What a fantastic read! I didn't want it to end. Strong female characters, twists and turns throughout the entire novel, with a backdrop of interesting cities and places. I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction.

Sophie arrives in San Francisco under unusual circumstances. Once she gets off the ferry from New York, she meets a man and they get married. They’ve never met. Sophie is a new wife to a stranger she doesn’t know and now a mother to a younger daughter from a previous marriage. It’s an odd arrangement, but Sophie makes do. That is, until her new husband begins acting strangely, gone on work travel for unpredictable periods of time, hiding things in their basement. Then, a mysterious woman shows up on Sophie’s doorstep that changes everything, just as the earthquake hits, shattering Sophie’s plans for escape.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a super quick read.

Thank you @netgalley and @soozmeissner for this ARC!

In true fashion, I am late to the party on my current reads and this one makes me sad I didn’t prioritize it sooner.

This wonderful book follows Sophie Whalen when she decides to take a risk and answer an ad for a man seeking a wife and mother to his daughter. Sounds easy enough right?

But life isn’t at all what it seems. And her husband isn’t at all what he said he is. And on the day of San Francisco Earthquake in 1906, everything goes topsy turvy on her.

This one was a rollercoaster ride filled with lots of twists and turns. But it was also a delightful book of healing. Every character in some way healed from the awful things Mr Hocking put them through.

And little Kat finally found her voice.

I normally take notes when I am reading an advance reader copy (ARC) to help facilitate my review. Susan Meissner’s historical novel, The Nature of Fragile Things, though, was so wonderful I didn’t want the interruption.

Here’s a quick synopsis:

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 moves to San Francisco. She quickly adjusts to her new life and develops a deep affection for Kat, her new stepdaughter, but something about her husband isn’t quite right.

Then one spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a 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 1906 San Francisco earthquake, thrusting them on a perilous journey.

Are you sold yet? Meissner does a masterful job weaving together an intricate plot. Her principal character, Sophie, is a woman with a troubled past, but also an impassioned hope for the future. So far, this is one of my favorite reads of 2021. 4.5 stars.

“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.”

Another masterpiece by Susan Meissner. This novel will capture your attention immediately and will not let go until you read the final page. The writing style, character development and story line is flawless. Pamper yourself and read this story. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this book. This was such a great historical fiction set with the San Francisco 1906 earthquake. Meissner did such an amazing job with describing the aftermath of the earthquake that I felt like I was there. The story leads you through Sophia’s life as she adjusts to become a wife and a mother. It grabs you from the first chapter and I did not want to put it down as more secrets are discovered about Martin. I love how this story is about survival and the strength of the female bond/friendship.

I love Susan Meissner’s writing, so I was excited to see this one come up on Net Galley. It tells the story of Sophie Whelan, who answers an ad to be the wife of a widower in San Francisco and stepmother to his young daughter. Sophie is an Irish immigrant who can’t wait to get free of NYC and she loves her new life in San Francisco with a lovely home, plenty of money, and most of all, her daughter whom she bonds with right away. But everything is not as it seems, especially with her quiet and secretive husband, and Sophie stands to lose all that she holds dear. In the midst of this, the 1906 earthquake occurs and Sophie and little Kat struggle to survive.

I couldn’t put this one down! I loved this story – I often love to read about California in the past. I loved the character of Sophie and how she was so resilient.

Highly recommended if you like historical fiction!

Thank you for my review copy!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This historical fiction novel is set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Sophie has immigrated from Ireland to New York. This new beginning doesn’t go as planned and Sophie finds herself living in less than favorable conditions. In search of a better life she answers an ad placed by a widower looking for a wife and to take care of his child. After agreeing on a few terms Sophie travels to San Francisco and marries Martin Hocking and becomes the step mother to his daughter Kat.
Right away Sophie see that things aren’t how she envisioned them. She continues to make the best of her situation until one day a very pregnant woman comes knocking at her door looking for her husband who has gone missing and the only clue she has is that he is an acquaintance of Martin. As these women try to piece a mystery, secrets are revealed,lives are threatened and an earthquake strikes as their foundation and the city’s is rocked.

This is a wonderful emotional story full of unexpected twists and turns. A testament to the resilience of women, friendship, love, loss and sacrifice.
An amazing atmospheric historical novel with a steady tempo flowing plot.

My Thoughts:

The Nature of Fragile Things is a heavy story. It is heavy with strong themes, it has a huge historical earthquake at its swirling center, and there is a mystery element. A book this heavy could cause gastric reflux, but it works, and it works well!

Themes in The Nature of Fragile Things: marriage, maternal health, courage, sacrifice, shame, ambition, obsession, bravery, complex trauma, death and dying, self-worth, abuse, betrayal, compassion, friendship, loyalty, parenting, society and culture standards, crime, and survival.

Several reasons why I love The Nature of Fragile Things:
1. Surprises. There are surprises about the characters I didn’t expect-I didn’t see coming.
2. Martin Hocking is sinister from the introduction. He is a character no one takes their eyes away from. I believe this is clever writing because it hides the possibility other characters are not who or what they claim to be.
3. The devastation of the 1906 earthquake and the fires afterwards are seen dramatically through the lens of Sophie. The descriptions and experiences brought additional tension and emotion to the story.
4. I have read (possibly) one other historical fiction on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I wonder why? This is a fabulous history spot to write about people’s lives through fiction. I love the time period. I love the history of this book.
5. I love the character Sophie. She is imperfect. She is not described as a beautiful, gorgeous woman. So often in stories the female lead characters are beauty queens. Okay, I am being overly dramatic. Most people are just in the middle. Neither the most beautiful nor the ugliest. In my opinion, middle of the road and imperfect people are believable. When the characters are believable I can relate to them. And, I can become swept up in the story.

