake. The people were not prepared in any way but the police helped as many as they could find shelter. WHAT WASN’T KNOCKED DOWN BY THE EARTHQUAKE WAS CONSUMED IN THE FIRES THAT RAGED FOR DAYS.
Through the eyes of our main protagonist, we will envision what these events would look like, we can almost smell the fires and the smoke which permeated everything for weeks. Watch the ashes continuing to fall like snow throughout the city. The author’s notes are filled with additional research and information on the earthquake which today would have registered “a magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale.”
For Sophie, Belinda and Kat their trials are just beginning. They will unlock Martin’s secrets and are resolved to stay together as a group
To divulge any more would spoil the story for the reader. I enjoyed this book tremendously and can highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
February 23, 2021
Mysterious, riveting and hard to put down!
A mail order bride named Sophie, from Ireland, marries a man she knows nothing about in 1906. She answers his ad and they settle into the home he has purchased in San Francisco. Its the most comfortable home Sophie has ever had and she adores his five year old daughter, Kat.
Its not long before Sophie starts questioning her new husband's actions and his secrecy. She fears something isn't quite right.
So much begins to happen, their world rocks, a massive earthquake hits San Francisco and BANG! things get complicated as they navigate the situation. I felt invested in the story and enjoyed the characters very much.
A memorable story that was filled with suspense and the right amount of tension. Don't want to give any of the secrets away, so I'll leave it at that.
Highly Recommend. Thanks Berkley/NG for my advanced review copy. OUT February 2, 2021 and still available on NG
A mail order bride named Sophie, from Ireland, marries a man she knows nothing about in 1906. She answers his ad and they settle into the home he has purchased in San Francisco. Its the most comfortable home Sophie has ever had and she adores his five year old daughter, Kat.
Its not long before Sophie starts questioning her new husband's actions and his secrecy. She fears something isn't quite right.
So much begins to happen, their world rocks, a massive earthquake hits San Francisco and BANG! things get complicated as they navigate the situation. I felt invested in the story and enjoyed the characters very much.
A memorable story that was filled with suspense and the right amount of tension. Don't want to give any of the secrets away, so I'll leave it at that.
Highly Recommend. Thanks Berkley/NG for my advanced review copy. OUT February 2, 2021 and still available on NG
February 20, 2021
ALL. THE. STARS. Susan Meissner completely swept me up with her exceptional storytelling, transporting me to San Francisco 1906 and into the lives of these characters. Sophie is an Irish immigrant who travels to San Francisco as a mail order bride. When Sophie meets Martin she is attracted to his luxe but not certain about his personality. His daughter Cat however completely captures Sophie‘s heart. As the bond between Sophie and Cat grows martin becomes more and more shady. Then one night a young pregnant woman shows up at Sophie‘s door and confirms Sophie‘s suspicions that she doesn’t know the man she married at all. The next day the earthquake strikes and the women find their lives even more deeply intwined. What follows is such a captivating tale of survival, family, Secrets, and love.
This is a historical fiction book that will appeal to absolutely everyone. It was the perfect blend of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama. I absolutely fell in love with all these characters and was sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the story. The earthquake was so vividly described I almost thought I felt the earth shake. As a Californian I was surprised at how little I really knew about this historical Quake. It also made me realize how much better our infrastructure is now than it was then. I truly cannot say enough good things about this book! I strongly encourage everyone to read it!
This book in emojis 🚂 💍 👩👧 ⛺️ 🍑
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
This is a historical fiction book that will appeal to absolutely everyone. It was the perfect blend of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama. I absolutely fell in love with all these characters and was sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the story. The earthquake was so vividly described I almost thought I felt the earth shake. As a Californian I was surprised at how little I really knew about this historical Quake. It also made me realize how much better our infrastructure is now than it was then. I truly cannot say enough good things about this book! I strongly encourage everyone to read it!
This book in emojis 🚂 💍 👩👧 ⛺️ 🍑
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
December 18, 2022
Love this mystery... where has Susan Meissner been all my life?
4.5⭐
The Nature of Fragile Things is phenomenal! It's my first book by Susan Meissner and is very captivating. The character development is strong and I cared about them all.
The story centers around three women and a girl. Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant with a past. She also wants to escape the poor living condition in New York and she answers an ad to marry a handsome insurance salesman widower Martin who has a 5-year-old daughter. Sophie is content with her new family life even though she and Martin never form a true romantic life as a couple, she bonds and loves his mute daughter Kat.
In mid-April, Sophie's new life was shattered when a pregnant woman came looking for her husband. They come to realize that Martin isn't who they thought he is.
With a backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake, this is an engaging story of three women tangled in a web of lies by a person they thought they can trust. Through the disaster and survival, this is a beautiful story about family and friendship.
I knocked down half a star as I wish there were a bit more detail about the earthquake. Also, the fictional town of San Rafaela (south bay) is too similar to the real San Rafael in north bay and for whatever reason, the narrator who is fabulous sometimes pronounced it San Rafael. It was confusing for me until the author's note at the end of the book.
As a casual historical fiction reader, this book grabbed me from the beginning and never lets up. I devoured this in two days. The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake with a magnitude estimated to be 7.9 caused gas leakage that was followed by a massive fire that burned for four days. It destroyed 500 city blocks with the death toll exceeding 3,000.
4.5⭐
The Nature of Fragile Things is phenomenal! It's my first book by Susan Meissner and is very captivating. The character development is strong and I cared about them all.
The story centers around three women and a girl. Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant with a past. She also wants to escape the poor living condition in New York and she answers an ad to marry a handsome insurance salesman widower Martin who has a 5-year-old daughter. Sophie is content with her new family life even though she and Martin never form a true romantic life as a couple, she bonds and loves his mute daughter Kat.
In mid-April, Sophie's new life was shattered when a pregnant woman came looking for her husband. They come to realize that Martin isn't who they thought he is.
With a backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake, this is an engaging story of three women tangled in a web of lies by a person they thought they can trust. Through the disaster and survival, this is a beautiful story about family and friendship.
I knocked down half a star as I wish there were a bit more detail about the earthquake. Also, the fictional town of San Rafaela (south bay) is too similar to the real San Rafael in north bay and for whatever reason, the narrator who is fabulous sometimes pronounced it San Rafael. It was confusing for me until the author's note at the end of the book.
As a casual historical fiction reader, this book grabbed me from the beginning and never lets up. I devoured this in two days. The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake with a magnitude estimated to be 7.9 caused gas leakage that was followed by a massive fire that burned for four days. It destroyed 500 city blocks with the death toll exceeding 3,000.
May 30, 2024
**4.5-stars**
When Sophie Whalen, an Irish immigrant, comes across an ad in a NYC-newspaper of a rich widower in search of a new wife and mother for his young daughter, she feels hopeful.
She responds immediately and puts herself forth for the position. She's got nothing to lose.
The widower in question, Martin Hocking, lives in San Francisco and Sophie wants nothing more than to escape from New York.
After she arrived from Ireland, her circumstances didn't end up as she expected. She's been living in an overcrowded tenement building, barely making ends meet.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, Sophie marries Mr. Martin Hocking that very day at the city Courthouse. He then takes her home and introduces her to his 5-year old daughter, Kat.
Kat is a beautiful girl, bright, though quite serious. The young girl has been silent since the loss of her mother.
Sophie is taken with the child from the very start. She can tell sweet Kat is hurting and she vows to do whatever she can to make the child feel safe and loved.
For his part, Martin is very handsome, as well as a good provider, but he is rarely around, traveling frequently for work. Even when he is home, he isn't affectionate with Sophie, or Kat.
It is on one of these occasions while he is away, that a stranger comes knocking on Sophie's door and changes everything.
Shocking revelations regarding Martin are revealed immediately prior to the entire city erupting in chaos. The year is 1906, and one of the most powerful earthquakes in history has just hit San Francisco.
While the drama of this novel revolves around an earthquake, it felt like a roller coaster!
The highs, lows, drops and turns that Sophie goes through were intense and emotional. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does.
Meissner has such a gift with storytelling. I am always transported while reading her novels and it is hard not to become attached to her characters.
I do not read a lot of Historical Fiction, but I will continue to pick up anything Susan Meissner writes. I loved how she added a real mysterious tone to this novel. It's intriguing from start to finish; there was never a lull in the pace.
This one didn't bring me to tears as some of her other novels have, but it was definitely impactful nonetheless. Sophie's story is one I will remember for a long time to come.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I really appreciate it and look forward to Meissner's next release!
When Sophie Whalen, an Irish immigrant, comes across an ad in a NYC-newspaper of a rich widower in search of a new wife and mother for his young daughter, she feels hopeful.
She responds immediately and puts herself forth for the position. She's got nothing to lose.
The widower in question, Martin Hocking, lives in San Francisco and Sophie wants nothing more than to escape from New York.
After she arrived from Ireland, her circumstances didn't end up as she expected. She's been living in an overcrowded tenement building, barely making ends meet.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, Sophie marries Mr. Martin Hocking that very day at the city Courthouse. He then takes her home and introduces her to his 5-year old daughter, Kat.
Kat is a beautiful girl, bright, though quite serious. The young girl has been silent since the loss of her mother.
Sophie is taken with the child from the very start. She can tell sweet Kat is hurting and she vows to do whatever she can to make the child feel safe and loved.
For his part, Martin is very handsome, as well as a good provider, but he is rarely around, traveling frequently for work. Even when he is home, he isn't affectionate with Sophie, or Kat.
It is on one of these occasions while he is away, that a stranger comes knocking on Sophie's door and changes everything.
Shocking revelations regarding Martin are revealed immediately prior to the entire city erupting in chaos. The year is 1906, and one of the most powerful earthquakes in history has just hit San Francisco.
While the drama of this novel revolves around an earthquake, it felt like a roller coaster!
The highs, lows, drops and turns that Sophie goes through were intense and emotional. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does.
Meissner has such a gift with storytelling. I am always transported while reading her novels and it is hard not to become attached to her characters.
I do not read a lot of Historical Fiction, but I will continue to pick up anything Susan Meissner writes. I loved how she added a real mysterious tone to this novel. It's intriguing from start to finish; there was never a lull in the pace.
This one didn't bring me to tears as some of her other novels have, but it was definitely impactful nonetheless. Sophie's story is one I will remember for a long time to come.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I really appreciate it and look forward to Meissner's next release!
October 29, 2021
Holy moly, a real winner!
Loved loved loved this historical fiction, a masterpiece of storytelling. This is a tight, character-driven book that takes place in San Francisco in 1906—when all hell broke loose with an earthquake, then a devastating fire. I was on the edge of my seat for a large chunk of the book. There is plenty of mystery and suspense—way more than you’d usually find in this genre, and for me this was a huge plus. And it’s all doled out in the right amounts at the right places; oh, the story is so well put together! Another way that it’s different from your basic historical fiction: descriptive text doesn’t rule. The pictures are vivid without tedious descriptive paragraphs being thrown in. It’s one of those books you can’t put down.
I don’t want to give away anything; part of the fun is not knowing where the story is going. All I’ll say is there’s a mail-order bride, a stoic man, a knock on the door. Add an earthquake and a fire, and what a situation we have here, folks. A perk was getting a peek of what it could have been like to live in San Francisco during the historical disaster. I felt like I was right there through the chaos and destruction. The grumbling and tumbling of the city was one thing, but we had a whole other drama going on in the middle of it.
You’ll love the three woman who are joined together in weird ways, and you’ll feel like you know them. Great character development. I will say that the language isn’t special; the sentences didn’t pop out and make me tingle. But still, the language doesn’t get in the way, either. It’s a good, swift vehicle for getting us to the places we need to go to.
I want to check out more books by this author; I want to—need to—read another book like this one! In its earnest and urgent pace, this book reminded me of Diane Chamberlain’s Big Lies in a Small Town, which I also loved.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Loved loved loved this historical fiction, a masterpiece of storytelling. This is a tight, character-driven book that takes place in San Francisco in 1906—when all hell broke loose with an earthquake, then a devastating fire. I was on the edge of my seat for a large chunk of the book. There is plenty of mystery and suspense—way more than you’d usually find in this genre, and for me this was a huge plus. And it’s all doled out in the right amounts at the right places; oh, the story is so well put together! Another way that it’s different from your basic historical fiction: descriptive text doesn’t rule. The pictures are vivid without tedious descriptive paragraphs being thrown in. It’s one of those books you can’t put down.
I don’t want to give away anything; part of the fun is not knowing where the story is going. All I’ll say is there’s a mail-order bride, a stoic man, a knock on the door. Add an earthquake and a fire, and what a situation we have here, folks. A perk was getting a peek of what it could have been like to live in San Francisco during the historical disaster. I felt like I was right there through the chaos and destruction. The grumbling and tumbling of the city was one thing, but we had a whole other drama going on in the middle of it.
You’ll love the three woman who are joined together in weird ways, and you’ll feel like you know them. Great character development. I will say that the language isn’t special; the sentences didn’t pop out and make me tingle. But still, the language doesn’t get in the way, either. It’s a good, swift vehicle for getting us to the places we need to go to.
I want to check out more books by this author; I want to—need to—read another book like this one! In its earnest and urgent pace, this book reminded me of Diane Chamberlain’s Big Lies in a Small Town, which I also loved.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
March 2, 2021
After so many 5 star reviews... I was looking forward to reading “The Nature of Fragile Things”....as much as the next person.
The beginning was ‘terrific’, with an interesting premises.....
I liked the ending too....
And most of the fiction storytelling was engaging —
but parts of the second middle half lost momentum— and became repetitive and a little too sappy for my taste.
I also felt the weakest link.... was the ‘historical fiction’ aspects of 1906 earthquake....
but as a mysterious/ suspense novel.... it kept me curious and engaged.
The strength of “The Nature of Fragile Things”, were the characters...
especially the fragility of the women.
I felt how ‘fragile’ they each were. I cared for their developing women-friendships. I enjoyed watching them become stronger - in spite of the tragedy they had endured....
but....
