The Nature of Fragile Things

by Susan Meissner

Hardcover, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

F MEI

Collection

Fiction

Call number

F MEI

Genres

Publication

Berkley (2021), 384 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: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.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
“It’s the nature of fragile things to break.” Three women, one child, one man. Who among them is fragile? Who will stand strong as the earth shifts at their feet? Uncovered secrets will destroy some, but others will emerge stronger than before the quake. Suspenseful, heartbreaking, perfectly
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 paced, this story of strong female friendships, a mother’s love, and resilience will grab you and not let go until the shocking ending.

Susan Meissner takes us to the April 1906 earthquake that destroyed much of San Francisco. Sophie Hocking is devastated as she learns of the complexities of the lies from the man she married. Three women will find their lives suddenly intertwined. And Sophie has her own secrets that she prays will never be revealed.

Having spent a lot of time in San Francisco, I enjoyed the visit back to one of my favorite cities. My heart broke as little Kat had to deal with too much loss for a young child. I was so happy as Sophie began breaking through Kat’s silence, but then my breath was taken away as I realized that Kat could lose Sophie. This book evoked so many emotions in me, that it left me emotionally spent.
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24 more
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
A mail-order husband that turned out to be perfect until one morning a knock at the door shattered Sophie’s life.

Actually there are two more women whose lives are shattered by Sophie’s husband.

THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS takes us into the lives of Sophie, Belinda, Candace, and six-year-old
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 Kat.

Each woman has a different story, but Martin, Sophie’s husband, is at the center of all of them.

This book was about life’s choices, the resilience of women, the beauty of friendship, the support women give each other, and an added bit of mystery.

You will wonder where it is heading in the beginning, and it heads to another marvelous book by Susan Meissner.

Ms. Meissner wove the story line around her well-researched account of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which added to the tension and beauty of this book. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner transports readers to San Francisco, California in 1905 where Sophie Whalen has agreed to marry Martin Hocking. Sophie was living in New York after immigrating from Ireland when she saw Martin’s advertisement for a bride and mother for his daughter,
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 Kat. They marry the day Sophie arrives in San Francisco, and she quickly adjusts to her new role. Martin travels for work leaving Kat and Sophie alone. One April evening, Sophie is surprised by the visitor. This woman sets in motion a chain of events that will change their lives and that of another woman with a connection to them. The next morning a devastating earthquake hits the San Francisco area forcing the women to flee. The Nature of Fragile Things is a well-written and crafted historical novel. The authors descriptive writings captured the time-period and events. She really captured the earthquake and its devastation with her word imagery. I could visualize the scenes and what our characters were experiencing. I could tell that Susan Meissner did her research for this book. The characters were developed and at the heart of the story. It was fascinating how it all tied together with the amazing “oh my goodness” moment near the end. I especially appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up this fascinating tale. I do not want to say too much and ruin this captivating story for you. I have read all of Susan Meissner’s novels and I found this one better yet different from her other books (such as Lady in Waiting). The Nature of Fragile Things has secrets, love, lies, loss, friendships, betrayal, a mother’s love, and justice. Now we must wait another year for Susan Meissner’s next novel (sigh).
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LibraryThing member fredreeca
Sophie has become a mail order bride. She could not take the tenements in NYC anymore. So, she answers the ad and moves to San Francisco. She meets and marries her new husband, Martin Hocking. He is a handsome man but he is very aloof. However, he has the sweetest little girl named Kat. Sophie
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 begins to be very attached to Kat and when her relationship with this little girl is threatened, Sophie stops at nothing to protect her.

Sophie is a strong woman fallen on hard times. She takes a risk to change her stars. Little does she know that her husband is not who he says he is. She finds this out right before the earthquake changes her and Kat’s life.

Wow! This is a super good read. It is twisted, heartbreaking and intense all at the same time. I adored Sophie. She is a lady of integrity and strength. This is proven time and time again during this read.

