Review of The Bridge

[Bethany Kroeger]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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In Andrew Palmer’s debut novel, The Bridge, he intertwines the past with the present in a gripping story that delves into the origin of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer and the Iron Ring ceremony. An engineer himself, Palmer uses characters based in present-day Canada to expound on the events that transpired that led to the Quebec Bridge Disaster that shook Canada in 1907. This shocking event compelled the creation of the Iron Ring, a symbol of professional duty and obligation worn by Canadian engineers.

To tell this story, Palmer uses two engineering students at McMaster University, Esther Emami and Ben O’Betany, who are seniors and partners in their final assignment for their ethics class. Their professor challenges them to discover what the Iron Ring means to them as a future engineer by researching the bridge collapse. What ensues is a friendship that challenges Esther and Ben to get outside of their heads and shift their focus as graduation looms and the Iron Ring ceremony approaches.

I enjoyed the multiple points of view throughout this novel. Palmer creatively uses the idea of a journal of the site engineer, Alec Durand, to give the reader an inside scoop on what led to such a grave disaster. A man of few words, Alec writes better than he speaks and shares details about his life as a newlywed and feelings of inadequacy in his career. His wife, Ginette, appears to be the one person to who he can speak freely. Their relationship is one of my favorite parts of this novel; she challenges Alec and treats him respectfully, even when his opinion of himself is low. She is his prime motivator in advancing his career and eventually overseeing the project.

My favorite character and the other strong female in the story, Esther, is the perfect opposition to Ben with her moral compass and family life. She is the typical stellar student, while Ben takes the more carefree approach to college. She is commendable in that she is unwavering with her goals and desires. Ben is a redeeming character; he has incredible potential, though he flounders. You can see his shift in priorities as he reads through the journal and graduation approaches.

I did not find anything to dislike about this novel. Palmer does an excellent job of pairing the past with the present; I have no complaints about his delivery or writing. I have little to no background in engineering and clearly understood any mention of it, whether it was from the journal, teachings, or other discussions.

I have to give The Bridge a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I found nothing to keep me from giving it this rating. In addition, it is well-edited. It challenged me and made me feel like I was there when the bridge went down or reading in the library along with Esther and Ben. When an author can make you feel like you are part of the story, that is a huge accomplishment in my book.

I would recommend The Bridge to lovers of history and engineering or those who want to read a well-written and informative book. I read it in one sitting and cannot say that about many books I have read recently, especially ones involving history. Do yourself a favor and add this book to your reading list!

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The Bridge
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[katisgah Bee]

I never thought engineering and history to be the main focus in a book's skeleton but still I'm curious to know what it contains.

[Amy Luman]

It is sometimes quite difficult to see the importance of an engineer. I must confess that before my son went to an engineering school I was unaware that they were so essential. I’m glad that there is such a code of ethics.