“I look down at my skirt to see how bad the wrinkles are. Not too noticeable in the day’s diminishing light. My journey from New York to California took place on a second-class seat, not in a private sleeping car, hence the creases.I’d not not expected anything different, as Martin Hocking had written that he is in good financial standing, not that he is rich. That he means of any amount is miracle enough. I would have ridden in the baggage car all the way to get out of the umbrella factory and the tenement, and especially away from young Irishwomen just like me who reminded me too frequently of what I left back at home.”

The Nature of Fragile Things
By Susan Meissner
Source: Advance review copy

Sophie Whalen answers and ad to be a mail-order bride to Martin Hocking, a businessman and widower. He needs a no nonsense woman who will help him raise his child and understand that his business often requires him to be away from home for days at a time. All Sophie wants is to have a fresh start. She thought her life in New York was going to grant her that away from Ireland but that was proving to be much more difficult and she needed to run away as soon as possible.

As soon as Sophie starts her life in San Francisco with Martin and his daughter, Kat,  she is willing to overlook not having her family and friends if it means she now has what she’s always longed for with a home of her own. She had always wanted children so she is determined to be everything to Kat who is a child who doesn’t speak and withdrawn ever since her mother’s death. Sophie hopes that in time she may even have a loving relationship with Martin.

Weeks pass and Martin’s trips away are more unpredictable and it is during one of Martin’s absences that a woman will come knocking on Sophie’s door and their lives are upended. However a bigger threat will force the women to forge a bond and flee to safety as they escape a city rocked by a terrible earthquake and which is going up in flames and crumbling before their eyes.

If you enjoy historical novels and those featuring strong women then this could be the book for you. Sophie is strong, loyal and caring but she also harbors a secret that has kept her on the run. And, of course the backdrop of the great San Francisco earthquake is very much at the center of the story and it made me think of just how chaotic it must have been with no modern day rescue operations. So between that and the theme of friendship, this book was an overall enjoyable read.

Hi Friends – I hope you all had a very lovely Mother’s Day! We had a very nice weekend, just hanging out with my mom watching some tv shows and talking about our family history and hoping we’ll be able to visit with them later this year. My husband made us pancakes for brunch and I loved them. I added a side of berries so that makes them healthy right? Ha.

I wish I could share some exciting news but honestly last week was just a regular busy work week. I did go to my office one day last week and that was exhausting. Having to wear a mask for more than a quick trip to the grocery store is no fun but of course necessary.

On the reading front I feel like I’m not making any progress on some of my current reads but I’m looking forward to the end of May when I’ve decided to take some days off. No trips for us but I’m looking forward to some spring cleaning, relaxing and more time to read.

And, finally I wanted to mention two books which recently arrived in my mailbox: The River Within by Karen Powell and The Promise by Damon Galgut.

In The River Within, it is the summer of 1955 and Alexander, Tom and his sister Lennie, discover the body of their childhood friend Danny Masters in the river that runs through Starome, a village on the Richmond estate in North Yorkshire. His death is a mystery. Did he jump, or was it just an accident?

In The Promise, the Swart family gradually comes apart after the death of their matriarch. Adrift the lives of the three siblings move separately through the uncharted waters of a changing South Africa. Reunited by three funerals over three decades, the dwindling family reflects the atmosphere of its country – an atmosphere of resentment, renewal, and possibility.

I’ve not read anything by these authors but both of these books sound so interesting to me.

Anyway, I hope you’ve been reading a lot of great things and I look forward to hearing about your current reads or what you’ve been up to!