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Toni Jordan is a new author for me but on the basis of this read, I’ll definitely read more. The Fragments is a literary mystery, unravelling a decades old puzzle about the death of an author whose first book reached cult status, but then a cataclysmic event prevented her second book from reaching her followers and took her life. As a consequence some of the fragments of the book and her life form the basis of a world- touring exhibition which visits Brisbane and one of the protagonists, Cadence, in 1986.
The book flips between 1980s Brisbane and 1930s America, particularly New York, and both parts are interesting but the story that hooked me was the older one. The academic unravelling part was slightly marred for me by the research stealing professor... he may ring true in some academic spheres, but it felt off kilter- a distraction from the story I wanted to know, and at the same time unsatisfactory as we don’t see the final outcomes for him and Cadence once all the research is published.
A book about a book, with book selling and antique books and a mystery to guess at and unpick is a winner for me nonetheless.
Thanks to Net Galley and Text Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Wow. Just wow. Once I started reading this, I couldn't stop. I enjoyed the third person point of view changes, and how well-researched the book is in terms of cultural and regional aspects of the times depicted here. This honestly was a whirl-wind of emotions. I started falling for Inga and Jamie, felt uncomfortable with Phillip. I sympathized heavily with Rachel and Caddie and I was definitely crying a little at the very end. An author who can make me feel that much in 320 pages is a powerful person, indeed.
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Interesting premise about a woman obsessed by a famous author who mysteriously died in a fire, leaving behind only the fragments of her next unpublished book.
Historical drama flashing back to the 1930s in Pennsylvania and New York, USA when the book was written, and back to the 1980s in Queensland, Australia, which is when the main story takes place.
Pros:
draws you in
lovely prose throughout most of the book
interesting characters
Cons:
plot twists are not handled well
ends too abruptly
At the beginning it felt like it would be 5 stars, while reading I would have given it 4, but by the end it was down to 3.
I received a free pre-copy kindle edition of this book through netgalley.com as a book reviewer.
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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. As a book lover, what could be better than reading a book about a book? The story was told from two viewpoints, the 1930s, and the 1980s. I admit I enjoyed the 19802 better in the beginning and the 1930s later in the book. In the end, of course, it all comes together and the ending was not what I expected. I enjoyed this book, but would probably not read it again, hence the four stars. It is worth a read though! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2779371576?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
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When Caddie goes to a museum to view fragments of Inga Karlson’s unpublished book, she meets an older woman who she is convinced has knowledge of the tragic death of the famous author, Inga Karlson.
The story moves back and forth between Australia, in 1986, and 1930s New York City. In Australia, Caddie, a bookseller, researches to solve the mystery of Inga’s death. She works with Jamie, a professor. And a former boyfriend, who is also a professor.
Through the back and forth narratives, the story of Inga Karlson is told. The author tells the story from Caddie’s point of view in in 1986. In the 1930s, the story is told from point of view of Rachel Lehrer, who is a friend of Inga’s. While the reader does not directly hear from Inga, her life is revealed through the narratives of others. Like Caddie’s research, it is a slow process, but the payoff is worth it.
This book is a awesome. It has a little bit of everything: famiy drama, romance, history, and mystery.
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I mostly liked this thriller about about a lost book, its enigmatic author, an older woman who seems to know more than is possible about both, and the young woman who puts all of the pieces together. Caddie Walker, who left academia after a relationship with a predatory professor and now works in a bookshop, is devoted to the work of Inga Karlson, whose first book was an enormously popular and moving bestseller. Karlson's second book, along with the ms, all of the press plates and any ephemera, went up in a fire that also killed Karlson and her publisher. But when Caddie goes to see the fragments of that second book on display, she encounters a woman who seems to know more about the second book than is possible, and Caddie tracks her down for the full story. While the reveal of this true story is predictable, it's done well. The fact that Caddie goes to the predatory professor for help, and then seems to set him up to be hoist by his own petard, is a bit annoying and not easy to follow in terms of readers understanding what Caddie is doing; the same goes for her will-they-or-won't-they relationship with another man burned by the same professor. If the relationships and Caddie's intentions had been a bit clearer, the end would have been even more delicious.
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I think I knew I'd enjoy this book, but I had no idea how swept up in it I'd get! The Fragments has everything - cracking plot, great characters and a wonderful mystery to unravel. And all of it centres around a lost novel! This is a must-read for anyone who loved Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale. Readers should note domestic violence triggers.
Alternating between 1980s Brisbane, where bookseller Cadence has a startling conversation with an elderly woman, and 1930s New York where Rachel Lehrer encounters the famous author Inga Karlson, The Fragments is one of those unputdownable stories that's a pure pleasure to read. The plot centres around The Days, the Minutes, the last novel Karlson wrote before she, and all copies of the text, perished in a warehouse fire. Only a few (eponymous) fragments were recovered from the site, and it's these fragments, being exhibited in Brisbane, that start Caddie down a complex path of research and discovery. Meanwhile we follow Rachel's journey to New York and her fateful meeting with Karlson, and watch the way their lives become entwined in the lead up to the fire.
