This novel- I went into it not sure what to expect other than a historically intriguing setting. What I got is quite possibly one of my FAVORITE novels of the year!

The novel follows Sophie Whalen as she is on a train ride to marry a man she hasn't met. Of course your curiosity is piqued, however, what happens afterwards...oh my, it gets SO MUCH BETTER!

Sophie builds bond with Kat, her new husband Martin's daughter. A bond and a relationship she so desperately wanted.

One the eve of San Francisco's big earthquake, Sophie's world is metaphorically SHOOK TO THE CORE (I mean talk about an appropriate time setting for what happens to Sophie!!). Heck, I was shooketh with her!

Thus begins the second half of the novel, and I was sprinting through the end of this, because Meissner's bread crumb trail of intrigue was getting the better of me! She so deftly drops these little tid bits about Sophie, her new friends, Martin, Sophie's life in northern Ireland...SO DANG GOOD!!

Y'all a historical MYSTERY. It was so well done!

I absolutely adored @soozmeissner’s last book, the Last Year of the War and gave it 5 stars. I’m excited to say this one was also a 5 star book for me! Susan is such a gifted storyteller; you are instantly transported away to 1906 in San Francisco. The story begins with Sophie, an Irish immigrant on a ferry to San Francisco from NYC. She’s on her way to marry a man she’s never met so that she can start a better life for herself. Martin, her new groom, is a widow with a 6 yr old daughter Kat, who has gone mute after the death of her mother. Sophie immediately takes to Kat and tries to build a relationship with Martin. She begins to suspect something is off when a woman knocks on the door when her husband is away. They start to talk and are making a plan when a massive earthquake hits SF. ⁣
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There’s obviously so much more to this book, but you will have to read for yourself to find out more. There are many themes in this book such as family, female friendship, motherly love, and confidence in yourself to change your own life. There’s many secrets and twists to keep you entertained from start to finish. This book is the perfect historical fiction novel and I appreciate it was a different time period that I don’t read often. ⁣

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

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

Having spent a lot of time in San Francisco, I enjoyed the visit back to one of my favorite cities. My heart broke as little Kat had to deal with too much loss for a young child. I was so happy as Sophie began breaking through Kat’s silence, but then my breath was taken away as I realized that Kat could lose Sophie. This book evoked so many emotions in me, that it left me emotionally spent.

Thank you to Berkeley for the advance copy to review. All opinions here are my own.

I always enjoy Susan Meissner's books and this one was no exception. 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 am such a fan of Susan Meissner and her books. She is such a great storyteller that keeps you interested from page one all the way to The End.
I think all of us have heard of the Great Fire and earthaquake of San Francisco, but I knew very little about the details and how it felt to actually be there. This book will make you feel like you are experiencing it for yourself.
An entire cast of memorable characters, that will capture your heart and keep you invested in their lives.
Lot of twists and surprises and heart warming moments throughout to keep you turning page after page quickly.
5 big stars for this one. This might be my new favorite from Susan Meissner.

Thanks to UpLitReads and Berkley Publishing for the free review copy.
This was a book that I didn't want to put down once I started it - and I could've easily finished it in one sitting if I had the capacity to do so. There were so many emotions captured in this book - from Sophie's love for Kat, to the disdain for Martin, to an instantaneous bond forged by the unpredictable temperament of nature. The friendships in this book are complicated, yet the bond created is one that I won't forget. These women are all vastly different, yet their relationship works and had me rooting for them the whole time.
I was also intrigued by Martin, and I loved how his story is revealed slowly throughout. The decisions made by him and the people he's affected left me racing to see how the story ended up.
I had never heard of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco before reading this book, and I love how Meissner can take historical events and create such a beautiful story set during a time of destruction. The setting and characters are perfect in this one, and it will be a great read for historical fiction fans.

Honestly, I haven't read a book by this author that I didn't just love. The Nature of Fragile Things was no different. I realize it's early in the year but this one is probably going to one of my favorites of the year. Such a memorable story!

Susan has created a enthralling, believable story centered around an Irish immigrant, a woman who comes to the United States for a chance of a better life. Sophie is thrown into a challenging world but strives for what she knows is important.

I love Susan's writing. She has such an wonderful, flowing writing style. I felt very comfortable with her characters and setting from the start. I have always been fascinated with this time period in San Francisco and what the residents had to go through in that catastrophic earthquake of 1906, so this story captivated me.

