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Bridge of Friendship
The friendship of a Jewish girl eases the difficult transition period for an Irish family newly arrived in Manhattan.
149 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1975
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About the author
Mabel Esther Allan
230 books33 followersA prolific British children's author, who also wrote under the pen-names Jean Estoril, Priscilla Hagon, Anne Pilgrim, and Kathleen M. Pearcey, Mabel Esther Allan is particularly known for her school and ballet stories.
Born in 1915 at Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, Allan knew from an early age that she wanted to be an author, and published her first short stories in the 1930s. Her writing career was interrupted by World War II, during which time she served in the Women's Land Army and taught school in Liverpool, but the 1948 publication of The Glen Castle Mystery saw it begin to take off in earnest. Influenced by Scottish educator A.S. Neill, Allan held progressive views about education, views that often found their way into her books, particularly her school stories. She was interested in folk dance and ballet - another common subject in her work - and was a frequent traveler. She died in 1998.
Born in 1915 at Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, Allan knew from an early age that she wanted to be an author, and published her first short stories in the 1930s. Her writing career was interrupted by World War II, during which time she served in the Women's Land Army and taught school in Liverpool, but the 1948 publication of The Glen Castle Mystery saw it begin to take off in earnest. Influenced by Scottish educator A.S. Neill, Allan held progressive views about education, views that often found their way into her books, particularly her school stories. She was interested in folk dance and ballet - another common subject in her work - and was a frequent traveler. She died in 1998.
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January 28, 2022
The O'Connells (Nuala, Liam, parents Cormac and Eithne, and mongrel terrier Mick), have been lured away from a hard but honest existence in rural County Mayo with the promise of a better life in New York City. Cormac's brother, Padraig, has 'made his fortune' fleeing destitute Ireland to the 'land of opportunity' that is America. Or so they read in his letters.
Meanwhile, Katya and her mother, both of wealthy Russian Jewish extraction, are travelling on the same crossing, first class. Somehow, Katya meets Nuala and Liam and a shipboard friendship ensues across the many decks that separate them. In time, we come to learn what is bothering a sometimes distant and sombre Katya - her parents have recently divorced, and she is returning to NYC after a trip through Europe with her mother that was intended to take her mind off of things. It hasn't worked.
The plot starts to develop as the O'Connells and the Pushkoffs disembark (first class passengers first, and the rest much later). Before Katya heads for the gangway, they exchange contact information - and Katya does not like what she hears in re: the address the O'Connells are given, and the details about their Uncle's line of work. And the lack of a telephone. The word "rooming house" comes into the ever expanding New World vocabulary of Liam and Nuala, and there are other words to follow: brownstone, Welfare, shared toilet, evictions, plans for redevelopment, squatters, etc.
Katya isn't happy, in spite of her comparatively comfortable life. She has her own worries, and has not 'gotten over' the divorce. Her mother is a kind, open-minded, neighbourly woman, and also takes a liking to the O'Connell family. They would like to help the awestruck and fearful newcomers find their footing in the huge, impersonal and uncaring metropolis. But will Irish pride prevent them? The same sort of pride that perhaps misconstrued the details of Uncle Padraig's living situation to the point where the O'Connells thought they'd be better off leaving Ireland without the money for return fare? And can Katya help them, really?
Meanwhile, there are all sorts of surprises in store for the utterly overwhelmed O'Connells, and many of them unpleasant and dispiriting, to say the least. It's their first time thrown together with people of different ethnicities and beliefs and even languages, all in the same dilapidated old brownstone in the west forties of Manhattan: Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and another Irish family. Between gangs, crime, alcoholism, extreme poverty and hopelessness, it really looks like the O'Connells might become yet another poor and starving immigrant family who fled to America under its false pretense of providing "opportunity" and who will simply fall through the cracks.
This is the only Mabel Esther Allan book I have read that didn't make me want to plan a trip, although the fleeting memories of Clew Bay and County Mayo sounded pretty idyllic. She was very accurate about what summer in New York is like without air conditioning or a bathroom, and made several snide comments about the "non-air" that New Yorkers breathe, which I found amusing. Like this one:
It was also the first of her stories that I've ever read that mentioned God and religion at all, let alone so openly and recurrently. The O'Connells are devout Roman Catholics, the Puerto Rican neighbours are as well; the African American family goes to 'some other church'; Katya's family, in spite of her Jewish roots, don't attend synagogue. But it doesn't stop her from considering praying, and Nuala has all sorts of theological quandries and reflections, as do her parents, and a Mrs. Murphy, who you meet further on in the tale. I don't have time to give quotes on that theme now, but will later in the Mabel Esther Allan Goodreads Group - if you are interested in hearing more or adding to a discussion, come drop by: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
All in all, a funny little book. I can't widely recommend it, unless you have a specific interest in 1970s immigrant life in New York. There were a few little oddities that stood out for me - the colour schemes in the cabin of the ship ("lovely lime green with fawn"), and the trendy "bright orange" of Katya's father's new apartment's drapes and of Katya's own bathroom (Wow. Giant orange flowers and bright yellow towels in her bathroom. Ouch, my eyes! Although lime green and fawn would be equally challenging for me!). Liam being frightened of "Indian country" at the end of the subway line (ha! Although his fears were based on other factors). Lots of peaches and ice cream and Cokes consumed, and it seems as though Nuala had never smelled cooked garlic before moving to NY and walking past a restaurant kitchen's exhaust. Also, an ingrained fear of hippies.