If San Francisco was supposed to be ‘fragile’ ....during the quake and fires... I thought it skimmed the surface with ‘more telling’....and less gut wrenching experiencing.
It felt to me that the 1906 earthquake was a plot device..... that only partially worked.
Author, Carol Edgarian wrote a book (comes out this), month, called
“Vera”.
It too, covers the catastrophe of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake ....
but with more experiential depth of the history.
However .... even with a few of my little pet peeves ...
“The Nature of Fragile Things”, was a captivating novel that kept me reading to the end.
3.7 rating
The beginning was ‘terrific’, with an interesting premises.....
I liked the ending too....
And most of the fiction storytelling was engaging —
but parts of the second middle half lost momentum— and became repetitive and a little too sappy for my taste.
I also felt the weakest link.... was the ‘historical fiction’ aspects of 1906 earthquake....
but as a mysterious/ suspense novel.... it kept me curious and engaged.
The strength of “The Nature of Fragile Things”, were the characters...
especially the fragility of the women.
I felt how ‘fragile’ they each were. I cared for their developing women-friendships. I enjoyed watching them become stronger - in spite of the tragedy they had endured....
but....
If San Francisco was supposed to be ‘fragile’ ....during the quake and fires... I thought it skimmed the surface with ‘more telling’....and less gut wrenching experiencing.
It felt to me that the 1906 earthquake was a plot device..... that only partially worked.
Author, Carol Edgarian wrote a book (comes out this), month, called
“Vera”.
It too, covers the catastrophe of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake ....
but with more experiential depth of the history.
However .... even with a few of my little pet peeves ...
“The Nature of Fragile Things”, was a captivating novel that kept me reading to the end.
3.7 rating
May 25, 2021
4.5 rounded to 5 stars
What a wonderful novel this is! This is my first Susan Meissner novel, and I am impressed. I was first attracted by the intriguing title, the fantastic cover, and the fact that it is set during the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I knew few details about this tragic event and wanted to learn much more about it.
This book has it all. It’s a captivating story and a pacy read. To read details of the mass destruction wrought by the 1906 earthquake was rendered even more impactful for me as I love San Francisco and know it well having visited many times. The characterization is excellent. I bonded immediately with the protagonist, Sophie, and her young, damaged charge, 6-year-old Kat. Embedded within their story is a mystery enhanced by numerous twists and turns (including a real biggie) that completely fooled me. The mystery is very well written—as good as those penned by full time mystery writers. The heart of the novel, however, relates to interpersonal relationships and how things happen that can completely change the nature of family. This was my favorite theme of the story. Finally, I appreciated the satisfying epilogue.
The book lost ½ star as I would have liked just a bit more detail on the repercussions of the earthquake on the city.
To throw one more compliment out there, this novel reminds me of those written by Diane Chamberlain, a favorite of mine.
I highly recommend The Nature of Fragile Things to all readers of historical fiction. I am pleased to see Ms. Meissner has a sizable back catalog that I look forward to delving into.
What a wonderful novel this is! This is my first Susan Meissner novel, and I am impressed. I was first attracted by the intriguing title, the fantastic cover, and the fact that it is set during the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I knew few details about this tragic event and wanted to learn much more about it.
This book has it all. It’s a captivating story and a pacy read. To read details of the mass destruction wrought by the 1906 earthquake was rendered even more impactful for me as I love San Francisco and know it well having visited many times. The characterization is excellent. I bonded immediately with the protagonist, Sophie, and her young, damaged charge, 6-year-old Kat. Embedded within their story is a mystery enhanced by numerous twists and turns (including a real biggie) that completely fooled me. The mystery is very well written—as good as those penned by full time mystery writers. The heart of the novel, however, relates to interpersonal relationships and how things happen that can completely change the nature of family. This was my favorite theme of the story. Finally, I appreciated the satisfying epilogue.
The book lost ½ star as I would have liked just a bit more detail on the repercussions of the earthquake on the city.
To throw one more compliment out there, this novel reminds me of those written by Diane Chamberlain, a favorite of mine.
I highly recommend The Nature of Fragile Things to all readers of historical fiction. I am pleased to see Ms. Meissner has a sizable back catalog that I look forward to delving into.
April 7, 2021
A terrific story set in in 1906 San Francisco, engaging characters and a plot that is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing right to the end.
A lovely, easy to read historical fiction story. This is my second novel by Susan Messiner and I really enjoyed this mysterious and satisfying read.
Sophie Whalen, a young Irish immigrant answers a mail order bride advertisement in the Newspaper and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. She wants to escape the tenements of New York and her poorly paid job and is happy to embrace a new life even if it is with a man she has never met and his young daughter. April 18th 1906, a massive earthquake rocks San Francisco and also changes Sophie’s life forever.
The nature of Fragile things engages the reader from the very first page and I enjoyed the mysterious aspect of the novel. I haven’t read anything previously on the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and this was interesting and encourages me to seek out a non fiction account of this natural disaster. It’s a well written story, with dark secrets that the readers longs to untangle and three interesting and likeable women at the heart of the novel.
Another novel for my favourites shelf and a lovely hard copy to add to my real life book shelf.
A lovely, easy to read historical fiction story. This is my second novel by Susan Messiner and I really enjoyed this mysterious and satisfying read.
Sophie Whalen, a young Irish immigrant answers a mail order bride advertisement in the Newspaper and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. She wants to escape the tenements of New York and her poorly paid job and is happy to embrace a new life even if it is with a man she has never met and his young daughter. April 18th 1906, a massive earthquake rocks San Francisco and also changes Sophie’s life forever.
The nature of Fragile things engages the reader from the very first page and I enjoyed the mysterious aspect of the novel. I haven’t read anything previously on the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and this was interesting and encourages me to seek out a non fiction account of this natural disaster. It’s a well written story, with dark secrets that the readers longs to untangle and three interesting and likeable women at the heart of the novel.
Another novel for my favourites shelf and a lovely hard copy to add to my real life book shelf.
March 13, 2021
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner was a riveting and captivating book set in the early 1900’s. The elements of the plot drew me in and made me want to keep reading to discover what would happen next. Many strong themes meshed throughout the book. Among them were female friendship and trust, the unconditional love for a child and the instinctive nature to protect a child at any cost, hope, loss and a web of lies. The Nature of Fragile Things was masterfully written and depicted a time in American history that burdened some with great hardships and loss. The women characters in The Nature of Fragile Things were strong, determined and resilient.
Sophie Whalen arrived in New York from Ireland as a young and determined young, twenty year old woman immigrant ready to carve a place for herself and create a whole new life for herself. She was met with the hardships of tenement life. Sophie shared a minuscule room with four other women. The only running water was located in the back alley and came from a single spigot. There were no functional bathrooms. A chamber pot was placed in each apartment and was often emptied through an open window. Sophie knew that she had to do something to change her life and living conditions so she answered an ad for a mail-order bride. She had answered an ad placed by a widow, Martin Hocking, looking for a wife and mother for his five year old daughter. Martin Hocking had recently moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco and had purchased a home. He wanted a wife from back East where he grew up and not from the local area. Martin wanted a wife that needed no coddling or hand holding and someone who could be a good mother to his daughter. Sophie found herself on her way to San Francisco to meet her new handsome husband and selectively mute new daughter, Kat. From early on in her marriage to Martin Hocking, Sophie was curious and also suspicious of her new husband’s behavior. Somethings did not seem right about Martin’s behavior, secrecy and actions to Sophie.