This is a story you will not stop once you start. It is captivating and powerful! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member jetangen4571
historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, early-20th-century, family-dynamics, friendship, loss, love, Ireland, California*****

She came from Ireland to New York to get away, then went to San Francisco to get away, then left 'Frisco to get away. Along the
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 way she acquired a mail order husband, a lovely but emotionally scarred step-daughter, and some very interesting friends. And the professional attention of a US Marshall. The characters are impressively portrayed and the descriptives are awesome. But the flow and emotional impact of the story is what will remain. Already bought the audio.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!
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LibraryThing member bookczuk
Pandemic read. Online book club read set during the era of the 1906 earthquake. We are not always what we seem.
LibraryThing member beckyhaase
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS by Susan Meissner
The devastating San Francisco Earthquake is the backdrop for this tale of marriage, lies, love, desperation, hope, secrets, murder, and justice. Sophie, an Irish immigrant with secrets, answers an advertisement for a mail order bride and becomes mother
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 to a silent 5-year-old as well as wife to a man who becomes more secretive each day.
The aftermath of the earthquake upends Sophie’s materially satisfying, though lonely and confusing, life. As her home is destroyed, she finds out one of her husband’s secrets. Sophie and Kat try to make a new life amid loss, fear, and more secrets.
Meissner’s ability to combine great research with actual events and wonderful characters into a thrilling tale reveals a devious and intriguing plot that is satisfying resolved. Lots here for a lively book group discussion.
5 of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
The life of Sophie, an Irish mail order bride, is upended by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Before the earthquake, Sophie is married to a secretive man and is the adoptive mother of a silent young girl. After, she starts to unravel the lies her husband told and discovers her marriage was
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 never what she thought. This tale is fascinating, heartfelt, and deeply rooted in the history of the 1906 earthquake. It makes for a good escape and I loved the focus on female relationships and friendships rather than romance.
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LibraryThing member Lisa2013
I love that I started this book on 4/18/21 since that is the 115 year anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco great quake and fire and that event is part of this book’s story.

I loved the writing style.

It was a page-turner for me and hard to put down.

I loved the narrator/new wife & mother
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 character and the character of the little girl Kat. I loved or (appropriately detested) many other characters.

This one surprised me. In went in an unexpected direction. I’m glad I knew as little as I did when I started the book. I loved the twists and turns from first page to last page.

There was a bit too much hinting of the mystery of Sophie’s background though I think that much of it is easily guessed.

I appreciated that in the author’s note and discussion questions at the end of the book she reveals that there will be major spoilers and suggests that the reader read the book first.

Great historical fiction story and San Francisco story. Good story about motherhood, friendships, friends as family, lives reinvented, and survival. I loved it.

4-1/2 stars

I simultaneously read a Kindle e-edition book and Overdrive audiobook both borrowed from the library.
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LibraryThing member pdebolt
In this historically interesting and intriguing novel set in 1905, Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant living in NYC in a crowded tenement when she reads about a widowed man with a small daughter wanting to marry a woman to provide a home for them in San Francisco. She sees a way out of her dreary
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 existence, and immediately responds. When she arrives in San Francisco, they are immediately married and she then meets his daughter, Kat, and they all move into a nicely-appointed home. Martin Hocking is a traveling man with abundant secrets. By the time these secrets are exposed, Sophie is completely devoted to 5-year old Kat, who has selective mutism.

