The Nature of Fragile Things uses the earthquake in San Francisco in 1906 to tell an ultimately lovely story about justice, redemption, and how lives can be broken and mended.

The novel begins with Sophie being interviewed by a detective about her husband six weeks after the earthquake, who has been missing since it occurred. Sophie is an Irish immigrant who came to San Francisco to marry Martin in response to an advertisement he placed for a wife and a mother to his six year old daughter. As the novel progresses, we learn about the secrets both Martin and Sophie have been keeping.

I loved Sophie and my heart went out for her during her search for a home and a place to belong. She was persistent and loyal, and is definitely someone I would invite over for coffee. I also loved the female friendships in this book and the relationship between Sophie and her stepdaughter. I knew very little about the San Francisco earthquake, and it was crazy how much the earthquake and the subsequent fires destroyed. I could tell this book was well-researched, but not in a way that drew me out of the story. The detective's interviews that are scattered throughout the book help to propel the story forward and made me want to keep turning the page.

Thank you to Berkeley, Uplit book tours, and Netgalley for a copy of this book!

I love that feeling of being swept away by a book. The Nature Of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner was one of the first books that swept me away this year. Meissner is an author I am fast coming to really appreciate. After all, I really enjoyed The Last Year Of The War and Stars Over Sunset Boulevard. So, you better believe that with this three-peat of enjoyment all of her releases are now on notice for me.

Meissner’s The Nature Of Fragile Things provides an intimate look at the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake through the lens of a young immigrant woman named Sophie Whalen, now, Sophie Hocking. Sophie immigrates to New York City and is expecting a better life. Only, it isn’t. She’s working in a factory and living in a crowded tenement, missing Ireland. She sees an ad in the paper placed by a man looking for a bride. He’s in San Francisco. Sophie answers the ad and heads to San Francisco, full of hope for the life ahead of her.

Sophie falls head over heels for Martin’s daughter, Kat, and is immediately thrilled to be her mother. With Martin, on the other hand, it is not an easy road. He is on the road for work a lot and is super mysterious about his job. Meanwhile, Sophie is adjusting to a more middle class life than what she is used to. One night while Martin is out on the road, a woman shows up at Sophie’s house.

It turns out that this woman has a connection to Martin that Sophie never would have expected. Making matters even worse? It is on the eve of the San Francisco Earthquake. Then, we have the connection of another woman out in Arizona. There is a tangled web for Sophie to unravel while also dealing with the fallout of the earthquake.

The Nature Of Fragile Things completely had my attention. This book reminded me why I return to historical fiction time and time again. I loved that Meissner was able to make the time period come alive. The plot was compelling. Even more compelling to me, however, were the characters. Each morsel I got about Sophie and her history fascinated me, but also at turns made me feel such empathy for her. If you’re looking for a book to transport you to another time, get a copy of The Nature Of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner.

Sophia is an Irish immigrant that recently answered an advertisement from a widowed man looking for a wife and a mother for his young daughter. Seeking a different life, Sophia heads to San Francisco and quickly settles into her new role as mother to Kat. When a mysterious lady shows up at her doorstep one day, her world begins to unravel.

I love that this historical fiction book covers a time period other than WWII, and I learned quite a bit about the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco that also resulted in four square miles of the city being burned to the ground. I was drawn to the intensity of the situation and found myself flying through the book quite quickly.

However, about halfway through, the story lost it’s momentum for me. I found so much of the story unbelievable and overly sweet and precious. It wrapped up fairly quickly and in the end, I wanted so much more from the story.

The Nature of Fragile Things is a great historical fiction novel. The story centers around the 1906 earthquake in 1906 and the connection between three women and the secrets they keep and that are kept from them. The book kept me going as I grew attached to the characters and there was just enough mystery and cliff hangers to push me through. If you are a historical fiction fan, pick this one up when it releases on February 2.

Against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Susan Meissner pens the story of three women who with their combined strength rise above the ashes of destruction to rebuild their lives. I love how Ms. Meissner's prose immerses me into the setting, experiencing the devastation of this disaster as if I was really there. This book is about hope rising out of darkness and the strength found in the bonds of friendship as three women with an unusual tie, face a common enemy. I was captivated from the first to the last page, enthralled with the plot twists that were delivered up to the very end. A strong choice for fans of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

‘The earth can’t help its nature to shift from time to time as it settles itself back into its proper place.‘ ✨

Susan Meissner’s latest book ‘The Nature of Fragile Things’ is the story of three young women impacted by the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. This earthquake ranks as one of the most significant of all time.