Then on the day before the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, a young and very pregnant young woman showed up at the Hocking residence. The woman introduced herself to Sophie as Belinda Bigelow. Sophie and Belinda began to discover that they shared the same man as their husbands. As Sophie began to search for evidence that supported Belinda’s claims she also began to realize that all her suspicions had been justified about Martin. Sophie discovered evidence that tied “her Martin” to at least two other women. The more she discovered about the lives of these women and Martin’s involvement with them the sicker she felt and the more she began to despise Martin for the things she found out he had done. All this knowledge came to Sophie just hours before the devastating earthquake gripped the city of San Francisco and shook it violently and mercilessly created fires throughout the city. All three of these women’s lives would be changed as a result. In each other, they would find friendship, courage, love, hope and truth.
Susan Meissner’s new book, The Nature of Fragile Things was well written and explored how one man’s actions changed the lives of three strong and resilient women. It used the San Francisco earthquake as its backdrop. I was captivated from start to finish and enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend this book.
Sophie Whalen arrived in New York from Ireland as a young and determined young, twenty year old woman immigrant ready to carve a place for herself and create a whole new life for herself. She was met with the hardships of tenement life. Sophie shared a minuscule room with four other women. The only running water was located in the back alley and came from a single spigot. There were no functional bathrooms. A chamber pot was placed in each apartment and was often emptied through an open window. Sophie knew that she had to do something to change her life and living conditions so she answered an ad for a mail-order bride. She had answered an ad placed by a widow, Martin Hocking, looking for a wife and mother for his five year old daughter. Martin Hocking had recently moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco and had purchased a home. He wanted a wife from back East where he grew up and not from the local area. Martin wanted a wife that needed no coddling or hand holding and someone who could be a good mother to his daughter. Sophie found herself on her way to San Francisco to meet her new handsome husband and selectively mute new daughter, Kat. From early on in her marriage to Martin Hocking, Sophie was curious and also suspicious of her new husband’s behavior. Somethings did not seem right about Martin’s behavior, secrecy and actions to Sophie.
Then on the day before the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, a young and very pregnant young woman showed up at the Hocking residence. The woman introduced herself to Sophie as Belinda Bigelow. Sophie and Belinda began to discover that they shared the same man as their husbands. As Sophie began to search for evidence that supported Belinda’s claims she also began to realize that all her suspicions had been justified about Martin. Sophie discovered evidence that tied “her Martin” to at least two other women. The more she discovered about the lives of these women and Martin’s involvement with them the sicker she felt and the more she began to despise Martin for the things she found out he had done. All this knowledge came to Sophie just hours before the devastating earthquake gripped the city of San Francisco and shook it violently and mercilessly created fires throughout the city. All three of these women’s lives would be changed as a result. In each other, they would find friendship, courage, love, hope and truth.
Susan Meissner’s new book, The Nature of Fragile Things was well written and explored how one man’s actions changed the lives of three strong and resilient women. It used the San Francisco earthquake as its backdrop. I was captivated from start to finish and enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend this book.
March 17, 2021
Meissner is mesmerizing.
It’s 1906. Sophie, an Irish immigrant, has answered an ad for a mail in bride and marries a man she doesn’t know to escape to San Francisco. A loveless marriage but she adores his 5 year old daughter. But as the months go by, a knock at her door will change her life. Then an earth shattering earthquake further shakes her life a little more.
3 women whose lives are entwined with a man. What is solid does not break.
What is fragile does.
The ending took a twist I was not prepared for.
Meissner could have renamed this one, “3 ladies and a scoundrel” or a more modern title, “3 Women and a snake” as some characters never change even as the centuries do :) 4⭐️
It’s 1906. Sophie, an Irish immigrant, has answered an ad for a mail in bride and marries a man she doesn’t know to escape to San Francisco. A loveless marriage but she adores his 5 year old daughter. But as the months go by, a knock at her door will change her life. Then an earth shattering earthquake further shakes her life a little more.
3 women whose lives are entwined with a man. What is solid does not break.
What is fragile does.
The ending took a twist I was not prepared for.
Meissner could have renamed this one, “3 ladies and a scoundrel” or a more modern title, “3 Women and a snake” as some characters never change even as the centuries do :) 4⭐️
April 13, 2021
Review to be posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Completely Captivating!
Sophie is an Irish Immigrant, who after arriving in New York, answers an ad for a mail-order bride. Arriving in San Francisco shortly thereafter, she immediately marries Martin Hocking, though she does not know him. He is looking for a mate and most importantly a father to his 5-year-old daughter Kat. Little does Sophie know, Martin is not who he appears to be.
A few years later, a woman appears on her doorstep, her name is Belinda. Between the two of them, they uncover many a secret about Martin Hocking. Then he arrives home. Immediately thereafter an earthquake hits.
The earthquake of 1906, destroying most of San Francisco and many lives.
From that moment on, Sophie, Belinda, and Kat forge a bond. Through trials and tribulations, these three become a family and vow to overcome.
An incredibly well-written, character driven novel that completely enveloped me in the storyline. This is now the 3rd book that I’ve read by Susan Meissner and she is fast becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors.
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of the audiobook.
Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.
Completely Captivating!
Sophie is an Irish Immigrant, who after arriving in New York, answers an ad for a mail-order bride. Arriving in San Francisco shortly thereafter, she immediately marries Martin Hocking, though she does not know him. He is looking for a mate and most importantly a father to his 5-year-old daughter Kat. Little does Sophie know, Martin is not who he appears to be.
A few years later, a woman appears on her doorstep, her name is Belinda. Between the two of them, they uncover many a secret about Martin Hocking. Then he arrives home. Immediately thereafter an earthquake hits.
The earthquake of 1906, destroying most of San Francisco and many lives.
From that moment on, Sophie, Belinda, and Kat forge a bond. Through trials and tribulations, these three become a family and vow to overcome.
An incredibly well-written, character driven novel that completely enveloped me in the storyline. This is now the 3rd book that I’ve read by Susan Meissner and she is fast becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors.
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of the audiobook.
Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.
March 27, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up
“When people are thrown into an abyss and together find their way out of it, they are not the same people. They are bound to one another ever after, linked together at the core of who they are because it was together that they escaped a terrible fate. It doesn’t seem like Kat and I met Belinda only last Tuesday. It seems we have always known her.”
The dramatic centerpiece of this novel is the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Author Susan Meissner gives credit to Malcolm E. Barker’s book, ‘Three Fearful Days’ and its first hand accounts of the earthquake as being invaluable.
Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant who landed in deplorable conditions in a New York tenement. Desperate to improve her life, she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride. When she arrives in San Francisco to meet the handsome widower Martin Hocking, they go immediately to the courthouse to be married. It is Martin’s five-year-old daughter, mostly silent and grieving the loss of her mother that wins Sophie’s heart. Kat wins my heart, too. Kat is not hostile, she’s despondent and sad. It takes the steady drip-drip of Sophie’s attention and love to make incursions upon the walls that Kat has built. Martin travels for an insurance business and stays away from home for days, but he is a good provider.
The day before the earthquake, a woman that Sophie doesn’t know shows up at her door. Martin is out of town. Events begin to cascade toward the earthquake that will occur the next morning. There were nearly half a million people living in San Francisco on that fateful day, all of them bent upon their own plans. The earthquake broke the water mains that lay underground as well as broke gas lines which erupted into fires. It is one of the largest natural disasters to hit America. 3,000 people died and half the population of San Francisco was left homeless by the fires and the effects of the earthquake. Meissner’s narrative causes me to think of all the people whose lives were changed in minutes when this disaster hits. Meissner shows the chaos and how lives were imperiled.
Meissner does a fine job of delineating her characters, giving them full-fleshed lives. I enjoyed this novel, but for me, I missed something in Sophie, some spice possibly of interior dialog, something that would move me toward her a little more. She is a sympathetic character and I rooted for her, but still, I felt a little aloof. All in all however, a fine novel, and one I have no trouble recommending.
“When people are thrown into an abyss and together find their way out of it, they are not the same people. They are bound to one another ever after, linked together at the core of who they are because it was together that they escaped a terrible fate. It doesn’t seem like Kat and I met Belinda only last Tuesday. It seems we have always known her.”
The dramatic centerpiece of this novel is the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Author Susan Meissner gives credit to Malcolm E. Barker’s book, ‘Three Fearful Days’ and its first hand accounts of the earthquake as being invaluable.
Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant who landed in deplorable conditions in a New York tenement. Desperate to improve her life, she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride. When she arrives in San Francisco to meet the handsome widower Martin Hocking, they go immediately to the courthouse to be married. It is Martin’s five-year-old daughter, mostly silent and grieving the loss of her mother that wins Sophie’s heart. Kat wins my heart, too. Kat is not hostile, she’s despondent and sad. It takes the steady drip-drip of Sophie’s attention and love to make incursions upon the walls that Kat has built. Martin travels for an insurance business and stays away from home for days, but he is a good provider.
The day before the earthquake, a woman that Sophie doesn’t know shows up at her door. Martin is out of town. Events begin to cascade toward the earthquake that will occur the next morning. There were nearly half a million people living in San Francisco on that fateful day, all of them bent upon their own plans. The earthquake broke the water mains that lay underground as well as broke gas lines which erupted into fires. It is one of the largest natural disasters to hit America. 3,000 people died and half the population of San Francisco was left homeless by the fires and the effects of the earthquake. Meissner’s narrative causes me to think of all the people whose lives were changed in minutes when this disaster hits. Meissner shows the chaos and how lives were imperiled.
Meissner does a fine job of delineating her characters, giving them full-fleshed lives. I enjoyed this novel, but for me, I missed something in Sophie, some spice possibly of interior dialog, something that would move me toward her a little more. She is a sympathetic character and I rooted for her, but still, I felt a little aloof. All in all however, a fine novel, and one I have no trouble recommending.
March 8, 2021
"The earth cannot keep itself together without the dance, and I wonder if it will hurt terribly to be swallowed up in the chaos of the danceless world folding in on itself."
Massive disasters are not all instigated by Nature. Some of those disasters take the shape of the human form. Sophie Whalen will come face-to-face with exactly that.
Sophie, newly arrived from Ireland, lives in a rundown tenement in New York City where one rusted spicket in the back of the building is the only water source. There appears to be no milk and no honey in this land of opportunity.
But Sophie notices an ad for a mail order bride for San Francisco. She leaps at the chance and soon finds herself on a train headed West and a marriage on the horizon. Martin Hocking is a widower with a five year old daughter, Kat. As soon as she climbs from the train, she and Martin are married in a rushed ceremony. Martin drives them to a stately home near Russian Hill. Sophie cannot believe her good fortune. But she will come to find that there's no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
Martin is a quiet, subdued man who speaks little to both Sophie or to Kat. He explains that he works for an insurance company and will be gone days at a time. Sophie begins to realize that this relationship is purely of convenience and hardly has a path to love. But Sophie finds contentment in the big house and caring for Kat who simply nods and shakes her head. She refuses to speak. Sophie accepts this and she and Kat soon develop a relationship.
Sophie's world is about to change when she answers a knock at the front door that fateful day. One tiny blonde haired woman will light the match that will ignite a bonfire of events. Sophie could never imagine how her life will implode from here on out. And within moments, Mother Nature delivers an impact of terrible destruction as she wrecks havoc throughout San Francisco destroying lives in that devastating earthquake of 1906. Sophie's tremors will stay with her for a lifetime.
The Nature of Fragile Things will keep you locked in for sure. Susan Meissner lays out a highly creative storyline with characters on both sides of the fence. She has painted her female lead in deep colors of strength and resilience. Meissner floats things on the surface, initially, and then she takes her story to greaters depths.
My only concern was the wide scope of events that needed to be untangled in the conclusion. There were so many knots to undo to settle a multitude of life issues since Meissner layered high the complications involved. Nevertheless, The Nature of Fragile Things is a worthy read. This story creates quite a quake in itself. Now you must find out for yourself.
Massive disasters are not all instigated by Nature. Some of those disasters take the shape of the human form. Sophie Whalen will come face-to-face with exactly that.
Sophie, newly arrived from Ireland, lives in a rundown tenement in New York City where one rusted spicket in the back of the building is the only water source. There appears to be no milk and no honey in this land of opportunity.
But Sophie notices an ad for a mail order bride for San Francisco. She leaps at the chance and soon finds herself on a train headed West and a marriage on the horizon. Martin Hocking is a widower with a five year old daughter, Kat. As soon as she climbs from the train, she and Martin are married in a rushed ceremony. Martin drives them to a stately home near Russian Hill. Sophie cannot believe her good fortune. But she will come to find that there's no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
Martin is a quiet, subdued man who speaks little to both Sophie or to Kat. He explains that he works for an insurance company and will be gone days at a time. Sophie begins to realize that this relationship is purely of convenience and hardly has a path to love. But Sophie finds contentment in the big house and caring for Kat who simply nods and shakes her head. She refuses to speak. Sophie accepts this and she and Kat soon develop a relationship.
Sophie's world is about to change when she answers a knock at the front door that fateful day. One tiny blonde haired woman will light the match that will ignite a bonfire of events. Sophie could never imagine how her life will implode from here on out. And within moments, Mother Nature delivers an impact of terrible destruction as she wrecks havoc throughout San Francisco destroying lives in that devastating earthquake of 1906. Sophie's tremors will stay with her for a lifetime.