The Nature of Fragile Things is a story that I highly recommend! It's beautiful, heartwarming, and one that you won't soon forget. I know I won't.

My first by Susan Meissner and wow I am now a big fan. I am a sucker for anything historical fiction, but this wasn't the usual historical fiction. This is set in the early 1900s in San Francisco. Sophie, an Irish Immigrant, has recently answered an ad to marry a man she has never met. Sophie marries Martin on her first day in San Francisco and quickly becomes a mother to his 6 year old daughter Kat. Martin is an odd man but Sophie quickly falls in love with Kat. They build a strong bond quickly. But everything changes the night of a massive earthquake...

I was immediately sucked into this story. I loved Sophie and her determination to be a good mother to Kat. As we get to know Sophie, we learn her backstory. She is an amazing strong and beautiful character throughout this novel. 
This is one you will not want to put down once you begin it. It is an exceptional story.

The Nature of Fragile Things is set primarily in San Francisco around the time of the Great Earthquake of 1906. It follows a young Irish immigrant named Sophie Whalen who has come to America looking for a better life. Instead of a better life, however, she has found herself living in a dirty, overcrowded slum in New York. Desperately searching for something better, Sophie answers a newspaper ad posted by a widow who is looking for a woman to marry him and help care for his 5-year-old daughter and run his household. The two of them come to an agreement and Sophie travels to San Francisco to get married and begin her new life.

Married life isn’t quite what she expects it to be, however. Her husband, Martin, is aloof and secretive, takes minimal interest in Sophie or his daughter, and stays away, supposedly for his job, for days at a time. When another woman shows up on their doorstep claiming ties to Martin, it becomes clear that Martin has been keeping secrets from Sophie. While Sophie is in the midst of confronting Martin about his deception, their lives literally and figuratively crumble around them when a devastating earthquake strikes the city. Will they make it out alive? If so, where do they go from here now that trust has been broken?

I absolutely fell in love with Sophie as I was reading this book. She’s just such a complex and well-drawn character. She’s definitely not without flaws and has a few secrets of her own, but I really admired her determination to keep pushing for the kind of life she’s looking for. I also adored the relationship she cultivates with Martin’s young daughter. She truly became a mom for that little girl and it was just so touching to watch the two of them together. Where I loved Sophie though, I totally loathed her husband. At first I just thought he was a little odd, but the more I saw of him, the more I grew to think of him as a monster who has lied his way through life.

In addition to crafting these incredibly vivid characters who made me feel so much, both good and bad, Meissner also does a wonderful job making me feel like I really was in San Francisco and that I was actually there when the earthquake struck. Her descriptions are so vivid and terrifying that my heart felt like it was in my throat the entire time I was reading those scenes.

If you enjoy historical fiction that tells a story of deception, betrayal, and heartbreak but also of sisterhood, found families, hope and second chances, The Nature of Fragile Things is a must-read for you.

This is a story of friendship and a mother's love set against the backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Sophie marries Martin to have a home and be a mother to Kat. When Belinda arrives, secrets come out and the women set out on a journey to rebuild their lives.

Sophie was my favorite character. She showed so much determination in coming to America and in protecting Kat. Her resilience is repeatedly tested. This book is historical fiction, but I found it light on historical detail and more a story of relationships. If you're new to historical fiction, this would be a good one to try. I enjoyed seeing the relationships build through adversity. This book kept me turning pages until the end of the epilogue. I recommend reading this one when it comes out February 2nd.. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book.
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This book has so many layers- it feels like multiple stories rolled into one. It’s filled with questions and intrigue. I really liked Sophie. She had a good heart and gave so much love even after experiencing very difficult things. At the heart of it, it’s about love, friendship, family, and resiliency.

“What was there is gone. Erased. Something else can take it’s place though. Something else will. Something new. Something that is different than what was there before. Better maybe, stronger. But certainly not the exact same thing. This is how we make ourselves over when calamity strikes, isn’t it?”

The Nature of Fragile Things comes out on Tuesday (2/2) You should definitely add this to your TBR! Especially if you enjoy historical fiction, strong female protagonists, and suspense!

