Review of The Bridge

[Annie Bofonge]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Bridge" by Andrew Palmer.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

We have all encountered, at one point in our lives, a friendly foe. That one person that you seem to never get along with but have subconsciously agreed to keep the issue at an arm's length. Ben and Esther had that sort of agreement going on. Forcefully joined by a school project, the two navigate a puzzled history and to connect the dots that led to the destruction of the Quebec city bridge. Alec Durand, a remnant of history is that binding force who writes the beginning of an already finished tale.

The bridge is a historical fiction, though based on actual events, written by Andrew Palmer. The story centers around two students. Ben and Esther are two engineering students in their final year. Their stark differences makes it difficult to form any bond and can therefore easily perceived as foes. We see a gradual change in their relationship when the two students are paired up for a project and return to history to discover some fascinating truths about what really happened to the Quebec city bridge. The book is very inquisitive and personal.

I enjoyed the simplicities of the descriptions of the characters. They were complex but yet easy to grasp and understand. I specifically enjoyed one of the characters Alec Durand. He had the image of being brawny on the outside but yet resided within him a very gentle soul and a selflessness. Subsequently, Palmer incites the reader to ultimately understand and have compassion to who Alec Durand was regardless of how he went on about handling situations. The book has a very forthcoming tone, very expressive in its detailing. The author simply lays out the emotions of each individual and easily allows the reader to remain connected yet intrigued to every character and their feelings. Furthermore the phrases flow rhythmically that you will find yourself miles away into the book before you realize that you are miles away into the book.

There is one negative aspect I highlighted and that was the poor description of the finality of some of the characters. I would have been more appreciative if the author brought some clarity as to what really happened to them instead of leaving the reader to pounder on that. This negative aspect does not majorly influence the feel of the book though I felt it necessary to point it out.

I would rate the book a 4 out of 4 stars. Simply because the book was very easy to grasp from the get go and had a very interesting storyline that kept you on the edge and you would not want to stop until you found out what happened next. The book was professionally edited. There were no grammatical error that interrupted the flow of the book and that element was needed to hook the reader.

I will recommend the book to anyone that has an eagerness to investigate and learn more. What I loved mostly about the book is its ability to engage a wider range of communities. Reading the book at its primary stages, one would think it aimed at a specific niche but as you delve deeper into the book, the storyline eventually branches out to different actual events that happen to everyday ordinary human beings which seriously impact lives.

******
The Bridge
View: on Bookshelves

[SINGH JAY]

I believe that any aspiring engineers would find this to be a worthwhile read. In order to prevent history from being repeated, it is crucial that we learn from our forebears.