Secrets of a Charmed Life

A Fall of Marigolds

“Hits all of the right emotional notes.”

—
Booklist

“Like the golden threads of a scarf sprinkled with marigolds, Susan Meissner weaves two unspeakable New York tragedies—the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and 9/11—into a shimmering novel of love and acceptance. Meissner’s heroines, Clara and Taryn, live a century apart, but their stories are connected not just by a bright scrap of fabric but by love lost. A compelling novel, 
A Fall of Marigolds
 turns fate into a triumph of spirit.”

—Sandra Dallas, 
New York Times
bestselling author of
Fallen Women

“Meissner has crafted a thoughtful story about lost loves and times past, illustrating how quickly disaster can take away what we hold most dear, and how ultimately we must move forward with hope in our hearts.”

—Margaret Dilloway, bestselling author of
The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns

“A transportive, heartwarming, and fascinating novel that will resonate with readers in search of emotionally satisfying stories connecting past and present, and demonstrating the healing power of love.”

—Erika Robuck, bestselling author of
Hemingway’s Girl
and
Fallen Beauty

“Weaves a compelling tapestry of past and present, of love and loss and learning to love again, of two women connected through time in a rich and unique way.”

—Lisa Wingate, bestselling author of
Wildwood Creek
and
Tending Roses

“Susan Meissner knits the past and the present with the seamless skill of a master storyteller. A beautifully written, moving novel that had me gripped from the first page.”

—Kate Kerrigan,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Land of Dreams

“Deftly weaves a story of love and loss . . . an inspiring story of hope and the belief that with tomorrow comes a new day full of promise.”

—Lorie Conway, author/producer of
Forgotten Ellis Island

“Susan Meissner has written a courageous novel, moving with great insight between the haunting parallel stories of two women trying to recover from the losses of a terrible fire in 1911 New York City and the unforgettable fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11. An uncommon celebration of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable tragedy, 
A Fall of Marigolds 
is a beautiful reminder that although life is perilous, love is a powerful healer.”

—Kimberly Brock, 2013 Georgia Author of the Year and author of
The River Witch

“The author creates two sympathetic, relatable characters that readers will applaud.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A moving story told through simple prose that compels readers to keep turning the pages until the uplifting conclusion.”

—Romantic Times

The Girl in the Glass

“Beautifully crafted and captivating,
The Girl in the Glass
is a story to savor and get lost in.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Sarah Jio

“Susan Meissner’s prose graces each woman’s story with an intricate and fragile beauty that reflects Meg’s desperate love for Florence in the heart of the reader before she even boards the plane. In fact, this might be the most romantic book you read this year.”

—USA Today

“Charming and smoothly paced,
The Girl in the Glass
re-creates the feeling of walking the streets of Florence, Italy, and is populated with warm, generous-hearted characters.”

—BookPage

A Sound Among the Trees

“Meissner transports readers to another time and place to weave her lyrical tale of love, loss, forgiveness, and letting go. Her beautifully drawn characters are flawed yet likable, their courage and resilience echoing in the halls of Holly Oak for generations. A surprising conclusion and startling redemption make this book a page-turner, but the setting—the beautiful old Holly Oak and all of its ghosts—is what will seep into the reader’s bones, making
A Sound Among the Trees
a book you don’t want to put down.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Karen White

“My eyes welled up more than once! And I thought it especially fitting that, having already shown us the shape of mercy in a previous novel, Susan Meissner is now showing us the many shapes of love.
A Sound Among the Trees
is a hauntingly lyrical book that will make you believe a house can indeed have a memory . . . and maybe a heart. A beautiful story of love, loss, and sacrifice, and of the bonds that connect us through time.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Susanna Kearsley

“Meissner delivers a delightful page-turner that will surely enthrall readers from beginning to end. The antebellum details, lively characters, and overlapping dramas particularly will excite history buffs and romance fans.”

—Publishers Weekly

Lady in Waiting

“Both the history and the modern tale are enticing, with Meissner doing a masterful job blending the two.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Meissner has an ability to mesh a present-day story with a parallel one in the past, creating a fascinating look at two lives where each tale is enhanced by the other. Intricately detailed characters make for a truly delightful novel.”

—Romantic Times

The Shape of Mercy

“Meissner’s prose is exquisite, and she is a stunning storyteller. This is a novel to be shared with friends.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Meissner has a gift for intriguing, meaningful stories, and this novel is no exception. Lauren’s present-day life is mirrored in elderly Abigail’s and again in the diary of Mercy Hayworth, who lived in the seventeenth century. . . . The insights into perception and prejudice are stunning.”

—Romantic Times

A Fall of Marigolds

The Girl in the Glass

A Sound Among the Trees

Lady in Waiting

White Picket Fences

The Shape of Mercy

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014

USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China

penguin.com

A Penguin Random House Company

First published by New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC

Copyright © Susan Meissner, 2015

Readers Guide copyright © Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2015

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

  
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGIS
TRADA

LIBRARY OF CON
GRESS CATALOGING-IN-
PUBLICATION DATA:

Meissner, Susan, 1961–

Secrets of a charmed life / Susan Meissner.

pages; cm

ISBN 978-1-101-62555-2

1. Sisters—Fiction. 2. World War, 1939–1945—England—London—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3613.E435S435 2015

813'.6—dc23 2014027190

PU
BLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For my Umbrella Girls—
Stephanie, Bree, and Chelsey

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.”

—Marcus Aurelius,
Meditations