Trigger warning: domestic abuse

Sophie's life in New York is pretty terrible. She lives in a broken-down tenement, and when an ad comes through for a mail-order bride in San Francisco, Sophie believes that has to be better than her current situation. After arriving in San Francisco, Sophie meets Martin Hocking, her soon-to-be husband who is a widower. He and his deceased wife had a daughter together named Kat, and Sophie swiftly becomes attached to Kat, though Kat hasn't spoken since her mother died. Martin remains distant from Sophie, even after their wedding, and he travels for work often. Sophie can't quite put her finger on it, but there is something amiss about the supposedly better life she has gotten herself into. It is the spring of 1906, and a woman named Belinda shows up at Sophie's door with questions and revelations, though as earth-shattering as this is, what really shakes the earth is a life-ending earthquake that rends San Francisco in two. Sophie feels like her life has been torn asunder, much like the city she lives in, but now she must think of survival, for herself, for Belinda, and especially for Kat.

I got a little burnt out on historical fiction last year, so I was delighted when this story sucked me in and shook my world! Set in 1906 surrounding the tragedy of San Francisco's earthquake that year, I became engrossed in the lives of the characters and the mystery surrounding them, and I really felt like this historical event served as both an anchor and an emissary to uproot Sophie's new life and force her to confront what's been making her feel uneasy for some time. There are many secrets that pulled me in. Why is Martin so shady? Why won't Kat say anything? Then how did all this other stuff happen with Belinda? What other secrets lurk in the shadows? One thing I can say for sure is that this book is food for thought to ponder our personal relationships and wonder how well we know the people who live with us.

It was really nice to see Sophie and Kat's bond, and how they forge a path together out of tragedy and necessity. Sophie is resilient, and mothering, and shows incredible love in the face of her life literally and figuratively crumbling to dust around her, and she is able to find beauty in the ugliness, which is refreshing. Even with the ugliness, Sophie doesn't allow events or other people to take away her love and support, and she makes the best of her circumstances even when others might consider throwing their hands up in despair. The things that Martin has done will shock and dismay you, and poor little Kat deserves all of Sophie's protection and care. The Nature of Fragile Things is the story of one woman, and one city, being pulled apart by circumstances outside their control, and then attempting to make the world right again in the face of their mutual, parallel tragedies. I recommend you tag along with Sophie, Kat, and Belinda as they cling to survival and search for the truth, for their very lives depend on it.

4.5 ⭐ rounded to 5 ⭐

The Nature of Fragile Things is the mesmerizing, enchanting new novel from author Susan Meissner. A tale celebrating strong women, female friendships and the special bond between mothers and daughters, this charming book is the perfect companion to a hot cup of tea on a winter afternoon.

Sophie Whalen isn’t looking for love.  But she is searching for a way out of her dead end life in a New York tenement, so when she sees an ad for a mail-order bride from a man looking for a mother for his daughter Kat, she responds. He replies and before she knows it, she’s on her way to San Francisco. Widower Martin Hocking is entrancingly handsome, with striking eyes and a calm, temperate, well-mannered demeanor which serves as a balm to all Sophie’s fears about wedding a stranger. They are married within hours of meeting and she immediately moves into his fine house in a lovely neighborhood. He leaves the next day on a business trip, a situation which could have been difficult for Sophie and Kat, who are complete strangers, but Sophie proves to be adept at motherhood and she and Kat quickly develop a strong relationship. The little girl, traumatized by her mother’s death, hasn’t been speaking, but she slowly begins to flower (and talk) under Sophie’s care. Things are a bit lonely - Martin spends most of his time on the road for his sales job and even when he is home he is cold and distant to them both - but Sophie slowly builds a life for herself and Kat in the city.

As the months pass, she grows curious about her husband’s oddities. He keeps his desk locked, has a mysterious safe in the basement she isn’t allowed to touch, and when Sophie meets his former landlady the woman tells some strange tales about him. It’s hard for Sophie to ask questions, though. She and Kat are happy together, and her new-found financial security makes it easy for her not to dig too deeply into the life of the man who provides it. Until a stranger shows up on the doorstep forcing her to realize everything she thought she knew was a lie.

Belinda Bigelow is a pregnant young woman whose husband allegedly left town to handle some business for Martin. He was supposed to be gone for only a brief time but it is days since Belinda has seen him and she’s concerned something has happened to him. Slowly, Belinda and Sophie begin to piece together a puzzle which has them both frightened and horrified, and which leads them to a dying woman in the American Southwest, someone who knows the final, shattering piece of the mystery which will change all of their lives forever.