The mystery of the fragments, and whether anyone else alive had read (and could possibly remember any of) the manuscript, is absorbing and well-paced. The alternating perspectives add just the right dose of tension, and, combined with a bit of romance, academic rivalry and murder, makes for a winning combination.
This is a novel that celebrates women and their tenacity and strength. Caddie, Inga and Rachel each shine in turn, even in the face of considerable adversity. They make sacrifices, feel pain, and discover romance in entirely real ways, and I loved all three of them.
Jordan portrays 1980s Brisbane with the same panache as 1930s New York, picking up sensory details to bring the cities to life. In particular, Brisbane's oppressive humidity and shock storms crackle off the page. She pays brilliant attention to detail, even using the local terms (like 'port' for a schoolbag) to add authenticity. Her writing is eloquent with restraint, and every word feels necessary for the story.
If I have one criticism, it's that I wanted more in the last quarter - it felt a bit lean, and while the resolution isn't disappointing by any means, I wasn't quite ready for it to be over.
This was my first time reading Jordan, but it certainly won't be my last.
Recommended if you liked: The Thirteenth Tale
I received a copy of The Fragments from Text Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Thank you to netgalley and the publisher and author for providing me with the ARC for my unbiased review
not my usual read but very enjoyable! twist and turns along the way!
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Wow. As a book lover, I’m always intrigued by a literary mystery. Toni Jordan knocks this out of the park. I will be recommending this to every book lover I know.
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A globe-spanning literary mystery that's set in both 1986 and the 1930s shows what a truly wonderful author Toni Jordan is. There's no build-up in this book - we jump straight into Caddie's life, as Jordan deftly weaves together her story with Rachel's.
While there were a few times when I honestly questioned Caddie's judgement and wanted to reach through the pages and shake her, she almost always proves herself to be a sympathetic and relatable character.
I loved the peek into 1930s Rachel's life. This was an awesome and unique perspective! I was so pleased with the characterization and inclusivity in this book. I'd definitely recommend.
* I received this book through NetGalley but that did not influence my review.
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1980s Brisbane, and an exhibition about Inga Karlson opens. Karlson wrote a phenomenally successful novel in 1930s New York, then died in a fire at her publisher's warehouse before her second novel could be published - only fragments of it remain. Waiting in line to see the exhibition, Caddie meets an older woman who quotes a line from the fragments, but with extra words that no-one could possibly know. She begins to investigate, sure that someone else must know the content of the lost novel, and turns to a former Karlson researcher, as well as her former lecturer (and lover) for help.
The book is interleaved between Caddie and Rachel, originally in 1930s Pennsylvania then in New York, meeting the luminous Inga Karlson. I actually found Rachel and Inga more engaging than Caddie - I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the 80s side, but she was such a frustrating character. Why go to super-creepy Philip for help when she knew what he was like? The only good thing about that was her actions at the end, and that non-creepy nice Jamie was also there doing the right thing. The premise was good, but it didn't quite hook me in as much as it could have done - an almost, but not quite.
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E-arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anyway, the story fell a bit flat for me. I don't think it was my cup of tea since I could not get in the story at all. I fell like I was having a deja-vu.
I did not like the characters too much which made me enjoy this book even less I'm afraid.
I'm glad NetGalley gave me this chance to read this book first because I won't buy a physical copy of it =(
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It took me a while to find my pace while reading this one. The premise definitely intrigued me, but the characters fell a little flat in the contemporary timeline. The historical timeline was slightly more engaging, but I felt like there could have been a bit more depth and detail. Around 60% I was caught by surprise with some of the storyline = "Ooooh.... Now I get it!". The conclusion was underwhelming. Unfortunately, I feel like this one had a ton of potential, but didn't hit it out of the park for me.
My thanks to the publisher and/or author for providing a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
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“The Fragments are here, locked behind steel and glass inside the new State Gallery. The fragments. Irreplaceable, priceless. Here, in Brisbane.”
The Fragments by Toni Jordan is about relationships, passion, and humanity.
Caddie Walker had a laid-back quiet life in Brisbane. She spent her days amidst books. This kept her love for Inga Karlson alive.
Inga Karlson was the best-selling author of late 1930s. Her first book was an “All Has an End” was a massive hit in 1935. However, before the release of her second book she died mysteriously in a fire which destroyed the book. “The Days, the Minutes” didn’t see the light of day. What remained of it were fragments.
Caddie was in a queue to see Karlson exhibition showcasing these fragments. That’s when she met this enchanting friendly old woman, Rachael, talking about the Karlson. But just before she left, she quoted an altered version of Caddie’s favourite lines from the 2ndbook. Caddie was astounded to hear those lines. She knew they were different. Her instincts said those lines sounded true.
“And in the end, all we have are the hours and the days, the minutes and the way we bear them.”
“And in the end, all we have are the hours and the days, the minutes and the way we bear them, the second spent on this earth and the number of them that truly mattered.”
Those cryptic lines encouraged Caddie to dig deeper into Inga’s mystery. While solving the mystery, she somewhere uncovered herself.
