The Chinese legend of the red string of fate suggests that two people are connected by an invisible red thread and are destined to be lovers, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. In Susan Meissner's most recent book, A Fall of Marigolds, that red thread is replaced by a stunning copper scarf, embroidered with marigolds and the name "Lily." The scarf first appears in September 1911, when nurse Clara Wood is drawn to it, and the man who has it draped around his neck, as he steps off the boat at Ellis Island. Both have suffered tragic losses that have them left in a world of in-between, so it is no surprise that they are drawn to each other.The scarf reappears one hundred years later in September 2011, when fabric store employee Taryn has it in her possession as the World Trade Center Twin Towers are attacked and collapse. She, too, suffers a devastating loss which leaves her in a world of in-between.As Meissner's captivating story weaves between the two women, it is the marigold scarf that connects them, but will it direct their fate and help then emerge from that in-between world in which they are both trapped? A Fall of Marigolds is a wonderfully crafted story that offers the reminder that "love is the only true constant in a fragile world." This book doesn't fall into my usual genre of reading and that may color my review a bit. I was intrigued by the jacket description and eager to see how the author would use a scarf to weave two tragic incidents and the affected characters together. The answer is -loosely, if at all. Chapter 1 starts off in Sept 2011 and starts to pull on the memories and heartstrings of anyone living in the United States and especially New York in Sept of 2001. Readers instantly start to feel the ache of loss along with Taryn and the rebirth of hope when she speaks of her daughter. The scarf that is supposed to hold this together is alluded to. Then brain shift back to Sept 1911 with narrator 2, Clara who is a nurse on Ellis Island. The stage is not subtly set for a nurse patient thing, it is drawn out in as clear of terms possible. The scarf is also thrust in our face, on the neck of the male patient. After spending some time with Clara in 1911, we learn that she worked in the building of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and witnessed the senseless loss of life first hand as victims landed on the sidewalk before her. As a nurse unable to help these patients, as a person falling in love with one of the victims, and as a front row witness to events that modern audiences may not even have the vaguest notion of, Clara is obviously scarred, struggling with PTSD and has "escaped" reality to live and work on Ellis Island where she thrives on the routine and never leaves the island. So far, not bad. I was still waiting for the connection between the characters and wondering what the heck Taryn had to do with anything if we are going to spend 2/3rds of the book in 1911 when we are thrown back to 2011 and horror of horrors, someone has found a lost memory card to a camera from the day of the terrorist attacks and has published the pictures. There is Taryn, with the scarf (and some random dude who is obviously important because he is mentioned so much) and we learn that she got it from an insistent customer. SO basically, this is where we learn dear reader that there is ZERO connection between the two main women, but as we are more than half way through the book, we may as well finish it. It's decently written and a welcome distraction. Back to Clara who essentially lays out the stages of maturing through love for us while falling for her patient but unwilling to admit it. First there's that school girl crush/infatuation, check. Then there's a fledgling promising relationship that ends up your first real heartbreak, check. Then, as you recover from that there is the tentative, I think I'm ready again, but it's yanked away before you even know what the real potential could have been, check. And this is where Clara escapes the real world because her tentative foray back into affairs of the heart was rudely yanked away from her due to the fire and she blames herself for his death. Now she's got the slightly more than platonic feelings for a person in her care, refuses to see it, everyone is warning her, plus there's a great guy with a crush on you that you're rude to thing going on. I'm okay with all of this- it's plausible, a bit dramatic, but plausible. Even her resistance to letting her patient know the truth about his wife is plausible. Random dude calls Taryn and we get another flashback to that fateful day and what they went through. Mick (Random dude) has the scarf and wants to return it. Taryn isn't ready to deal, she's been in her own bubble for 10 years. Trying to cope with her own issues that she is the reason her husband died in the North Tower instead of making it safely out. Dr. Randal- aka nice new doctor on the island crushing on a nurse he never met and crushing harder when he does meet her, who helpfully studied [psychology before becoming a doctor- helps Clara across the ferry for the first time in 6 months to meet her dad. Isn't that sweet? So, obvious ulterior motives. Dad offers her a post overseas, Dr. I like you and know what's best for you is in cohorts with Clara's roomy to slam the heavily hinted at truth about the fallen love in Clara's face. She obviously hates him, doesn't believe it and flees back to her safe place, which isn't safe any more, reality has pierced it. Plus Patient McDreamy has been discharged and left her the scarf as a thank you (which belonged to his dead wife, whose mother gave it to her)Here's where I stop disliking Clara. I never hated her, but she never really had much depth, so I wasn't really committed to her. Then she takes a deep breath, puts her big girl knickers on and starts sorting stuff out. But here's also where the plot becomes EXTREMELY contrived and hard to believe - Inspector Gadget shows up to investigate her just released patient and only Clara has the evidence that proves his innocence. With her new girl power and knowledge Clara attempts to evade Inspector Gadget, find her patient and save the day, but Go, Go Gadget Smarticles, he's right on her heels, which as soon as Clara realizes how he's done it, she has to spell it out for us, because we're too stupid to know on our own. Clara uses her super powers to put Inspector Gadget in his place, and lucky patient is never the wiser that he was almost arrested for being part of an ultra secret international crime ring headed by his fake wife who died! Way to Go Clara! While back on the mainland she decides to use her super powers for more good and battle the rest of her demons. Once her ridiculously unbelievable adventure ends she flies into the arms of Dr. Awesome and realizes she may love him, but since she has GirlPower now, she's going to go to Scotland and get comfortable in her new skin. Which I think is an awesome decision. Back in the Future Taryn dresses up to meet Mick the Florist who has her scarf, has a crush on her and has a message from her dead husband. Oh, and he's been searching for her for 10 years. And this is where Taryn loses my interest because it is HEAVILY hinted that Mick is her "happily ever after" and there is no plausible progression of Taryn coming out of her depression. Clara gets her GirlPower on with plausible help from people who care about her. Taryn gets her scarf back and poof- all better, lets date after I tell my daughter who I won't let out of my sight but is having a convenient sleep over what happened the day her dad died. Insistent owner of scarf says Taryn should have the scarf, and oh yeah here's a letter that my aunt (owner of scarf before insistent customer) kept. The letter is from Clara who gave it to the aunt when she left Scotland to go back to America to be with the Doctor and waxes poetic about love and how love makes all things bearable and worthwhile.Okay- that GirlPower that Clara found? didn't last long and this part pisses me off. Clara's story opens in Sept 1911, she is supposed to leave to Scotland in late October 1911. The date of the letter is freaking November 1911. She didn't even last a month! Given the time, that's barely enough time to get over to Scotland let alone decide to leave! And it left me with the feeling that women are nothing without men- Taryn needs a man to move on, Clara needs a man to feel whole. I'm okay with the instant attraction and deepening affection after a very short period of time, that happens, it's sweet, and great when it lasts, but WHY do the women have to have men? Why couldn't Clara have stayed at her post in Scotland more than a week (possibly a month). Come on, give the girl at least a few months to regain control of her head and heart before handing them over to someone else. And Taryn- why does it have to be heavily hinted that there will be a romantic relationship with Mick? Why can't they be friends? And the scarf doesn't hold the women or the story together! At all, it's a plot device that wasn't as well executed as the book jacket insinuates. I think this is why I don't read much "chick lit" or "romance" - I prefer independent lead female characters; ones that know their own worth and recognize the worth of supporting characters. They can come into their own, like Clara did, but don't give it away!!
Do You like book A Fall Of Merigolds (2000)?
Great premise and plot...just not what I usually read.
—Sam
Beautiful story with connections to 9/11
—Betty
Loved this book. Didn't want it to end!
—cherrrypie