I sat down to peruse a few pages of this tale and read straight through till I finished; I was completely riveted by the riddle the women were unraveling and how their lives were affected by it. Sophie is a fabulous heroine - warm hearted, clever, kind and resourceful. She is exactly whom you would want with you when your world was falling apart. The plucky, resilient Kat was amazing as well. Her father’s neglect has forced her to fend for herself and as a result, she’s wise and capable beyond her years. Belinda is young and naïve but so kindhearted and generous you can’t help loving her. I adored the way all three of our heroines learned that resilience and perseverance can lead you to a brighter, better tomorrow.

The story takes place in San Francisco, in the period surrounding the great earthquake. The author does a fantastic job with the history; she doesn’t do information dumps but instead allows everyday life and the massive events from that period to inform how her characters navigate their world.

Ms. Meissner also does a great job with the mystery. Parts of it I had suspected from the beginning, but other portions were a surprise. The focus of the story remains on our heroines and how what is happening impacts them, which was perfect. It also highlights how smart and capable Sophie is. She is far more than the has villain bargained for and it is a complete delight to watch her outwit them.

At the end of the novel, we learn something rather surprising about one of the heroines. It revolves around spousal abuse, although we are told about it rather than having it occur on page. Naturally, this sequence includes violence but it isn’t at all graphic. This segment isn’t gratuitous but is meant to establish the how and why behind some of the characters’ behaviors.  The Nature of Fragile Things  is a tale about surviving adversity and making the most of the opportunities life gives you, and it looks at the darker and lighter aspects of life equally.

If the story has a flaw - and I’m not sure I would really call it that - it is that after we’ve reached a resolution of the primary issues, we abruptly leave the characters even though there is still plenty of tale left to tell. We are given an epilogue which updates us on how each of them fare in the future, but I could have read at least another hundred pages and considered it time well spent.

That’s a quibble though and in no way impacts the perfection that is The Nature of Fragile Things. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction novels featuring strong, quick witted heroines.

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This story straddles the genres of historical fiction and thriller, and it was the perfect mix of both. Sophie is a fascinating character. Her world is turned upsidedown and inside out when disaster strikes in the form of a devastating earthquake and marital betrayal within minutes of each other. She finds herself picking up the pieces, physically and metaphorically. I was enthralled by her strength and ability to forgive. While her current marriage was not based on love and respect, the reader still feels her husband's betrayal and infidelity. The relationship she building with Kat is heartbreakingly beautiful. Meissner's writing is stunning and flawless, making this a quick read. I found myself flipping the pages so fast that I had to make myself slow down and enjoy every word. I truly loved this book!

This novel is the perfect combination of historical fiction and suspense. Set in San Francisco during the earthquake of 1906, the story follows Sophie Whalen, an Irish Immigrant living in the New York City tenements, desperate to escape her current situation. She answers an ad from a man living in San Francisco looking for a wife and mother to his daughter. A man she has never met and knows nothing about.

Meissner's description of the events of the earthquake were incredible. They were so vivid that I felt like I had actually experienced it myself. Woven throughout the story are recorded interviews between a detective and Sophie which gives the story a first-hand account feel. Possibly one of my favorite parts of the story is the way Meissner captures the strength of woman during catastrophic times. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel.

📖🎉 Thanks @netgalley and @berkleypub for my advance reader copy of The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner.

San Francisco in 1906 is cracked open by a devastating earthquake and consumed by the subsequent fire for three days. Historical fiction is my jam and I love being introduced personally to the people who struggled and endured, Meissner does this expertly. This was the first I’d learned of this tragic natural disaster which burned five square miles, five hundreds city blocks, and took the lives of more than three thousand residents.

Fans of Meissner’s previous historical fiction titles like The Last Year of the War, As Bright as Heaven and Fall of Marigolds will want to preorder this one. A little bit darker than her others, there’s a mystery behind motives, some sinister, some self preservation. What you have come to adore about her characters remains steadfast—the power of female friendship, a mother’s love, and resilience in the face of adversity.

My snapshot: A young Irish immigrant woman desperate to escape a New York tenement, answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a handsome San Francisco widower about whom she knows nothing, instantly becoming stepmother to his young daughter. He is vague about his business travel and detached from his daughter, giving her an uneasy feeling. Cue his hidden ties to two other women and the pace of the novel dramatically accelerates. All of that happens BEFORE the devastating 1906 earthquake!
The fates of these three women intertwine on a dangerous journey, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
Congrats on your newest book baby @soozmeissner 🎉
Available February 2 wherever you buy books.

