Susan Meissner

I love this book for so many reasons! To start, Susan Meissner is a gifted writer who creates characters that I care about as a reader. In this story, Clara and Taryn are women connected by a beautiful scarf and unspeakable tragedy. Both of their stories take place in New York City; Taryn's in 2011 and Clara's in 1911.
As a survivor of a tragic house fire, I related to both of their reactions to witnessing historic tragedy: the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, and the 9/11 Twin Tower collapse. Both women retreat into an "in-between place". This is a common reaction.
The book also has a strong sense of place. Having worked in the World Trade Center, Meissner took me back to downtown NYC when writing about Taryn's experience. Clara, a nurse at Ellis Island, interacts with immigrants suffering from scarlet fever. One of these is a tailor. I thought about my grandparents who came through Ellis Island during the same period, one of whom was also a tailor. This story fleshed out their experience for me.
I also liked how she used Keats' "Ode to a Grecian Urn" as a means of understanding longing and loss. The poetry book itself is a McGuffin within the story, just to name a few.
Lastly, I love scarves. Having lost my collection in my house fire, family members have lovingly shared theirs with me. My new, small collection is dear to me because I can relate each scarf to the person who shared it with me, as do the characters in this book.

… (mais)

Susan Meissner juxtaposes the Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 with the 9/11 Twin Tower tragedies and the aftermath for two women in this novel that are connected by a scarf decorated with marigolds.

Clara Wood, a nurse on Ellis Island, lost a man with whom she felt very connected despite few encounters prior to the factory fire. Taryn, newly pregnant, lost a husband on 9/11. Most of the story concerns Clara whom I found to be self-absorbed and cold. She is pining for what might have been with a man she didn't know very well and is indifferent to anyone offering solace or solutions to her self-imposed exile. A young doctor on Ellis Island is especially concerned about her welfare.

I expected to like this story more than I did because I like Meissner's novels, but I couldn't find myself caring much about Clara. Taryn's grief was much more understandable; however, the tie-in with the scarf seemed implausible.… (mais)