April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.
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 agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.
Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming 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 earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.
From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity.
MY THOUGHTS:
My favorite quote from this book:
Perhaps it was the only kind thing it could do. Perhaps all during the catastrophe that began at dawn on the eighteenth of April, this was the only kind thing it could do. The earth can't help its nature to shift from time to time as it settles itself back into its proper place. The earth did not build the city here, nor pipe it with gas, nor construct its bowels with water mains that couldn't withstand the natural movement of the planet. People did that. 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.
This book is the best book yet by Susan Meissner. It's got all the feels that you would expect from one of her books. It will make you laugh in a few parts and shed big fat ugly tears in others. It is written in a way that you will not want to put it down. I only did to sleep. I put it down near the end so I could get my eyes adjusted after all the tears. Tears of joy and sadness are in this book. It's just pure greatness. I've read a lot of books this year and this one is my very favorite.
This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The ups and downs and twists and turns don't stop. From the first page to the dramatic ending you will not want to miss a thing. It has it all. This book is told from Sophie's point of view. From Ireland to New York to California you will take a trip with her to places you may not like but you will enjoy anyway. Things that happen will make you wonder why. Or how. Or did it really. Who are these people. Who is this woman and why did she marry this man. She wanted a family and was offered one. Was it the best thing for her or did she make a grave mistake?
There is a lot of emotion in this book. Some will surely grab you and not let go. How things play out will leave you breathless. It's such a story. From the earthquakes in 1905 to the finale in 1926 you will not let go. This story was so well researched. So well written. It is like you are there. Like you can feel everything that Sophie feels. Everything. You will love her. You will treasure her for the things she does and goes through. The way she is with young Kat. With Belinda and Candace. These names will become familiar to you along this ride. You will learn to truly dislike Martin Hocking. He's not a very likable man.
As Sophie travels through this story you will learn so much about her life. How she got here. Why she came here. What happened to her along the way and what happened after she married Martin. What she does is to me nothing short of heroic. To me she is one strong and lovely woman. To me she deserves the best in life.
Susan Meissner has done such a good job with this book. She leaves nothing undone. It has all the feels. All the action. All the descriptions. And that ending. It's the best ending ever. No stone is left unturned. You will learn everything you need to. This story begins and it ends without you wondering. It truly is her best book ever.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #Berkleypublisher, #SusanMeissner for this ARC. This is my own review as I see it.
5/5 huge stars and the highest recommendation every!! Read this book!
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