March Read: The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

 

I'm always fascinated by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, so I immediately grabbed this historical novel by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang. It did not disappoint, and was exactly the kind of historical novel I enjoy. 

This is the story of four women: Nellie, Suling, Gemma, and Alice, who all connect in San Francisco days before the great earthquake. Gemma has arrived from New York as part of the chorus of an opera--she's got an amazing voice, but migraines which have kept her from climbing to the top in the opera world. She's hoping to connect with Nellie; they are friends who keep in touch no matter what. Suling is a young Chinese woman living in Chinatown with an astonishing embroidery talent. Unfortunately, she's days away from an arranged marriage she wants to escape. Alice is a scientist who specializes in botany, and she's living in the same boarding house as Nellie. 

Through interesting connections, the women all find themselves uncovering a terrible crime just as the earthquake destroys San Francisco, putting them all in danger not only from the catastrophe unfolding, but a very dangerous and deadly man who's willing to kill to keep his secrets. 

I can't give anything away, because it would spoil a few reveals and connections that are much more fun to uncover as you read. There's nothing downright shocking, but just a good story that grabbed my attention and I couldn't put it down. What was most interesting was how each woman fought against sexism and the barriers they faced even with obvious and immense talents. I especially loved getting a peek inside each career: opera, embroidery, painting, and botany. 

This is a novel about perseverance, talent, revenge, and healing from traumatic events. It's also a glimpse inside the world of 1906, on the cusp of immense change. There are author notes about San Francisco, the characters, and how they wrote the novel together at the end, which round out the novel. 

Rating: 5/6 for an entertaining novel set just before and after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906--but also a few other places around the world, too. Four strong women facing a deadly enemy and their quest for revenge. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

March Read: The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 

Well it feels kind of fitting to finish a book about a  natural disaster on the one year anniversary of a natural disaster that hit my hometown on August 10, 2020: the Derecho. An inland hurricane in Iowa. One year later we are still dealing with recovery. And wouldn't you know, we've had one severe storm today, and I can hear rumblings of another getting ready to break tonight. To say folks around here are a bit jumpy wouldn't be an exaggeration. 

The Nature of Fragile Things is about two natural disasters: the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, and the natural disaster of one horrible man causing heartache and havoc (with a side of murder) in the lives of three different women. 

Sophie Whalen arrives in San Francisco ready to marry Martin Hocking and become mother to his young daughter. She's been living in New York after arriving from Ireland, and was miserable living in a tenement and working at a factory. Answering a mail order bride ad in the newspaper brings Sophie to San Francisco and the hope of a new life. Martin Hocking is handsome, no doubt, but there's something just a bit off about him. He's all work and there's not an ounce of warmth in him. His daughter Kat doesn't speak much at all after the death of her mother. Martin makes no attempts to help Kat through her issues and gladly hands her off to Sophie. Sophie of course loves Kat to bits and embraces her role as a mother. 

Things with Martin get even more strange when a woman named Belinda arrives on their doorstep, asking for help. Here's where things get really odd, and the story starts to unfold. But first, there's a major earthquake to survive--but does everyone survive?

Sophie starts out as what seems to be a innocent young woman, just so relieved to finally have a safe place to land. However, it quickly becomes apparent that she's one tough lady, not afraid to protect herself and Kat by any means necessary. Sophie is no pushover. There are hints about her life in Ireland, but it remains in the shadows-you know something happened, just not sure what. 

The story takes a few dips and twists--some which aren't really surprising, but it's an interesting plot. I was a bit disappointed the earthquake wasn't more prominent, but I will have to read some non-fiction books about it to fill my interest in all of it. 

There is a final chapter that helps close some of the questions left in the story; it offers a glimpse of what becomes of Kat, Sophie, and Belinda years down the road.  

An interesting novel that read quickly. The women are all strong, and remain so through their trials and low points. Martin is the true bad guy, who just keeps showing new unpleasant sides to his personality and motives. 

Rating: 3/6 for an interesting historical novel about surviving the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. It's a reminder of the strength of women to overcome bad marriages, abusive spouses, and disappointments; surviving it all to keep going. It's also a novel about female friendship, unbreakable bonds, and the love of a mother and child.  

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

I'm pretty sure I haven't ever read a Susan Wiggs novel before this one. I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, this novel had me at bookshop (as they all do!) and even though I've had an ARC of this book for months, I finally decided to finish it today, after stopping and starting a few times a few months ago. 

I'll confess I was cruising along with my books, and suddenly this past week I hit a wall again. Just couldn't get through anything. So I am glad I picked this back up again, because I hit that magical place in the book that had me focusing in and forgetting about anything for awhile. Even though I didn't do anything for July 4th but stay home and cook out, I was still feeling a bit of a holiday hangover today. After watering my flowers outside and getting laundry started, I was happy to just stay inside and read. 

This novel really is a nod to booklovers everywhere. Natalie Harper grew up in a bookstore; her mother Blythe operates a family bookshop in a building that has been in the Harper family for 100 years-a coveted building in fashionable San Francisco. After a horrible tragedy, Natalie returns to San Francisco and the bookshop, to take stock of its future, and to take care of Grandy, her grandfather. He'd recently fallen and broken his hip and was now showing signs of early dementia. Natalie had been successful at a wine brokerage firm and while she didn't love her job, she was good at it. But it wasn't hard to leave and return, if only to help her Grandy take care of next steps. 

Those next steps aren't as easy as Natalie expects, when she finds out her Grandy owns the building and the bookstore, and will not sell, even after Natalie realizes they are deep in debt and behind on taxes. What's a bookstore manager to do, but try and build up the business with a huge author event that could help pay bills and give the store much needed advertising?

Natalie also meets Peach Gallagher, a local "hammer guy" who specializes in fixing old buildings. Her mother had arranged for Peach to fix a few things in the building, and Peach is one good looking man. He's also a really decent man, with an adorable daughter who frequents the bookstore. His friendly and calm attitude helps Natalie as she struggles between grief, understanding her grandfather's failing health, and the tough decisions she has to make. 

So we've got a few things running through this story: the struggle to save the bookstore, an ailing grandfather, a potential romance, and a story that's been handed down over the generations about a treasure that's hidden somewhere in the building, left by Grandy's grandmother, who died in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Is it just a fanciful story, or is there treasure lurking somewhere-treasure that could save the business?

I read this novel pretty quickly, and enjoyed it very much. No surprises, just a gentle unfolding of the story. I loved all the book references, and the peeks into what it takes to run a bookstore. Definitely a good vacation book!

This book is out in the U.S. on July 7th in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Rating: 4/6 for an enjoyable novel about life when it makes a few sharp turns, the importance of family, and of course, the life changing magic of books. Some parts made me a little teary-eyed, so you may need a tissue! 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs