An Irish immigrant, Sophie Whalen will do anything to get out of New York City, where she lives in squalor in a crowded tenement building.  She's even willing to move to far away San Francisco and marry a man she's never met.  A handsome widower, Martin Hocking desires a living wife to give him a proper family man appearance in order to better sell insurance.  His 5-year-old also needs a mother.  Sophie steps in, figuring love or at least a warm friendship will eventually grow between her and her enigmatic new husband.  Even though she's more interested in being a mom than anything else, Sophie's still confused by Martin's cool treatment of her.  He's gone all the time, shows no desire for her physically, ignores his own daughter, and is always vague about his work.  It's becoming increasingly obvious that Martin is hiding something, but what?  

On the eve of the great earthquake that will bring San Francisco to its knees, Sophie receives a shocking visit from a stranger.  The young pregnant woman bears more questions than answers, but it's enough to make Sophie desperate to get them all away before Martin returns home.  When the unthinkable happens, she finds herself on the run in a crumbling city with a laboring mother and a terrified child.  With chaos and destruction all around them, can the trio find safety from the earthquake, its devastating aftermath, and the terrible secret that binds them together?  Will Sophie ever triumph in her ongoing quest for security, happiness, and love? 

I'm a fan of historical fiction, disaster novels, and Susan Meissner, a tantalizing trifecta that comes together perfectly in The Nature of Fragile Things, the author's newest offering.  I buzzed through this book in a day because it tells such a compelling, engrossing story.  Even though the novel really isn't about the San Francisco earthquake, the disaster makes an intriguing, dramatic backdrop for this tale about a woman's plight to forge ahead despite her devastating past and uncertain future.  Sophie is a sympathetic heroine, one who's brave, loyal, and determined.  It's easy to root for her survival and success.  What she discovers about her husband is not what I expected, but it creates a tense, suspenseful plot that kept me burning through the pages.  The Nature of Fragile Things is an absorbing read that reminds me why I enjoy Meissner's work so much.  I can't wait to see what she does next.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain and of Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan Henry)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Nature of Fragile Things from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

I'm old.  Let's just start with that.  I know I'm not the most senior book blogger out there—in age or in the length of time I've been blogging—but I'm certainly on the "aged" end of both spectrums.  Don't faint, but I was born back in the Dark Ages: 1975.  Gerald Ford was president of the United States, bell bottoms were all the rage, "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille was rocking the No. 1 spot on the music charts, and James Michener held that honor on the New York Times bestseller list for his novel Centennial. The big news that year was, of course, my birth in a little tiny town in Washington State.  Just kidding, although it was eventful since I arrived in the middle of a big snowstorm that stranded my mom's ob/gyn at the bottom of the hill to the hospital, leaving an intern in charge of my arrival (which probably explains a lot about me).  Ha ha.  

If you were starting to wonder what all this rambling has to do with the price of gas (it was 53 cents/gallon in 1975), it's because of today's nostalgic Top Ten Tuesday topic:  Top Ten Books That Were Written Before I Was Born.  Since I'm so ancient, there are a lot of books that were penned long before I showed up on this earth.  I'm not a huge classics reader, so I haven't actually read most of them.  Ten favorites did come to mind, though.  

If you want to join in the TTT fun and share your own list, click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the info.

Top Ten Books That Were Written Before I Was Born     

1.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (published 1960)—This timeless classic is my favorite book of all time.  I re-read it every few years because I love it so much.

2.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)—I adore this book as well.  I've read it numerous times and am actually listening to it on audio right now.  Although it's definitely outdated in some ways, it still delights me with its warmth and charm.  

3.  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936)—This sweeping one-hit wonder has always captivated me.

4.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (1908)—There's just no other character quite like Anne Shirley!  You have to love her fiery personality and all the many scrapes and adventures it gets her into.

5.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)—This holiday classic is the only Dickens book I've actually read (it's short), but I adore it so much that I re-read it every year to help get me in the Christmas spirit.

6.  Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene (1930-1985)—Although some of the installments were published after my birth, most of these beloved mysteries came out before I did.  They were huge favorites of mine when I was young.

7.  And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)—I love mysteries, but I haven't read very many genre classics.  This famous locked-room whodunit is the exception as I've read and enjoyed it several times.  

8.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)—It's actually only been a few years since I first read this classic.  I adored it and need to re-read it soon.

9.  Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932-1971)—I was a huge Little House fan (both of the books and the t.v. show) when I was a kid.

10.  Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (about 1839-1892)—I've never been a big poetry fan.  Most poems are too abstract for me and just make me feel dumb.  Longfellow's poetry is different.  It rhymes!  It makes sense!  Admittedly, I haven't read all of his verse (not even close), but I've always liked what I have read by him.