The Nature of Fragile Things will keep you locked in for sure. Susan Meissner lays out a highly creative storyline with characters on both sides of the fence. She has painted her female lead in deep colors of strength and resilience. Meissner floats things on the surface, initially, and then she takes her story to greaters depths.
My only concern was the wide scope of events that needed to be untangled in the conclusion. There were so many knots to undo to settle a multitude of life issues since Meissner layered high the complications involved. Nevertheless, The Nature of Fragile Things is a worthy read. This story creates quite a quake in itself. Now you must find out for yourself.
February 8, 2021
San Francisco, 1906. Sophie Hocking is questioned by the US Marshal. Her husband is missing, and she waited six weeks after the San Francisco earthquake to report him missing. Why?
A year earlier. Sophie after emigrating from Ireland to NYC is now traveling to San Francisco. She is to marry a widower with a five-year-old daughter who placed an advertisement looking for a wife and mother to his child. He wanted someone from the East coast where he was from. Someone he didn’t need to cuddle and who could step into a role he needed her to play.
As soon as she arrives in San Francisco, she notices his absence more than she anticipated, as he works for insurance company which frequently takes him on the road. He seems to be taking care of lots of details; details he doesn’t name. She gets “accustomed to knowing very little about his stints on the road or even about his occupation…” until someone appears at her doorstep. A young pregnant woman is looking for her missing husband. Now, the questions are mounting.
I enjoyed the character of Sophie very much. You can hear the Irish when she rolls words off her tongue. When she describes her first steps as an immigrant - a very poor one - subletting a room the size of a pantry with four other tenants. You see it with your own eyes the hardship she experienced and what propelled her to answer to an advertisement and to travel across the country. You can feel her infectious love for the five-year-old girl. And you can feel her contagious excitement to meet her new neighbor across the street, only to realize that she is being treated as a charity case. She is a strong woman who doesn’t need a charity friendship. She wants real friends.
The aftermath of the earthquake is vividly presented, with aftershocks and with fires burning for three days resulting in a massive devastation of the city. The parks or any green space, or any pew in a church are filled with evacuees and injured. You can sense helplessness in finding someone missing. And witness some opportunistic people taking advantage of the situation and charging exorbitant fees for their services.
Seamlessly woven story with intricately developed characters that takes a reader on a fast-paced journey. Mystery unrolls with each page. It is engaging from the very first page to the very last one. The plotting convincingly immerses a reader in the events, both historical and fictional.
P.S. Previously read only As Bright As Heaven by this author which I highly recommend.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
A year earlier. Sophie after emigrating from Ireland to NYC is now traveling to San Francisco. She is to marry a widower with a five-year-old daughter who placed an advertisement looking for a wife and mother to his child. He wanted someone from the East coast where he was from. Someone he didn’t need to cuddle and who could step into a role he needed her to play.
As soon as she arrives in San Francisco, she notices his absence more than she anticipated, as he works for insurance company which frequently takes him on the road. He seems to be taking care of lots of details; details he doesn’t name. She gets “accustomed to knowing very little about his stints on the road or even about his occupation…” until someone appears at her doorstep. A young pregnant woman is looking for her missing husband. Now, the questions are mounting.
I enjoyed the character of Sophie very much. You can hear the Irish when she rolls words off her tongue. When she describes her first steps as an immigrant - a very poor one - subletting a room the size of a pantry with four other tenants. You see it with your own eyes the hardship she experienced and what propelled her to answer to an advertisement and to travel across the country. You can feel her infectious love for the five-year-old girl. And you can feel her contagious excitement to meet her new neighbor across the street, only to realize that she is being treated as a charity case. She is a strong woman who doesn’t need a charity friendship. She wants real friends.
The aftermath of the earthquake is vividly presented, with aftershocks and with fires burning for three days resulting in a massive devastation of the city. The parks or any green space, or any pew in a church are filled with evacuees and injured. You can sense helplessness in finding someone missing. And witness some opportunistic people taking advantage of the situation and charging exorbitant fees for their services.
Seamlessly woven story with intricately developed characters that takes a reader on a fast-paced journey. Mystery unrolls with each page. It is engaging from the very first page to the very last one. The plotting convincingly immerses a reader in the events, both historical and fictional.
P.S. Previously read only As Bright As Heaven by this author which I highly recommend.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
October 13, 2021
I always enjoy Susan Meissner's books and this one was no exception. This is the story of a woman from Ireland who becomes a mail order bride to a widower in San Francisco in order to provide a mother for his young daughter. Sophie doesn't love Martin, but she gradually starts to love Kat, his daughter. Then she has a mysterious visitor and everything she thought she knew turns on its head. The next morning, the San Francisco earthquake hits and nothing is the same again.
Once Sophie got her mysterious visitor I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen. There are a large number of twists and turns to the story, and the backdrop of 1906 San Francisco before and after the earthquake is riveting. I loved the way the characters created a family even when they weren't related by blood. I really liked how, particularly the women, formed a solidarity in the face of situations that would cause them to despair.
The only shortfall in this book (and it's really minor) was that there was never any real hardship. Even after the quake, money was never an issue, they weren't injured, and I never got a true sense of the devastation and loss from the quake because of it. However, that really wasn't the overall point of the story, so it truly is a minor issue.
The characters are well drawn and fascinating and I loved how the story came full circle at the end. There is a great sense of finality and conclusion with the epilogue which was the perfect ending to the tale.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Once Sophie got her mysterious visitor I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen. There are a large number of twists and turns to the story, and the backdrop of 1906 San Francisco before and after the earthquake is riveting. I loved the way the characters created a family even when they weren't related by blood. I really liked how, particularly the women, formed a solidarity in the face of situations that would cause them to despair.
The only shortfall in this book (and it's really minor) was that there was never any real hardship. Even after the quake, money was never an issue, they weren't injured, and I never got a true sense of the devastation and loss from the quake because of it. However, that really wasn't the overall point of the story, so it truly is a minor issue.
The characters are well drawn and fascinating and I loved how the story came full circle at the end. There is a great sense of finality and conclusion with the epilogue which was the perfect ending to the tale.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
March 12, 2021
3.5stars
The good a person does far outweighs the evil done by another.
This was an interesting nicely done tale of an Irish immigrant's battle against the evil man she finds herself married to. She becomes a savior to a child and two other women all with a backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
The good a person does far outweighs the evil done by another.
This was an interesting nicely done tale of an Irish immigrant's battle against the evil man she finds herself married to. She becomes a savior to a child and two other women all with a backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
March 9, 2021
4.5 stars.
This is story with really great characters and an unbelievably despicable con man.
This is set just prior to, during, and following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Quite a bit of suspense in this story.
I’m going to keep this brief so I don’t let any of the story out.. just read it, you’ll like it!
This is story with really great characters and an unbelievably despicable con man.
This is set just prior to, during, and following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Quite a bit of suspense in this story.
I’m going to keep this brief so I don’t let any of the story out.. just read it, you’ll like it!
January 20, 2021
Susan Meissner is a masterful story teller that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end!! She creates beautiful characters and lets them tell their story!!
