Review of The Bridge

[Mari Inez]

[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 fiction that takes us to the inception of the Canadian Iron Ring Ceremony. The story follows two engineering students, Ben and Esther, who could not be more different as students. Ben is the type who gets on just fine, and Esther, who is an overachiever. They get partnered together for their final Ethics assignment. In their research, they found a journal belonging to one of the engineers who worked on the Quebec Bridge that collapsed in 1907. They never expected their work together would have them question their own beliefs. Let alone did they think they would discover things about the past and themselves.

Andrew Palmer’s book is about more than a bridge and a college assignment. It is about self-discovery and understanding one's duty to themselves and others. It offers the reader two perspectives to consider while telling about a piece of history that continues to live on through ceremonial practice to this day.

There were many things that I loved about this book. I enjoyed that the reader follows two stories, that of Ben and Esther, and the story told through a journal about the Quebec Bridge construction. The author did a wonderful job incorporating the two together. It was especially refreshing to be reading about two college students, and I believe this made the essence of the book work. Both Ben and Esther were well written. I found myself empathizing with them. And, at times, being very annoyed by them. Overall, it was great to see two characters who had preconceived notions about each other learn from one another.

The only negative aspect of the book was how little we saw of Ben and Esther in the first part of the book. We get introduced to them, and just as we begin seeing how they will work together, the story changes to focus on the topic of their study.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. It is a nice, short read, although I would have wished it to be longer. It is a book that I believe can appeal to a wide audience. It’s not every day that you get a good fiction book about engineers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or just wants to learn a bit of history.

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The Bridge
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