I took many days to write this review. I just couldn’t find the right words to describe the beauty of the book.
The book spans over 50 years. The chapters keep shuttling between the 1930s and 1986 (Caddie’s time). While reading I forgot the concept time and space. It carried me to a different dimension.
The book doesn’t have a lot of characters but a couple of major characters and the remaining are equally pivotal characters.
The 1930s talk about Rachael. The book presents a sharp picture of the society of the 1930s. The people, their problems, the surroundings, general issues of the society. The clarity was more in this time than the 1980s.
That brings me to the pace of the book. The reader will glide through the book. It’s not just easy writing but each of the chapters points the reader towards a certain direction and the reader just flows with it.
The author did a brilliant job of highlighting the contrasts as with the era so with the characters.
Rachael’s father was abusive, whereas Caddie had a loving father.
Rachael’s life was of material hardships, Caddie had a decent life.
The three characters are intertwined through their feelings, their passions. The author used a subtle underlying technique to point out the flaws and the fine points of relationships, society and human tendencies. These concepts are and touch you deep down. The beauty of a relationship is just not the golden days but also the days overcast with doubts, you are angry and you move away only to rush back to your love. The ending twist was surprising and I like how the storyline merges seamlessly.
The Fragments is about women decades apart, yet connected through their passion, their will to stand against the wrong. The book provokes your emotions and asks us to look deeper.
Wow! What a wonderful read.
Thank You NetGalley and Text publishing for giving this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Absolutely fantastic read. I couldn’t put it down, from the moment I started. Not quite a mystery, not quite a love story, but so much of both. The characters were incredibly well developed.
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What a wonderful book. The Fragments by Toni Jordan is a literary mystery set in bookish surroundings. Who could ask for more?
Caddie is obsessed by a writer, Inga Karlson, whose first book captured the hearts of millions in the 1930s. Her second book The Hours, The Minutes was never published and only fragments remain. No copies of the book, the manuscript or the printing plates exist. Inga, herself, perished, along with her publisher, Charles Cleborn, the only other person to have read the manuscript, in the warehouse fire that destroyed all copies. What - or who - caused the fire has never been established.
In the 1980s Cadd1e goes to an exhibition of the fragments in Brisbane. On the way out she encounters an older woman who tells her the last line of the book - something no one is supposed to know. Intrigued, Caddie sets about investigating the mystery. Who is the woman who claims to know the last line and is she telling the truth?
Meanwhile, another story runs alongside: that of a young girl in 1930s America. We begin to suspect that this girl is the woman Caddie spoke to.
With the help of the sweet, shy Jamie and the handsome but cynical Paul, her former lover, Caddy slowly unearths the truth of the warehouse fire, the death of Inga Karlson, and the identity of the woman at the exhibition.
I was kept hooked right through this book and though I kept making guesses at the answers to the various mysteries, those guesses were not resolved until the very end. Excellent.
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The Fragments is a lovely story about a story that was tragically never finished. There are two points of view telling the story of how this manuscript was destroyed in a fire, and the writer died. It's a beautiful mystery for book lovers. If you believe books change lives, you'll enjoy this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for The Fragments by Toni Jordan. Publication Date: 9/20/19. Archive Date: 4/1/19.
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Thank you Text Publishing and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
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“Everywhere is temporary-who knows where we’ll end up?”
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It’s 1986 in Brisbane. Caddie is at an exhibit that contains things about her favorite author, Inga Karlson. Amongst the things in the exhibit are fragments of Inga’s last book. It was never published because every copy went up in flames in the fire that killed Inga.
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At the exhibit, Caddie meets an elderly woman named Rachel. They chat briefly but something Rachel says nags at Caddie. Now Caddie is on a mission.
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When I requested this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. My God, it was beautiful. It switches between Caddie in 1986 and Rachel in 1938/1939.
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Honestly, I’m at a loss for words. It was this grand story about a beloved dead author and how she ended up dead. It was a story about hardship, abuse, and beautiful love.
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A fantastic mystery split between two time periods, working towards the same goal - completing the fragments of Inga Karlson's lost manuscript. There is the unsolved mystery of the fire which destroyed Inga and her long awaited second novel, the dual viewpoints from 1930s Rachel and Cadence in 1986, and an unseen twist to keep the reader guessing. Atmospheric and powerful, without being too intense. A gem of a book.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Two different stories are being told here. One is of Rachel, growing up on a farm until the family loses the farm and has to move to the town. Working in a mill where her abusive father works is almost as bad as living in the house where he and the rest of the family live. Rachel leaves and makes a new life for herself.
One is the story of Caddie, of her love for books and her passion for the works of Inga Karlson, famous author, tragically killed in a fire along with all the newly printed copies of her newest book. Caddie visits a display of the salvaged fragments of the book where she speaks with a woman about their favorite lines. The woman knows more words to the destroyed book than are public knowledge. Caddie is bent on finding this woman and asking about the mysterious words.
The Fragments is the story of these lives and these words and how a book can change our lives if we let it. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion and for the enjoyment of reading this book.