Review of The Bridge

[Mary Lou Mills]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Bridge by Andrew Palmer is a historical novel centered on the Quebec Bridge Disaster. Ben and Tyler are two party-going students studying engineering in their final semester at Hamilton College. Esther is very intellectual, the head of the class. The topic for the final assignment in the engineering class is ‘What the Iron Ring Means to Me.’ This project was to be completed by teams assigned by Professor McLeary. Neither Ben nor Esther were happy that they were to be teammates. However, as they studied, they began to appreciate each other. While researching in the library, Ben discovered a personal journal written by Alec Durand, an engineer who worked on the original Quebec bridge which collapsed during construction in 1907. Ben and Esther took turns reading and taking notes from the journal. Alec, a newlywed engineer, was given a journal by his wife Ginette to help him with his language skills. Entries in the journal included notes about the construction of the cantilevered bridge he was working on. They also mentioned arguments over cost-cutting.

I loved reading this book so much that I didn’t want to put it down. I enjoyed following the relationships of the college students and the historical couple. Curiosity and suspense kept me glued to the pages. My favorite part of the book was learning the significance of the Iron Ring and the secret ceremony for the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. This ritual is still carried on at Hamilton College. I like books that make me want to learn more. This book makes me want to take a trip to Quebec. It also makes me want to read other books by Mr. Palmer.

There was nothing to dislike about this book. Of course, disaster is not a pleasant thing, but you are warned early on that there will be a disaster.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is very well-edited. It was evident that Mr. Palmer was very familiar with the history of the bridge. The characters are well-developed and easy to keep track of. The psychological development of relationships was realistic for both the current and the historical characters.

This book is suitable for all audiences to read. There is no profanity. Students and engineers will find it especially interesting. I also recommend this book for people who enjoy human interest stories or reading about Canadian history.

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The Bridge
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