In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake devastates the entire city, and ends Sophie's life as she knew it. She leaves behind her home that contains a lethal secret, but takes with her documents incriminating Martin, along with her beloved Kat and another woman who fell under Martin's spell in his involved schemes to profit. The depth of deceptions by Martin Hocking are numerous and far-reaching. Sophie also has secrets of her own, which propelled her into a marriage of convenience. This novel contains actual events of the horrific earthquake and its aftermath in San Francisco.
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LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner transports readers to San Francisco, California in 1905 where Sophie Whalen has agreed to marry Martin Hocking. Sophie was living in New York after immigrating from Ireland when she saw Martin’s advertisement for a bride and mother for his daughter,
Show More
 Kat. They marry the day Sophie arrives in San Francisco, and she quickly adjusts to her new role. Martin travels for work leaving Kat and Sophie alone. One April evening, Sophie is surprised by the visitor. This woman sets in motion a chain of events that will change their lives and that of another woman with a connection to them. The next morning a devastating earthquake hits the San Francisco area forcing the women to flee. The Nature of Fragile Things is a well-written and crafted historical novel. The authors descriptive writings captured the time-period and events. She really captured the earthquake and its devastation with her word imagery. I could visualize the scenes and what our characters were experiencing. I could tell that Susan Meissner did her research for this book. The characters were developed and at the heart of the story. It was fascinating how it all tied together with the amazing “oh my goodness” moment near the end. I especially appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up this fascinating tale. I do not want to say too much and ruin this captivating story for you. I have read all of Susan Meissner’s novels and I found this one better yet different from her other books (such as Lady in Waiting). The Nature of Fragile Things has secrets, love, lies, loss, friendships, betrayal, a mother’s love, and justice. Now we must wait another year for Susan Meissner’s next novel (sigh).
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LibraryThing member khoyt
Once again Susan Meissner has written another heart-wrenching, heart-stopping historical novel that has managed to truly depict the events of the day, in this case, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Through her marvelous characters who wrap you up in their situations and emotions, her
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 remarkable descriptions of this tragic event, and the unexpected finale, Ms. Meissner puts one in that fateful time and place walking over the rubble and seeing the sights as they must have been experienced by the sufferers of the devastation. The story she folds into the mix is original as well as inventive. After reading one of her novels, I am always searching for words to express what I am feeling. However, I always come up short. I guess that is why she is the writer and I am the reader!
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LibraryThing member gbelik
A great story, set well in its historical moment.
LibraryThing member nyiper
I can't believe this the first book I have read by Meissner! I have so many more to look forward to now. What a fascinating tale so creatively tied into the California earthquake of 1906---so much history mixed in with a story that kept uncovering more and more layers! Truly, I read for hours and
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 finished it in record time....very hard to put down!!!!
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Very well done historical fiction about the fates of three women during the earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco.
LibraryThing member techeditor
Although I didn’t expect to like THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS, I did. This is historical fiction that deals with the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. But what I heard about the fiction built around it sounded implausible to me. Maybe some parts of it are, but I liked the story.

Sophie, an
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 Irish 18-year-old who has been in New York for about three years, answers an advertisement from Martin for a mail-order bride. She wants to escape poverty; he claims that he wants to appear respectable. Sophie goes to San Francisco, and they immediately marry, even before going to his home there and meeting his six-year-old daughter, Katherine (Kat).

Martin never acts like a proper husband, but Sophie is not concerned. It does bother her, though, that he never acts like a proper father to Kat, who she soon comes to love.

When a pregnant woman appears on her doorstep one day while her husband is gone, Sophie learns the truth about Martin. He is guilty of far more than infidelity. And she will come to suspect even more. But, first, the earthquake.

Sounds like an old-fashioned soap opera. That’s why I was, at first, turned off to this book. But, as with modern-day soap operas, you may get caught up in this story in spite of yourself.
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LibraryThing member tsmom1219
The story was predictable, the characters were flat, and the writing style wasn't my favorite. I did a lot of skimming.
LibraryThing member maryreinert
Sophie is an immigrant girl from Ireland living in a filthy New York tenement when she answers an ad from a man in San Francisco looking for a wife to be a mother to his young daughter. She travels across the continent and is married immediately to Martin who treats her with respect but is very
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 distant to her and to young Kat. The house, however, is lovely, and she is well provided for. Kat, who has not spoken for a long time, slowly warms up to Sophie and Sophie begins to think of her as her child.

When a pregnant woman shows up at her door, she learns that Martin has another wife and that Candice, the mother of Kat, is not dead as she has been told. Martin returns to the house just when the San Francisco earthquake occurs.

The earthquake provides much of the setting for the rest of the story as Sophie, Brenda (who gives birth), and Kat maneuver the earthquake and finally manage to get to a neighboring town where Brenda is running an inn.