One thing that was remarkable, to me, was an almost complete absence of racism, in spite of the culture shock for the O'Connells. I liked that. I don't know if it would have been accurate at the time, but I liked that skin colour and language barriers were so quickly brushed aside. Then again, this was all amongst good, church-going folk (another oddity, considering Mabel Esther Allan's alledged vehement atheism). And there was quite an immediate acceptance of Katya's Jewishness, as well. Again, I honestly don't know if that would be the case, but I would have hoped so, and was happy to not have the expected prejudices and accompanying friction for a change. MEA does tend to keep it on the light and superficial side of things, but in this book, it seemed like she was taking a new tack. It's still light, though, and there were many, many missed opportunities for deeper, interpersonal interaction and illumination, which is a pity.
All in all, an acceptable, quick and light vintage YA read. Just not something that got me very excited or looking into flights. (And the most annoying part was when they visit the NYPL (New York Public Library) with Ollie Brewer - and then return home afterwards. What?! C'mon, TAKE ME IN THERE, describe it! I would have loved to see it in 1975 through the eyes of those kids from rural Ireland! Argh!).
Meanwhile, Katya and her mother, both of wealthy Russian Jewish extraction, are travelling on the same crossing, first class. Somehow, Katya meets Nuala and Liam and a shipboard friendship ensues across the many decks that separate them. In time, we come to learn what is bothering a sometimes distant and sombre Katya - her parents have recently divorced, and she is returning to NYC after a trip through Europe with her mother that was intended to take her mind off of things. It hasn't worked.
The plot starts to develop as the O'Connells and the Pushkoffs disembark (first class passengers first, and the rest much later). Before Katya heads for the gangway, they exchange contact information - and Katya does not like what she hears in re: the address the O'Connells are given, and the details about their Uncle's line of work. And the lack of a telephone. The word "rooming house" comes into the ever expanding New World vocabulary of Liam and Nuala, and there are other words to follow: brownstone, Welfare, shared toilet, evictions, plans for redevelopment, squatters, etc.
Katya isn't happy, in spite of her comparatively comfortable life. She has her own worries, and has not 'gotten over' the divorce. Her mother is a kind, open-minded, neighbourly woman, and also takes a liking to the O'Connell family. They would like to help the awestruck and fearful newcomers find their footing in the huge, impersonal and uncaring metropolis. But will Irish pride prevent them? The same sort of pride that perhaps misconstrued the details of Uncle Padraig's living situation to the point where the O'Connells thought they'd be better off leaving Ireland without the money for return fare? And can Katya help them, really?
Meanwhile, there are all sorts of surprises in store for the utterly overwhelmed O'Connells, and many of them unpleasant and dispiriting, to say the least. It's their first time thrown together with people of different ethnicities and beliefs and even languages, all in the same dilapidated old brownstone in the west forties of Manhattan: Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and another Irish family. Between gangs, crime, alcoholism, extreme poverty and hopelessness, it really looks like the O'Connells might become yet another poor and starving immigrant family who fled to America under its false pretense of providing "opportunity" and who will simply fall through the cracks.
This is the only Mabel Esther Allan book I have read that didn't make me want to plan a trip, although the fleeting memories of Clew Bay and County Mayo sounded pretty idyllic. She was very accurate about what summer in New York is like without air conditioning or a bathroom, and made several snide comments about the "non-air" that New Yorkers breathe, which I found amusing. Like this one:
The air was dimly gold and looked glutinous, with fog over Central Park."
It was also the first of her stories that I've ever read that mentioned God and religion at all, let alone so openly and recurrently. The O'Connells are devout Roman Catholics, the Puerto Rican neighbours are as well; the African American family goes to 'some other church'; Katya's family, in spite of her Jewish roots, don't attend synagogue. But it doesn't stop her from considering praying, and Nuala has all sorts of theological quandries and reflections, as do her parents, and a Mrs. Murphy, who you meet further on in the tale. I don't have time to give quotes on that theme now, but will later in the Mabel Esther Allan Goodreads Group - if you are interested in hearing more or adding to a discussion, come drop by: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
All in all, a funny little book. I can't widely recommend it, unless you have a specific interest in 1970s immigrant life in New York. There were a few little oddities that stood out for me - the colour schemes in the cabin of the ship ("lovely lime green with fawn"), and the trendy "bright orange" of Katya's father's new apartment's drapes and of Katya's own bathroom (Wow. Giant orange flowers and bright yellow towels in her bathroom. Ouch, my eyes! Although lime green and fawn would be equally challenging for me!). Liam being frightened of "Indian country" at the end of the subway line (ha! Although his fears were based on other factors). Lots of peaches and ice cream and Cokes consumed, and it seems as though Nuala had never smelled cooked garlic before moving to NY and walking past a restaurant kitchen's exhaust. Also, an ingrained fear of hippies.
One thing that was remarkable, to me, was an almost complete absence of racism, in spite of the culture shock for the O'Connells. I liked that. I don't know if it would have been accurate at the time, but I liked that skin colour and language barriers were so quickly brushed aside. Then again, this was all amongst good, church-going folk (another oddity, considering Mabel Esther Allan's alledged vehement atheism). And there was quite an immediate acceptance of Katya's Jewishness, as well. Again, I honestly don't know if that would be the case, but I would have hoped so, and was happy to not have the expected prejudices and accompanying friction for a change. MEA does tend to keep it on the light and superficial side of things, but in this book, it seemed like she was taking a new tack. It's still light, though, and there were many, many missed opportunities for deeper, interpersonal interaction and illumination, which is a pity.
All in all, an acceptable, quick and light vintage YA read. Just not something that got me very excited or looking into flights. (And the most annoying part was when they visit the NYPL (New York Public Library) with Ollie Brewer - and then return home afterwards. What?! C'mon, TAKE ME IN THERE, describe it! I would have loved to see it in 1975 through the eyes of those kids from rural Ireland! Argh!).
Displaying 1 of 1 review