#thenatureoffragilethings #netgalley #arc #bookbarct #historicalfiction #histfic #sanfranearthquake #weha #newrelease #newfiction #historicalfictionbooks

Susan Meissner is beyond talented! After reading The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven, she became an auto-buy author.

The Nature of Fragile Things is about Sophie Whalen, a young Irish immigrant who is beyond miserable in New York. So miserable that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man in San Francisco that she has never met and really knows nothing about. Her job, be a wife and mother. Widower and now husband to Sophie, Martin is extremely handsome, but rather aloof. Sophie does have a deep affection for Kat, their five-year old daughter. Something about the whole situation seems off though.

Ignoring her gut and going on as if everything is normal, Sophie's whole world shifts on its axis, when a stranger comes to her door. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women, one of which is pregnant and one of which is hundreds of miles away.

With their lives quickly becoming intertwined, a devastating earthquake hits and their journey is only just beginning.

This story is incredible! If you haven't read a Meissner novel before, I am telling you to do so now. The scene building, character arcs and emotion she brings in her stories are wonderful. This story had all the elements of a historical fiction novel that I look for, with some twists and secrets, a devastating historical event and characters you can't help but fall in love with and feel as though you are on their journey with them.

Thank you UplitReads and Susan Meissner for this gifted copy!

This book comes out next week 2/2!!

4.5 stars. Thoroughly enjoyed this story about a young Irish immigrant who leaves the tenements of New York to become mail order bride and mother to a man in San Francisco. I loved reading about historical San Francisco as a reader in the SF Bay Area. Although the city is still rather unknown to me, I did recognize many of the landmarks described. There's an earthquake that is a part of the story (the big earthquake of 1906) and although I always cross my fingers that a big one won't happen anytime soon, it's a reality that Californians live with so it's always interesting to read about the aftermath. This is a immersive read that transported me back to 1906. I haven't read too much historical fiction lately and this was perfect to get me back into that mood. There were parts of this book that definitely reminded me of The Leavers. Perhaps the tenements and the shared struggles of immigrants, whether they are from Ireland or China.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook!

Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant that answers a mail-order bride ad. She ends up marrying a man and becomes both a wife and a stepmother at the same time. Her new husband Martin is gone often for work and also acts strangely most of the time. One day, a stranger shows up at Sophie's door that turns her world upside down

The book combines the stories of three different woman, but I don't want to say too much so that's all I'll say. I went into this book not really knowing what this book was about, and I think that's the best way to read this book. I felt like the synopsis reveals too much, so I suggest going into this one blindly or just reading my own synopsis above.

I don't usually read a lot of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed reading this one! I think part of the reason I enjoyed it was because it wasn't one of those heavy historical fiction reads. It was really easy to read and the type of book you could finish in one sitting.

I also enjoyed the writing, the author does a good job of keeping you hooked until the very end. I had previously seen Susan Meissner's other book, As Bright As Heaven and I'm definitely interested in reading that book soon!

I would definitely recommend this book for fans of historical fiction or if you're new to historical fiction!

The Nature of Fragile Things
I am not normally a fan of historical fiction but this book really changed that for me. There were enough secrets and lies, plot twists and a possible murderer that kept me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE book!!

The book is set in San Francisco mostly around the 1906 earthquake that ignited an inferno that burnt most of the city to the ground. Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant just looking for a nice life and home when she answers an ad for a mail order bride. She is amazed when she meets Martin at how handsome he is. She is thrilled that he is widowed, with a child that she can nurture. But Martin may not be who or what Sophie thinks he is. It all comes to a head just before the earthquake occurs with a knock at the door by a woman who is looking for her husband James.

At this point the plot twists just kept coming. What I loved about these female characters and how strong they were, especially Sophie. She had a few secrets of her own but in the end she stepped up to protect all of the people she loved. The end of this book was so satisfying! I absolutely loved it.

I rate this 5 glorious stars for being amazing and for opening my eyes to how great historical fiction can be.

Thank you to @beritaudiokilledthebookmark for including me in @BerkleyPub #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen and #berkleybuddyreads I had such a great time chatting with the group about this book and the excitement of our group is infectious.