We begin with Sofie Whalen, an Irish immigrant, answering an advertisement in the paper to be the wife of Martin Hocking and mother to his six-year-old daughter Kat. Sofie, looking for a better life, packs her bags and moves from New York to California. She quickly falls in love with Kat and enjoys being her mother, but her feelings for Martin never grow nor does Martin show any love towards her.
On a night that Martin is out of town, a woman named Belinda knocks on the door of the Hocking home looking for him. Sofie invites her in and soon the secrets that Martin keeps start to unravel. These two women form an unlikely bond and venture to find some answers.
Of course, neither of them knew what lied ahead. We are then transported to the 1906 earthquakes in San Francisco, California. Meissner provides a well-researched account of the devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the fires that burned for days afterwards, destroying everything in its path. While reading, I could actually picture the ashes falling from the sky and smell the burning fire. If this earthquake happened today, it would be considered a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale.
I’m not going to reveal any more about the intertwined lives of Sofie, Kat and Belinda. I don’t want to spoil a marvelous read for you. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction, a story full of secrets, lies, love, loss, and female friendships. Everything a five-star read should be!!
Thank you Edelweiss, Susan Meissner, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of The Nature of Fragile Things in exchanged for my unbiased review.
We begin with Sofie Whalen, an Irish immigrant, answering an advertisement in the paper to be the wife of Martin Hocking and mother to his six-year-old daughter Kat. Sofie, looking for a better life, packs her bags and moves from New York to California. She quickly falls in love with Kat and enjoys being her mother, but her feelings for Martin never grow nor does Martin show any love towards her.
On a night that Martin is out of town, a woman named Belinda knocks on the door of the Hocking home looking for him. Sofie invites her in and soon the secrets that Martin keeps start to unravel. These two women form an unlikely bond and venture to find some answers.
Of course, neither of them knew what lied ahead. We are then transported to the 1906 earthquakes in San Francisco, California. Meissner provides a well-researched account of the devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the fires that burned for days afterwards, destroying everything in its path. While reading, I could actually picture the ashes falling from the sky and smell the burning fire. If this earthquake happened today, it would be considered a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale.
I’m not going to reveal any more about the intertwined lives of Sofie, Kat and Belinda. I don’t want to spoil a marvelous read for you. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction, a story full of secrets, lies, love, loss, and female friendships. Everything a five-star read should be!!
Thank you Edelweiss, Susan Meissner, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of The Nature of Fragile Things in exchanged for my unbiased review.
July 27, 2025
Why I chose to read this book:
1. my youngest daughter recommended it to me; and,
2. July 2025 is my "M and N Authors" Month!
Praises:
1. I enjoyed the secrets/mysteries throughout the story, eagerly reading on to find out the answers;
2. setting details - author Susan Meissner made me feel like I was in San Francisco during its infamous earthquake/fires and its aftermath of 1906. Descriptions of the scene were quite vivid;
3. Meissner's development of her MC, Sophie Whalen, expanded throughout the story as we learn about who Sophie is and what secrets does she harbor; and,
4. Meissner makes unique use of figurative language!
Niggle:
I really wish the 1906 earthquake played a major role in this story. It felt like a convenient backdrop within the mystery.
Overall Thoughts:
I've read Meissner's book As Bright as Heaven a few years ago that was set in Philadelphia during the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918. I had hoped for the tragedies in both of these stories to have a greater role overall rather than something that "just happened" while life went on for the characters.
Still, I thought this was a very good read that kept me riveted and entertained!
1. my youngest daughter recommended it to me; and,
2. July 2025 is my "M and N Authors" Month!
Praises:
1. I enjoyed the secrets/mysteries throughout the story, eagerly reading on to find out the answers;
2. setting details - author Susan Meissner made me feel like I was in San Francisco during its infamous earthquake/fires and its aftermath of 1906. Descriptions of the scene were quite vivid;
3. Meissner's development of her MC, Sophie Whalen, expanded throughout the story as we learn about who Sophie is and what secrets does she harbor; and,
4. Meissner makes unique use of figurative language!
Niggle:
I really wish the 1906 earthquake played a major role in this story. It felt like a convenient backdrop within the mystery.
Overall Thoughts:
I've read Meissner's book As Bright as Heaven a few years ago that was set in Philadelphia during the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918. I had hoped for the tragedies in both of these stories to have a greater role overall rather than something that "just happened" while life went on for the characters.
Still, I thought this was a very good read that kept me riveted and entertained!
September 5, 2023
This author is an amazing storyteller, for the most part.
She has interesting characters with “mysterious” backstories.
The beginning grabbed me.
The premise of the storyline was fascinating.
The ending, too.
The middle lost momentum and became a bit repetitive and tedious and sometimes sappy.
And sometimes, the historical fiction (using the 1906 earthquake as a backdrop) felt like her weakest part – more like a plot device, than a gut wrenching experience.
As a mysterious/suspense novel, it kept me curious and engaged, and guessing – because the characters were interesting.
She has interesting characters with “mysterious” backstories.
The beginning grabbed me.
The premise of the storyline was fascinating.
The ending, too.
The middle lost momentum and became a bit repetitive and tedious and sometimes sappy.
And sometimes, the historical fiction (using the 1906 earthquake as a backdrop) felt like her weakest part – more like a plot device, than a gut wrenching experience.
As a mysterious/suspense novel, it kept me curious and engaged, and guessing – because the characters were interesting.
February 4, 2021
"It is the nature of the earth to shift. It is the nature of fragile things to break. It is the nature of fire to burn."
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS is a wonderful and absorbing story of survival, friendship, and motherhood. Set during the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this work of historical fiction weaves together a bit of mystery and an emotional family drama with characters I won't soon forget.
Sophie is an Irish immigrant who answers a mail-order bride ad placed by a man in San Francisco. It seems like widower Martin Hocking can provide her with the life she craves — a comfortable home far away from the slums in New York City, and a child to raise named Kat, the young daughter of Martin and his deceased wife.
Sophie's relationship with her new husband is odd, and sometimes his behavior is unusual, but she has security and a family, and that's what matters. That is, until a very pregnant woman named Belinda shows up at her house the night before the great earthquake. The lives Sophie, Kat, and Belinda have known are about to come crashing down figuratively & literally!
I won't go further into the plot, but just know that if you're a fan of 20th century historical fiction, I highly recommend THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS. Susan Meissner is a gifted story teller who creates complicated characters readers will understand and enjoy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS is a wonderful and absorbing story of survival, friendship, and motherhood. Set during the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this work of historical fiction weaves together a bit of mystery and an emotional family drama with characters I won't soon forget.
Sophie is an Irish immigrant who answers a mail-order bride ad placed by a man in San Francisco. It seems like widower Martin Hocking can provide her with the life she craves — a comfortable home far away from the slums in New York City, and a child to raise named Kat, the young daughter of Martin and his deceased wife.
Sophie's relationship with her new husband is odd, and sometimes his behavior is unusual, but she has security and a family, and that's what matters. That is, until a very pregnant woman named Belinda shows up at her house the night before the great earthquake. The lives Sophie, Kat, and Belinda have known are about to come crashing down figuratively & literally!
I won't go further into the plot, but just know that if you're a fan of 20th century historical fiction, I highly recommend THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS. Susan Meissner is a gifted story teller who creates complicated characters readers will understand and enjoy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2021
Captivating, mysterious, and absorbing!
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS by SUSAN MEISSNER is such a beautifully written suspenseful and heartfelt historical fiction that kept me interested right to the very end.
The story was entertaining, emotional, and powerful.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Susan Meissner for my review copy!
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS by SUSAN MEISSNER is such a beautifully written suspenseful and heartfelt historical fiction that kept me interested right to the very end.
The story was entertaining, emotional, and powerful.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Susan Meissner for my review copy!
July 4, 2023
“Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.”
― Vesta M. Kelly
I love reading stories with strong and resourceful women, especially in a time (1906) when women had few options available for independence. This novel is an exceptional blend of historical fiction and suspense.
Sophie Whalen is the main character, and the story gradually unspools during and after the San Francisco earthquake. Anxious to leave NYC, Sophie answers an ad for a mail-order bride from a San Francisco widower with a young daughter, Kat. The new husband is handsome, aloof, and secretive.
Once a very pregnant woman shows up at her door, the story becomes a compelling mystery full of slowly unveiling secrets and twists. It’s a remarkable story that celebrates friendship and unconditional support between the three women characters in the novel.
Powerful themes include various forms of family/mother love, surviving adversity, and even some morally complex behavior.
I loved this book and I recommend it highly!
― Vesta M. Kelly
I love reading stories with strong and resourceful women, especially in a time (1906) when women had few options available for independence. This novel is an exceptional blend of historical fiction and suspense.
Sophie Whalen is the main character, and the story gradually unspools during and after the San Francisco earthquake. Anxious to leave NYC, Sophie answers an ad for a mail-order bride from a San Francisco widower with a young daughter, Kat. The new husband is handsome, aloof, and secretive.
Once a very pregnant woman shows up at her door, the story becomes a compelling mystery full of slowly unveiling secrets and twists. It’s a remarkable story that celebrates friendship and unconditional support between the three women characters in the novel.
Powerful themes include various forms of family/mother love, surviving adversity, and even some morally complex behavior.
I loved this book and I recommend it highly!
January 14, 2021
I love Susan Meissner’s hf novels and her newest is a real page-turner with twists and secrets amid the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Meissner writes so convincingly that we feel the earth tremble, see buildings crack into kindling, watch massive fires engulf the city. We become immersed in the story of Sophie, an Irish immigrant who answers a mail order bride ad and moves to San Fran to marry widower Martin. Each has a past as explosive as the earthquake that erupts soon after she arrives.
Meissner covers her characters with compassion as she strips them bare during world calamities. In AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN, it was the 1918 flu epidemic. In SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE, it was the London blitz. She’s one of my favorite authors precisely because she gives hope in darkness, as she does in THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS. A perfect tale for our times!
5 of 5 Stars
Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
Pub Date 02 Feb 2021
#TheNatureofFragileThings #NetGalley
Meissner covers her characters with compassion as she strips them bare during world calamities. In AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN, it was the 1918 flu epidemic. In SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE, it was the London blitz. She’s one of my favorite authors precisely because she gives hope in darkness, as she does in THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS. A perfect tale for our times!
5 of 5 Stars
Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
Pub Date 02 Feb 2021
#TheNatureofFragileThings #NetGalley
February 23, 2021
Sophie, a young Irish immigrant, is heading to San Francisco. She has answered a mail-order bride advertisement from a widowed man seeking a wife and a mother for his young child. It is a chance to escape the squalid conditions of the New York City tenement she’s been living in since coming to America. And a chance to be a mother, something she aches to be. Love, romance? Perhaps it will evolve. The newly formed family takes up residence in a lovely home near San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood. Husband Martin provides everything she could possibly need. As they settle in, Sophie accepts that her new husband travels frequently and doesn’t reveal much of himself to her. She realizes that something about Martin isn’t quite right. But it’s all worth it as her relationship with her stepdaughter Kat grows. She loves the young child and is helping Kat recover from the loss of her mother. When it comes 1906, we know that the historic earthquake will soon take place. It is best not to reveal more of what happens to Sophie and her family.
Author Susan Meissner is one of those talented writers who has the ability to truly transport you back in time. The Nature of Fragile Things takes the reader on an incredible journey. The massive impact of the earthquake and its aftermath will make it hard to put this book down. It’s a great work of Historical Fiction with suspense and strong characters. And like other Meissner books, it will tug at your heartstrings and keep you guessing as to what’s to come.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
Author Susan Meissner is one of those talented writers who has the ability to truly transport you back in time. The Nature of Fragile Things takes the reader on an incredible journey. The massive impact of the earthquake and its aftermath will make it hard to put this book down. It’s a great work of Historical Fiction with suspense and strong characters. And like other Meissner books, it will tug at your heartstrings and keep you guessing as to what’s to come.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
February 16, 2021
Adventurous Sophie becomes a mail order bride after answering an advert to marry a man she’s never met. She moves from a tenement in New York city to San Francisco and in the process becomes a wife and step-mom to a little girl.
Her new home is lovely and she’s drawn to her new daughter Kat immediately. Her husband, although handsome, is a little aloof but this suits Sophie as well.
As she adjusts to her new life, Sophie becomes more settled until one day a knock at the door changes everything.
Described as a historical novel, this is much more. Using the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as the backdrop, the story combines history, women’s literature, and a dark mystery. Gluing the story together are three unique women and the bonds they form in difficult and unusual circumstances.
This book flowed for me and was another fun buddy read with Mary Beth.
Thank you to The Book Depository where I purchased a hardback copy. I loved this so much that I'll probably re-read at some point and may purchase extras as gifts. It's that good!
Her new home is lovely and she’s drawn to her new daughter Kat immediately. Her husband, although handsome, is a little aloof but this suits Sophie as well.
As she adjusts to her new life, Sophie becomes more settled until one day a knock at the door changes everything.
Described as a historical novel, this is much more. Using the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as the backdrop, the story combines history, women’s literature, and a dark mystery. Gluing the story together are three unique women and the bonds they form in difficult and unusual circumstances.
This book flowed for me and was another fun buddy read with Mary Beth.
Thank you to The Book Depository where I purchased a hardback copy. I loved this so much that I'll probably re-read at some point and may purchase extras as gifts. It's that good!
February 28, 2021
The Nature of Fragile Things is not a writing masterpiece or particularly deep but it was a compelling story and I found it hard to put down. Set in the early 20th century in California, the story starts around the time of the San Francisco earthquake and focuses on the story Sophie tells about her marriage to a man she meets through a newspaper advertisement. From the beginning, we know that the man disappeared during the earthquake and that Sophie did not report him missing until some time later. There are multiple layers of mystery in the story so I will say no more to avoid spoilers. I liked Sophie's personality and her voice. I liked the slow unveiling of the mysteries. I liked how the story ended. Good entertaining novel with plenty of drama and feel good moments. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to an advance copy.
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