This historical adventure book is one you will not want to miss reading. The setting, dated at that time following World War 1, when women's suffrage was spreading throughout the U.S....A time when most men still felt threatened by women's growing numbers in the work force and in educational fields.
Senator, Bryan, a lifelong friend of Muriel's family, had encouraged and "tutored" Muriel for years to pursue her dreams and educational goals. He even assisted in helping her obtain a position to strengthen her experience.

Muriel, was astounded and excited for the opportunity of experiencing Paris and furthering her expertise in photography and antiquities.. She never considered there could be a possible romance while abroad Would there ever be a time when she might experience the deep love and commitment she saw in her parents marriage?

With faith and trust in God and in Senator Bryan, Murial ventures on a journey to expand her talents but which very well could easily be her last journey. She was too excited to fell any fear. This strong-willed women will be an inspiration to many.

The Book cover was very well done and was fitting. For the "browser", this possibly would discourage the ideal audience, especially with the accompanying Title.

This is a book, honoring the "freedom" of women and of those men who were insightful and courageous enough to encourage and support them. "The Fragment" was the ultimate object but not the "meat" of the story. It was steady moving and not entirely predictable.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Franciscan Media in exchange for my honest review, of which I have given. ( )

When I read and review a book my default review style lends itself towards critical analysis. Sometimes this leads me to receiving critical responses :). I found The Fragment impossible to review in this manner.

It didn’t feel at all natural to stop reading in order to take notes as I often do. I was carried along on an ethereal journey. The search, the mystery… it is all filled with such beauty forged from joy, surprise, delight, longing, heartache and pain. In all honesty, I can not adequately explain the feeling that it invoked in me. I wish that I could as that is my “job”. But then again, isn’t that the mark of a truly good book? To be taken outside of yourself and be in the journey. Davis Bunn is in every way an expert writer as he excels in this.

Our protagonist Muriel is a creative soul who sees what most others do not. She sees deeply into the heart of the people around her and so she sees the strength and beauty of the French people recovering from the staggering wounds of the Great War. Muriel is rare. Additionally, Muriel is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and is wise in thought and deed. Her insights and photographs are soulful, gritty, real, fascinating, and intuitive. The Fragment as a story is one that I found beautiful in the same way that Muriel's view of the French people through the lens of her camera is beautiful.

In essence, The Fragment reached me in my heart more than my mind for which I am thankful.

One itty bitty bitty bit of critical analysis…

I am not Catholic. Therefore I have some differences of viewpoint with the Catholic theology of The Fragment. Those differences are laid out in much more detail than you probably desire in my review of the The Pilgrim. Feel free to go and take a look. The Fragment has a more worshipful feel than The Pilgrim so the theological differences didn’t stand out as harshly for me.

I received a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. My thanks to the author and publisher. ( )

The Fragment is an international suspense novel that clearly expresses the wonder of God while keep its readers on the edge of their seats. Centuries after Constantine’s mother, Helena, embarked on a quest to find the cross of Jesus (you can read my review of The Pilgrim HERE), a small group endures danger to retrieve one fragment of that cross. The culture and politics of the world in 1923 serves as a backdrop to this novel. The Fragment is Bunn at his best, and I highly recommend it.

Muriel Ross, aged 23, feels her dreams have come true as she wanders the streets of Paris photographing the people she encounters. She is traveling with a US Senator intent of retrieving ancient artifacts. Muriel is an expert employed with the Smithsonian and is crucial to his quest. But Muriel is unaware of the stakes involved — intrigue, danger and betrayal.

The Fragment is written with short chapters keeping the story fresh and fast-paced. The action is only interrupted by the sacred moments Muriel encounters. I loved the suspense, but the moments that Muriel is swept up in the her encounters with God were truly special. Plot takes center stage, but the few main characters are developed enough to get a sense of their thoughts, dreams, struggles and doubts. Muriel is an interesting heroine, at once daring and reflective. Her faith is challenged, but remains firm. For fans of history, The Fragment has it all — a great sense of place and time and well-researched details of the political atmosphere of Europe and the Middle East of the 1920s. Throughout The Fragment, Bunn weaves a faith message that never wavers. Not all the characters are believers, but those that are rely heavily on God’s promises in the midst of trials and tests.

Although the action is concluded in The Fragment, I sense that Bunn is not done with Muriel Ross. I hope that I am right. I would love more books like The Fragment.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to the author for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

"Here she was, for the first time in her life, caught up in the world's affairs, and still she was happiest when she could place the camera between her and events."

Muriel Ross has the chance of a lifetime when the U.S. senator she's accompanied to Paris asks her to photograph an important artifact in the history of the Church. But that's only the beginning of a mission that could prove deadly in The Fragment, a historical thriller by author Davis Bunn.

I've experienced this author's superb storytelling a number of times before, and this instance was no exception. The imminent danger permeating the post-World War I atmosphere is virtually palpable throughout the story, but moments of beauty, tranquility, and the quiet fierceness of faith still shine through.

The characters are intriguing, and although religious reliquaries and such aren't something I fully "get," personally, the symbolism here succeeds in remaining intimately connected with its deeper meaning. While the story's pacing borders on rushing in some places, there isn't the feeling of idle time or artificial "filler" to pad the plot, and the rather steady clip kept me turning the pages.

With its compelling mix of danger and poignancy, I'd recommend this book to fans of international thrillers and historical fiction alike.
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Franciscan Media provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. ( )