A Fall of Marigolds

by Susan Meissner
Dec 22, 2015-Jan 2, 2016

Everything happens for a reason. Love is meant to be given to another. Grief lives in an in-between place. While this may sound incredibly sappy, and so not the subject matter I am typically drawn to, A Fall of Marigolds enchanted me from chapter one.

A scarf entwines two women who live a century apart. Both survived horrific tragedies – Clara, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and Taryn, 9/11. Trying to cope in the aftermath of each, both women must find the will to move on.

I definitely enjoyed Clara's story – a nurse on Ellis Island – more than Taryn's. I think the storytelling was better, but I also think that it was easier to remove myself from events that happened 100 years ago than it was for September 11. Taryn's story was beautiful, but incredibly difficult to read, if also a little under-developed.

It's that time of year. Hibernation season. This is the perfect book to get cozy with.

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