The Nature of Fragile Things is a refreshing original story of survival, perseverance, friendship, and motherhood. Susan Meissner has written an emotionally evocative book with flowing prose that is also rich in detail.

The Nature of Fragile Things really surprised me. The plot caught me off guard in the best way possible. I was very quickly absorbed in the tale and the protagonist's life. This book is as much mystery and family drama as it is historical fiction. And for those historical fiction readers that are over WWI and WWII stories, this book is a fantastic change of pace. It centers around an Irish immigrant who becomes a mail order bride in San Francisco before, during, and after the Great Earthquake of 1906.

I found Meissner's characters to be well-developed and compelling. In particular, I loved the strong, resilient female characters who were determined to forge their own destinies. I am a sucker for women who overcome difficulties and form a strong sisterhood. It is basically my favorite. I also love how the story resolved and the addition of the epilogue. It was the cherry on top of a delicious sundae of a book.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Nature of Fragile Things and will remember this story and its characters for a long time to come. I would highly recommend this to everyone, whether you typically read historical fiction or another genre.

What a treasure this turned out to be. It is an amazing story of the resilience of women and the grace of female friendship. It's 1906. Sophie, an immigrant from Ireland, answers an ad for a mail order bride/mom for widowed Martin to get out of her current situation of extreme poverty and all that goes with it. They marry upon her arrival. Martin is cold to her and his daughter, but he is basically good to her and leaves her be to tend for his little girl, who she is quickly falling in love with. Things soon change, the earthquake hits, secrets are revealed, and Sophie's resolve is tested. It was fascinating to see how life was at that time, how strong people had to be, and the problems in peoples' lives aren't so much different than how (although they were, admittedly, of much heartier stock!!!) This one held my interest from the opening pages as the story unfolded. I absolutely loved it.

Really enjoyable historical fiction.

The protagonist recently immigrated from Ireland (looking to get out of the NY tenements) and answers an add from someone in San Francisco looking for wife and mother to his young daughter. She comes to SF; they marry on the day the meet. And the situation gets odder and creepier.

And then the 1906 San Francisco earthquake happens.

The author does an incredible job of describing what it would be like to be in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake. How would you obtain medical assistance and observe the fire and flames happening all around. People living in the park. I was impressed with how I could imagine being in that situation; kudos to Susan Meissner for transporting me back in time. (The author note at the end suggests Three Fearful Days, which I'm planning to read, for more info on the SF earthquake.)

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Berkley Publishing Group) and the author Susan Meissner for the opportunity to review the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Susan Meissner also wrote As Bright as Heaven; a book club book read for me recently as the setting is the 1920 flu epidemic. We thought that it would be a good read in light of the covid pandemic. Enjoyed that book as well.

Historical fiction in one of my favorite genres. People have been recommending Meissner's work to me for years and this is my first book of hers. It definitely won't be my last. The attention to detail, the obvious research, and the character development made this book an exceptional reading experience. I have purchased a book club set for our library because this book is so excellent.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book..

**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 doesn't think twice about it. She responds and puts herself forth for the position. She's got nothing to lose.

The widower, 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, unsanitary 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!

I was very wrapped up in Sophie’s life, how brave she became to take on raising Kat and how she actually became her mother In the end. A good book club selection, and for those interested in the San Francisco earthquake of that time period.

A quick page turner! It really did surprise me at the end. Yes, the story surrounds the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, but it’s not about that. Although, the earthquake was vital to the story. Well done! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc

In this gorgeously written novel, three women are brought together by tragedy, and secrets from the past are uncovered. It had everything I love about historical fiction, including a memorable storyline, unforgettable characters, and vivid details that left me learning more about the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco.

It had just the right amount of tension and suspense that left me guessing and concluded in a very satisfying ending. Meissner's writing was just captivating from the very first page and while The Nature of Fragile Things was my first book by author Susan Meissner it definitely won't be my last! ⁣

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted copy. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. If you're like me and you've seen it everywhere and are wondering if its worth the hype, it most certainly is. I was hooked from the start and needed to know what happened to this fierce woman.

Everything about this book worked for me, the connections Sophie makes, her fierce unwavering love and protectiveness. The setting and parallel story line of the earthquake. Everything came together in such a fascinating way. Just when I thought I had the story figured out another layer would reveal itself, really reflecting real life. This book was such an intriguing little slice of human interactions and how each decision we make eventually builds our life story, who we are, and what we stand for.

Susan Meissner has created a breathtaking story with The Nature of Fragile Things.

I absolutely loved this one! This was my first book by Susan Meissner and now I want to read all her books! I was captivated from the first page. All Historical Fiction fans must check this out.

April, 1906, amongst the disastrous San Francisco earthquake! Sophie Whalen, whom is an irish immigrant and hasn't been in NY for more than a few years, answers a mail order bride ad and marries Martin Hocking the first time they meet. They agree that he just needs a wife for appearance and to care for his young daughter Kat after the recent deaths of her mother.

One night, a pregnant woman comes knocking on her door. I do not want to say why this woman has come, but after this point, chaos begins. Lots and lots of secrets emerge, and then...the earthquake!! So much to take in and so much mystery. This has a touch of a Thriller and I loved everything about it. A must read!!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own!