Engineering students at McMaster University in Ontario populate THE BRIDGE, Andrew Palmer’s warmhearted novel that contrasts fictional students assuming adult responsibilities with the real-life tragedy of the 1907 Quebec Bridge collapse. Esther is a smart, unpopular Iranian student, and Ben and Tyler are the homegrown Canadian goof-offs who hack her computer to steal assignments. Esther was raised in a home filled with both love and stifling conservatism. Ben comes from a middle class dysfunctional Canadian family, raised in a world of shame, shouting, and occasional bursts of domestic violence. The only thing that got him through his rough childhood was his friendship with Tyler, who shared an equally difficult upbringing.

THE BRIDGE turns when Ben and Esther are randomly assigned to work together on a project about the ill-fated construction of the Quebec Bridge, the world’s largest cantilever bridge.  Their research leads them to the fictional diary of Alec Durand, an upstart engineer during the 1907 construction. There are interesting parallels between Alec and Ben. Alec is a young man who takes on too much responsibility, too soon. Ben is a young man who avoids accountability until this class project brings him face-to-face with a dark family legacy of irresponsibility. Alec wants a better life for himself and his pregnant wife, and is eager to work his way up the ranks of the engineering crew. But spotty workmanship, poor oversight, and subpar building materials caused Quebec Bridge to collapse during construction in August 1907. Seventy-five people were killed, making it one of the deadliest bridge disasters in history. As Esther and Ben’s research deepens, so does their friendship. Both find they made incorrect assumptions about the other. Esther has a fun side she rarely shows, and Ben is actually a hard worker when he puts his mind to it.  But their budding relationship collapses faster than the Quebec Bridge once Esther learns Ben hacked her computer. How can she ever trust him again? Will she even be able to complete the assignment with Ben as her partner?

THE BRIDGE is sweet without being schmaltzy, heartfelt but not corny. Ben and Esther are both relatable and real, flawed people with good hearts who sometimes make questionable choices. Palmer deftly avoids a cliché ending, which makes the conclusion of the book all the more satisfying. In the end, THE BRIDGE is a near-romance, a relationship that never blossoms into love, but is still life-changing none-the less.

A charming campus semi-romance set against the historical drama of the 1907 Quebec Bridge collapse, Andrew Palmer’s THE BRIDGE is a colorful and enjoyable novel packed with genuine heart and fascinating history.

~Rob Errera for IndieReader