This book is an absolute page-turner & once I started, I devoured it in two days!
It’s about love, friendship, resilience & (female) solidarity. It also has an element of mystery & suspense!

Thank you so much for the #ARC to NetGalley & Susan Meissner.

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.

This novel will publish on February 2, 2021

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

I will post review on Amazon at the time of publication

Every now and then a book comes along that is so wonderful, you just can’t look away. The Nature of Fragile Things is one of those books.

The protagonist makes a questionable decision with prayers that it will alter her life for the better. She soon discovers that there are more questions than answers circling her new life. The story transitions between two different points in time and are woven together expertly. Rich with complicated characters and a nuanced plot, this work of historical fiction is sure to be a huge success. Well done, Susan Meissner!

Thank you NetGalley, Ms. Meissner, and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to preview this remarkable work of historical fiction. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

The Nature of Fragile Things is an extraordinary novel of resilience unshakable motherly love, and the bonds of friendship and family that form through survival and solidarity. Set amid the backdrop of the devastation of the San Francisco earthquake, I was spellbound by the story of three remarkable women whose lives were intertwined in a tangle of secrets and lies—and the deep and abiding love they feel for their children. I felt strong emotions toward these women, and I was enraptured by Kat, a little girl who barely speaks, who becomes the bridge that connects the women. This is the kind of book that makes me love historical fiction: a compelling story, complex characters, set in a time and place that is brought to life at the skilled hands of the author.

Susan Meissner's new book, The Nature of Fragile Things is a must-read. She is a masterful storyteller and The Nature of Fragile Things will immediately engage and entertain you. The story undulates like the earthquake she describes. Susan documents a well researched event in history which becomes a reviting story with plot twists and turns that you won't want to miss.
Cathe Frierman, Friend of Mountains Branch Library,
Lake Lure, NC

In the past year I have discovered that I am a fan of historical fiction and of Susan Meissner. I love learning about events that I probably didn't pay attention to in history class. She has the ability to tell such personal and heartfelt stories, all the while educating the reader.

The Nature of Fragile Things drew me in from the beginning. Sophie is so good and true, The story is one of love, and how it prevails over all else. Friendship, motherhood, and family are the core values. It is an amazing story of how a young woman overcomes her own loss, and then navigates through a new life that wasn't all she hoped it would be.

I did feel that the ending didn't quite flow as well as the majority of the book. Don't get me wrong, it is a fantastic read that you will enjoy from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I love reading historical fiction off the beaten track, and Susan Meissner's new book fits that bill nicely. Though actually one of my first books of this year the earthquake of 1906 played a background roll. With The Nature of Fragile Things it plays centre stage.

This story begins a few years before the earthquake when Sophie marry s a man she met just hours before the wedding and becomes mother to Kat. Sounds intriguing right? Why would she do that, why would he mail order a bride? So many secrets.

As usual Susan Meissner did not disappoint, though I will say this book had a different tone then others I have read. A gentle introduction and pacing brought the era to life. I knew very little about the magnitude of this earthquake and was shocked by what I read of the destruction that took place. This book was mysterious as both Sophie and Martin kept their past to themselves, even young Kat didn't share much. It kept me intrigued.

The Nature of Fragile Things is a story of deception, love and friendship. One that drew me in as I connected with the characters and was kept on my toes as the story played out nicely. Definitely a book and author I recommend.

I was excited when I heard this book was coming and very thankful to the fine folks at Berkley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Nature of Fragile Things releases on Feb. 2, 2021 and available for preorder now.

Sophie travels from NY to San Francisco to be married to a man she’s never met, partially to get away from the city and have a better life. Right away we see Sophie and her husband Martin Hocking are both keeping secrets and while she never grows to love Martin, she loves his daughter Kat like her very own. Living in a big house with all the comforts she could ask for Sophie doesn’t mind that Martin travels for days at a time and she doesn’t know what he’s really doing.
This book is classified historical fiction because part of it occurs during the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, but I find the earthquake a way of leading the story forward, not the major part of the story. People, who they are, and their capability to love each other, I find to be the driving force behind the plot. Filled with mysterious intrigue, and wonderfully written characters this is a wonderful novel.