There you go, ten of my favorite books that were published before my birth.  Do we have any in common?  Which of your most beloved reads preceded you into the world?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Esperanza Ortega lives a luxurious life in Mexico.  Her father is a wealthy landowner, which allows her to live in a spacious home with servants to tend to her every need.  On the eve of her 13th birthday, Esperanza is thinking only about her upcoming fiesta and all the fine presents she will receive from her loving family and friends.  When her beloved father is killed by bandits, however, everything changes.  Grief settles like a pall over the family's ranch.  With their brother out of the way, Esperanza's greedy uncles threaten to kick Esperanza and her mother off the property.  Before she knows it, they are being smuggled out of the country, headed to the United States to find their own way as migrant farm workers.  

Her shocking reversal of fortune makes Esperanza's head spin.  Once, she had her own bedroom filled with expensive toys and fancy dresses.  Now, she shares a cramped shanty with two other families.  Once, servants cleaned up after her.  Now, she does her own sweeping and washing.  Once, her father paid serfs to work in his fields.  Now, Esperanza and her mother are competing with other desperate workers to labor for pennies on someone else's farm.  As she becomes used to her shabby new life in California, Esperanza's eyes are opened to the harsh realities of life as a poverty-stricken immigrant struggling to get ahead in a foreign country already devastated by the Great Depression.  When Esperanza's mother falls desperately ill and rumors of a massive workers' strike threaten the family's only source of income, Esperanza is ready to give up.  She's already overcome so many hardships and struggles.  How can she rise above them?  Will she ever be happy again?

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan tells an unforgettable riches-to-rags story set against a memorable Great Depression backdrop.  With its focus on Mexican immigrants, the book has a unique angle that feels timely even though it's set in the past.  An atmospheric setting coupled with a cast of sympathetic characters and an engaging storytelling style make the novel an engrossing, empathy-inducing read that is as affecting as it is heartfelt.  Esperanza's growth as a character is the best part of the story as it shows her realistic progression from spoiled princess to pragmatic peasant.  While Ryan's depiction of Mexican migrant life during the Depression might not be entirely realistic (Esperanza's ability to save a large chunk of money in a short amount of time with her meager earnings seems inauthentic, for instance), it's grim enough to get her point across while remaining upbeat enough for a children's book.  Overall, Esperanza Rising is a story about hope, hard work, and finding joy in the things that really matter—family, friendship, traditions, etc.—even in the bleakest of circumstances.  It's a beautiful novel that I very much enjoyed.

A note:  I listened to Esperanza Rising on audio, with Trini Alvarado reading the book.  Her voice is smooth, soothing, and authentic as she seamlessly narrates using both Spanish and English to bring the characters and story to life.  If you're looking for a new book to listen to an audio, I would absolutely recommend this one.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, although it's an adult book and much bleaker than Esperanza Rising.  The Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar and Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros are also great middle-grade reads about the plight of Mexican immigrants in modern America)

As sheriff of Kinship, Ohio, Lily Ross is sworn to protect and serve her small Appalachian community.  She takes her responsibilities seriously, striving to uphold the law in a fair, consistent manner.  When it comes to the popular past-time of making moonshine, however, pragmatic Lily has been known to look the other way a time or two in spite of increasingly restrictive Prohibition laws.  Then, a young boy gets dangerously sick after drinking tainted home-brewed alcohol while guarding a local still.  Lily is appalled.  She vows to find out who is poisoning the moonshine and why.

That's not the only problem on Lily's plate, however.  A special agent from the Bureau of Prohibition who was supposed to show up in Kinship has not yet arrived.  The man is at least missing, possibly dead.  In a move that can't be a coincidence, Lily also discovers that her nefarious brother-in-law, Luther, is working undercover for the Bureau in an effort to take down her least favorite businessman, George Vogel.  Although Lily doubts Luther's intentions, she has a vested interest in seeing Vogel imprisoned.  His new wife, Fiona, seems to feel likewise.  Can she trust Luther and Fiona to help her put their boss and husband behind bars?  Or is Lily just a pawn in their bigger game?  As she attempts to locate a missing agent, figure out just what Vogel is up to, and keep her town safe from tainted alcohol, she also has decide how she feels about a new suitor as well as an old friend who's breaking the law with the habits she swore she'd left behind for good.  Can Lily find a way to solve all the problems in a quaint little town with some big issues?  

I enjoyed the first two books in Jess Montgomery's appealing Kindship series, so I was naturally thrilled to get an early copy of the third installment, The Stills (coming March 9, 2021).  The books feature an atmospheric Appalachian setting, likable characters, and intriguing mysteries.  Although females were extremely rare in law enforcement in the 1920's, Lily makes a believable sheriff.  She's brave, determined, and unfailingly loyal to her community.  In The Stills, she shines once again as she's pitted against powerful men with sinister intentions.  The resulting plot is interesting and exciting, which makes the novel an engrossing read.  While this third book in the series is probably my least favorite, it's still a compelling, well-written historical mystery that I very much enjoyed.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Kinship series, including The Widows and The Hollows; also reminds me of the Bell Elkins series by Julia Keller)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Stills from the generous folks at Macmillan via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!