A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner Published by Penguin on February 4, 2014
Genres: Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Literary, Fiction / Women
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
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A beautiful scarf connects two women touched by tragedy in this compelling, emotional novel from the author of As Bright as Heaven and The Last Year of the War.
September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries...and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she’s made. What she learns could devastate her—or free her.
September 2011. On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers...the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. But a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf may open Taryn’s eyes to the larger forces at work in her life.
“[Meissner] creates two sympathetic, relatable characters that readers will applaud. Touching and inspirational.”—Kirkus Reviews
Here we go with another installment for The Book Girls’ Guide In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) Reading Challenge: 2026 Edition. Yes it was a February pick. Yes it’s March. Just know these will always be a month behind, probably. As I go through the list of books each month I make my own list, check availability, then decided what to read. For February I actually grabbed 3 since one may not be available to me in time. Don’t get me started. Not going to lie A Fall of Marigolds almost didn’t make the cut except it was readily available on Libby. The title didn’t do it for me. And while I’m not a cover gal, that didn’t spark to me either. I didn’t know the author, I mean I am coming off a reading hiatus. What did capture me was historical dual timeline. The synopsis, honestly, didn’t do the story justice. Let me tell ya why.
Historical fiction? Check. One of my top preferred genres. Dual timeline? Bonus points. I love the weaving of time together. I’d heard of the Shirtwaist Triangle Fire. I’ve never read about it or studied it but I’ve heard of it, that counts right? 9/11. I lived that. I mean from the comfort of my life in the middle of the country in rural Missouri Ozarks but I mean, who didn’t ‘live it’ in some way. My only experience with New York is riding in the backseat from New Jersey to Long Island for a trip to visit a friend. While the bulk of the story centers around Clara Wood in 1911 as a survivor of the fire and her life in-between as a nurse on Ellis Island the blend between 1911 and 2001/2011 is perfectly balanced. You need the depth of the past to grow the story of Taryn in the future. Both women faced unimaginable loss, not just love but sense of security. Both women chose safety instead of growth. And both women found their way through to a future for themselves. All wrapped around a scarf of interesting origin that touch more than them.
Here’s the deal. Don’t go by title, or cover, or an author you don’t yet know. Susan Meissner took a simple scarf, a bit of interest in history and future and wove an incredible story of two women that loved, lost, lived in fear and inaction, and overcame. Too many nights I stayed awake entirely too late because I didn’t want to stop moving forward with these women. I’ve never experienced what they experienced but that didn’t matter as I was invested in them. I related to them and rooted for them and wanted to know what they chose to do. I was frustrated with them at times, happy for them at times, but 10000% invested in them. While there are parts I felt were too easy and not quite believable there were so many parts that smoothed that out for me. Possibly one of the best books I’ve read so far this year and absolutely an author I’ve added their entire catalogue to my TBR list.
About Susan Meissner
Susan Meissner is the critically-acclaimed author of 27 novels for adults and two children’s books. Her engaging novels feature memorable characters facing unique and complex circumstances, often against a backdrop of historical significance. A multi-award-winning author, her books have earned starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist.
She was born and raised in San Diego, California, but spent some of her adult life living in Minnesota as well as in England and Germany, before returning home to southern California in 2007. Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
Prior to her writing career, she was a managing editor of a weekly newspaper in southwestern Minnesota. She enjoys teaching workshops on writing, spending time with her family, reading great books and traveling. Susan now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Bob (a retired chaplain in the Air Force Reserves) and their yellow lab, Winston.
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