I first read a Susan Meissner book in the summer of 2020. I had picked up A Fall of Marigolds at a library book sale and when I finally read it I knew I found another must-read author. When I was selected to be an advanced reader of The Nature of Fragile Things, I was so excited.

Set in the early 1900’s in San Francisco, Sophie answers an ad to become a wife to Martin Hocking and mother to 5 year old Kat. She falls in love with everything about being a mom to Kat but her relationship with Martin is unusual. On the night before the great earthquake of 1906, a woman shows up to visit setting off a crazy turn of events that will test Sophie’s resolve to do what is best for her daughter.

This book had a number of plot twists that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen. There were secrets revealed that I did not see coming. But most of all, I fell in love with the characters. One part of the book takes place in Tucson, AZ, where I live so that made me love the book even more.

While this is now only the second book of hers I’ve read, I am determined to read all of her backlist and will read everything she writes in the future.

Thank you to Net Galley and Uplit Reads for an ARC of this book!

Wow, this really kept me turning the pages. You might think you know were the story is going, but nope...it shifts constantly! Excellent read!

WOW! There was so much intrigue in this book right from the very beginning. The reader senses an undercurrent of mystery about both Sophie and Martin but it isn't exactly clear what it is. Meissner does an incredible job of using the earthquake as the turning point for the story. The historical event doesn't drive the storyline but acts as an anecdote. Just like the city, the lives of Sophie, Belinda, and Kat all came crumbling down. As the pieces of Sophie and Martin's lives come to light, readers will be thrilled with the twists that the story takes. A remarkable tale and well worth the read. This was my first book by this author and it won't be the last!

This is an extraordinary work of historical fiction which held my attention from start to finish. It’s the story of Sophie, a mail order bride summoned to San Francisco in 1905 to marry the taciturn Martin Hocking. She has left a life of extreme privation in NYC after she emigrated from Ireland.

The home he provided was lovely and she quickly falls in love with his small daughter Kat. Sadly, Kat has been traumatized and refuses to speak. It quickly becomes clear that Martin has no kindness or affection for Sophie or his daughter, yet she remains satisfied with her life. All this changes one night when strange truths come to light. The next day, she awakens to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Sophie’s struggles and dedication become clear after that day, when she must rescue her child and get away from the ruins and devastation of the quake.

The story is told in a very interesting way, not as predictable as I feared. The writing is so vivid that I felt I was walking with Sophie. It’s amazing that I often have little patience with historical fiction yet I have read 2 wonderful novels about the earthquake recently, this book and VERA.

I highly recommend this novel for reading groups who will enjoy this and find it hard to put down.

Thank you Netgalley for this fascinating ARC.

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.

What an absolute gift this book was. My pandemic reading has often been light, so I worry when I pick up a historical fiction book, but I shouldn't have. From page one I was engrossed in Sophie's story. Throughout the book, it is clear that there is information being withheld, but it doesn't hang over your head. Rather the story clips along, we grow to like Sophie and Kat, and we continue to root for them throughout the drama of the earthquake and the ensuing events. I haven't read Meissner's other books, but this was all I needed to encourage me to do so.

It’s 1906 and Sophie Whalen is desperate to get out of New York. So desperate that she answers an add in the paper for a wife/mother, travels to San Francisco, and marries Martin upon her arrival. While she quickly falls in love with her new daughter Kat, who rarely speaks, Martin remains a mystery. When a pregnant woman shows up at her door, Sophie realizes there is a lot more to Martin than she expected. After finding his secrets, a devastating earthquake happens, forcing them to flee.

This book was so good! I didn’t know that much about the San Francisco earthquake, but I really enjoyed learning about it. I loved Sophie and sweet little Kat, but from page one I needed to know more about what had happened to them and what was going to happen to them. The friendship between Belinda, Sophie, and Candace was one that just warmed my heart. I love seeing great female friendships come from horrible men. This was a wonderful historical fiction that I highly recommend!