During all this Sophie is also hiding a secret from her time in Ireland which isn't revealed until the very end. All in all the plot is very believable and the characters are likeable; the bond of female friendship is beautifully drawn. Good read.
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LibraryThing member Eliz12
I don't understand the raves for this. I gave it two stars because the beginning was interesting enough. But I could hardly drag myself through the remaining 3/4 of the story and I started skimming, and even that was almost more than I could take. (I felt I had to do this because an acquaintance
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 gave it terrific reviews.) Really not for me.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
Protagonist Sophie, an Irish immigrant, is living in the slums of New York in 1905 when she answers an ad for a mail order bride, which requires moving to California. Recent widower Martin Hocking tells her he wants a wife to take care of his five-year-old daughter and to keep up his image for
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 work. During the early part of their marriage, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake hits.

The plot of this book revolves around a number of mysteries. Martin may not be what he seems. Sophie is harboring her own secrets. A pregnant woman appears at Sophie’s door, creating more questions. We know from the early chapters that a US Marshall is interviewing Sophie about her husband.

For me, the star of the book is five-year-old Kat. She is traumatized by the death of her mother. When Sophie arrives, Kat will not speak, but Sophie gradually earns her confidence. I also enjoyed the depiction of female friendships. The portions on the earthquake seem historically accurate. The epilogue ties everything up a bit too neatly. I could have done without it, especially since it contains a major anachronism. The undercurrent of tension is well done, but the author seems to be trying to pack too much into a single book.

3.5
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LibraryThing member CasSprout
Excellent story! A wonderful telling of the big earthquake in San Francisco but mostly a delightful read. Finally, a main female character who is not weak despite living in a time when women were still second-class citizens.
LibraryThing member janismack
I liked this book. The main character was endearing and the setting of the San Francisco earthquake made the whole story interesting. Recommended.
LibraryThing member Kristelh
Reason Read: read for LHBC
This is second book by the author that I have read. She writes historical fiction and this is set in San Francisco during the earthquake of 1906 and involves the lives of four females; 3 adult women and one child and portrays "friendship, mother love and power of female
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 solidarity". I rate it a B-.
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LibraryThing member Jacsun
I didn't know what to expect from this book but heard good reviews. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

It's about a woman, Sophie, who crosses the Atlantic from Northern Ireland to start a new life in New York in the early 1900s with her brother, Mason. He meets a woman, moves to Canada
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 and she is now alone and miserable.

Sophie is desperate for a better life and finds an ad from a man in San Francisco seeking to marry a woman to help raise his five-year-old daughter, Kat. He appears almost too perfect: handsome, successful as a traveling salesman, beautiful home in the downtown area and owner of a car. He lets her spend money on clothes, toys for their daughter and basically anything she needs. Life seems to be pretty darn perfect until she discovers that the man she has just married has a questionable past. Can she accept it and look the other way?

The author cleverly writes a plot that moves quickly that includes the San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906 with a grueling outlook. It is so vivid in my mind and makes me fear for what could happen again. There are plenty of hints of a marriage with misgivings but only when you get to end, the questions are answered.

It's on my list of favorites.
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LibraryThing member Okies
This is a riveting story, and as an historical thriller, moves along nicely, But I felt I didn't learn enough about the lead characters - Sophie and Martin. How did Sophie become so brave and independent? to take charge of the post earthquake calamity, the discovery of Martin's duplicity, and to
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 try to make right Martin's wrongs. Were Martin's dastardly deeds motivated simply by greed? or was he a sociopath? I didn't get close to knowing.

I have always been interested in that San Francisco earthquake and it is so fascinating to have it brought to life by doing San Francisco's famous free walking tours. Several of them touch on the event, and there is one completely on the earthquake.

And can't remember the name of the book, but I have read another novel that gave a lot more details about the earthquake - I think it was a popular book, so someone might remember the name?

I haven't read or heard of Susan Meissner before, but will read more.
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Awards

Audie Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2022)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — Hall of Fame — February 2021)

Language

English

Original publication date

2021

Physical description

9.3 inches

ISBN

0451492188 / 9780451492180

Barcode

59404

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