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To find out what life was like in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, read “Vera”
For less than a minute on the morning of April 18, 1906, San Francisco was shaken to its core. Buildings collapsed, fires burned and most of the city center was destroyed. Carol Edgarian’s latest novel, Vera, brings readers to that time and place.
Blending the historical with the story of coming of age, the immersive book chronicles the 2006 earthquake and its aftermath, and by its conclusion, we admire both Vera, the hero of the same name, and the citizens of San Francisco for their courageous resilience in the aftermath of the earthquake.
In the first two pages, Vera, who is over 100 years old, recalls how the earthquake changed her life. Her story began on her fifteenth birthday, nine days before the earthquake.
Vera is looking forward to seeing her mother, Rose, who does not live with her. Rose is a famous San Francisco lady who runs a bordello on the rotten Barbary Coast. When Vera was a little girl, Rose arranged for her to be raised by a widow, Elsa Johnson. In return, Rose pays for the house for Elsa and her daughter Piper.
Minutes after the shaking stopped on April 18, further waves of disaster shatter the city. Elsa is crushed to death by a wall fall while Vera and Piper escape the crawling fires.
The narrative includes intricate details of how Vera and Piper survive those horrific next few days. The city’s infrastructure was destroyed. Gas and electric lines are down, water tanks are cracked, and fires are threatening nearly every building in the city. A procession of evacuees flee from downtown to the western part of town, where refugee camps were eventually set up in Golden Gate Park, Presidio, and Lafayette Square. San Francisco looks like a war zone.
In the end, Vera rescues her biological mother, Rose, under a pile of rubble in Bordelau on the Barbary Coast and arranges for her to be taken to the hospital. Vera, when she begins caring for Rose, tries to understand her mysterious and distant mother.
Vera grows up quickly and joins one of her mother’s loyal servants, a Chinese man named Tan. Like The City, Vera is determined and persistent to move forward. As San Franciscans abandon social norms to focus on survival, Vera begins imagining a different life for herself. You face thieves, stars, heroes, and wanderers as you learn to navigate this turbulent world.
With ease, Edgarian weaves historical figures into the story, including San Francisco Mayor Eugene Schmitz, who is facing charges of bribery and extortion, and whose conviction has been delayed by the unrest. Vera and Bieber are friends with the mayor’s daughter, giving readers a personal perspective on the famous scandal.
In Vera, the story of coming of age is less compelling than the historical narrative. I struggled with Vera’s voice when her interactions with adults seemed unbelievable. Nevertheless, the novel succeeded as a historical fiction. Edgarian’s careful research is impressive. The book is filled with countless facts and details about the effects of the earthquake on the political, military, architectural and financial life of the city.
Both the 1906 earthquake and the massive Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 were seismic events that linger in the misty mists of the city’s collective memory. A cautious acceptance of the possibility of another earthquake remains part of San Francisco’s soul.
“Vera” is a revered poem for the resilience of San Francisco and its people. If you’re wondering what it might feel like in the 1906 earthquake, Fira is a great place to start.
Katherine Read blogs about books at readsreading.blogspot.com.
Book notes: Vera
Written by: Carol Edgarian
Posted by: Scribner
Pages: 329
Price: $27
Note: On Tuesday afternoon, Edgarian shares thoughts on life and writing inspired by one word on Instagram: @CEdgarian.
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