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A Bridge Back
Eighteen years ago, on a stormy night, the worst tragedy to ever hit Mount Kelven occurred on a lift bridge over the Esarno River. Many said it was caused by two reckless young people on their way to a Justice of the Peace. For 18 years, Nate Morrissey has stayed away from his hometown of Mount Kelven. He didn't even return for his grandfather's funeral, or to try to stop Laura's wedding. But this long absence is about to end. A documentary is being filmed in Mount Kelven about a now prominent government official's role in events connected to that tragedy. Nate, a New York lawyer, is assigned by his firm to go to Mount Kelven and investigate the revelations this documentary will make about a scandal involving the government official, now a client of the firm. Nate checks into an old run-down motel, hoping that this will keep him out of the eye of old family and friends, but just the opposite occurs. The owner of the motel, a single woman in her mid-thirties, is trying to buy and renovate the historic hotel once owned by Nate's grandfather. As he is drawn into this endeavor, Nate will learn not only how his past is connected to his client's, but how that connection led to the lift bridge tragedy. He will also discover the haunting secret long harbored by Laura, his former lover.
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
6 people want to read
About the author
Patrick M. Garry
28 books15 followersFrom the time he began appreciating the great novels, Patrick Garry became intrigued with the imaginative artistry and insights of fiction. He wrote dozens of short stories before beginning his first novel, which took years to write. Since then, he has published seven more novels, and is currently working on a new novel about a disgraced lawyer who finds himself filling in at his sick father’s diner while defending a case that will unexpectedly end up on the front pages of the national newspapers.
The host of a national book review radio program has called Patrick Garry the best undiscovered writer in America. But Patrick Garry is unique in another respect. He writes about themes and ideas that are often absent in the works of contemporary American novelists.
Garry’s novels reaffirm life and the struggle of individuals to live their lives in ways that rise above mere materialism and the stranglehold of destructive temptations. In A Bridge Back, he writes about characters who never quite lose their desire for redemption, no matter how much guilt they feel for the mistakes of the past. Indeed, as the main character in A Bridge Back discovers, the past, no matter how tragic, is not to be feared. Confronting the past can lead to a discovery of truth, which can then lead to the only true freedom. And once the enslavement to fear is ended, a rediscovery of love becomes possible.
In A Bomb Shelter Romance, Garry portrays America as a place that continually changes—and in doing so, continually offers new opportunities for individuals to find what they have always sought to find. This story, of a family ridiculed as it builds the last bomb shelter of the Cold War, reveals how humor and joy can triumph over even the most sudden and traumatic tragedies. The O’Neals are a quintessential American family, if for no other reason than their ability to laugh at their often unenviable state. Yet, as the narrator acknowledges, sometimes you find love when you’re doing absolutely everything to discourage it.
The characters populating In the Shadow of War are nobly (and sometimes even irrationally) trying to make the best of a tough situation. They have been brought together by the narrator’s grandfather, an irrepressible dreamer who still hopes to turn the tiny little ghost town his ancestors once founded into a thriving community. According to the grandfather, the antidote to a past of disappointment is a more intense dream for the future. It is when he is surrounded by the dreams of his grandfather during the summer of his eighteenth year, when the narrator feels guilt ridden over the death of his mentally handicapped brother, that the narrator discovers the reality of love and the beauty of people who decide to let their dreams, rather than their disappointments, define them.
One of the themes Garry explores in his novels is the theme of moral relativism and the modern propensity to let political positions trump moral integrity. In The Price of Guilt, the main character learns in a very harsh way that political attitudes, no matter how publicly exalted, are no substitute for individual morality. In fact, a superficial pursuit of redemption through a seemingly noble outside goal ultimately sends the narrator to prison. The value of core moral beliefs is also reflected in Suicidal Tendencies, where the main character, in his reflexive opposition to anything traditional, discards the very morality that offers the only hope for saving him. Political positions and trendy cultural attitudes not only mask the character’s downfall, but actually end up leading him there.
Life can be simpler, and yet more heroic, than is often portrayed in the modern media, which instead can surround us by a confusion of all that can go wrong with life, rather than clarify for us what lies at the core of life—what defines it and makes it worth living. In Saving Faith, an orphan who spent his entire you
The host of a national book review radio program has called Patrick Garry the best undiscovered writer in America. But Patrick Garry is unique in another respect. He writes about themes and ideas that are often absent in the works of contemporary American novelists.
Garry’s novels reaffirm life and the struggle of individuals to live their lives in ways that rise above mere materialism and the stranglehold of destructive temptations. In A Bridge Back, he writes about characters who never quite lose their desire for redemption, no matter how much guilt they feel for the mistakes of the past. Indeed, as the main character in A Bridge Back discovers, the past, no matter how tragic, is not to be feared. Confronting the past can lead to a discovery of truth, which can then lead to the only true freedom. And once the enslavement to fear is ended, a rediscovery of love becomes possible.
In A Bomb Shelter Romance, Garry portrays America as a place that continually changes—and in doing so, continually offers new opportunities for individuals to find what they have always sought to find. This story, of a family ridiculed as it builds the last bomb shelter of the Cold War, reveals how humor and joy can triumph over even the most sudden and traumatic tragedies. The O’Neals are a quintessential American family, if for no other reason than their ability to laugh at their often unenviable state. Yet, as the narrator acknowledges, sometimes you find love when you’re doing absolutely everything to discourage it.
The characters populating In the Shadow of War are nobly (and sometimes even irrationally) trying to make the best of a tough situation. They have been brought together by the narrator’s grandfather, an irrepressible dreamer who still hopes to turn the tiny little ghost town his ancestors once founded into a thriving community. According to the grandfather, the antidote to a past of disappointment is a more intense dream for the future. It is when he is surrounded by the dreams of his grandfather during the summer of his eighteenth year, when the narrator feels guilt ridden over the death of his mentally handicapped brother, that the narrator discovers the reality of love and the beauty of people who decide to let their dreams, rather than their disappointments, define them.
One of the themes Garry explores in his novels is the theme of moral relativism and the modern propensity to let political positions trump moral integrity. In The Price of Guilt, the main character learns in a very harsh way that political attitudes, no matter how publicly exalted, are no substitute for individual morality. In fact, a superficial pursuit of redemption through a seemingly noble outside goal ultimately sends the narrator to prison. The value of core moral beliefs is also reflected in Suicidal Tendencies, where the main character, in his reflexive opposition to anything traditional, discards the very morality that offers the only hope for saving him. Political positions and trendy cultural attitudes not only mask the character’s downfall, but actually end up leading him there.
Life can be simpler, and yet more heroic, than is often portrayed in the modern media, which instead can surround us by a confusion of all that can go wrong with life, rather than clarify for us what lies at the core of life—what defines it and makes it worth living. In Saving Faith, an orphan who spent his entire you
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 14, 2008
Nate Morrissey has hidden from his life and his past in the millions of people in NYC. Now a high profile lawyer, Nate has been asked to take up a new case. This case will lead him back to his hometown of Mount Kelven, a sleepy town he has avoided for over 19 years. He has hidden from that town and everyone in it since the funeral, the accident that changed his life forever, and the event that he was never able to forgive himself for. Now Nate must go back, and dig into the accident that claimed his parent's lives, and destroyed his. But what will he find when he returns after a 19 year absence.
A Bridge Back is a very quick read, the prose flows smoothly allowing the reader to fly through page after page without even noticing it. The characters we encounter are fairly multidimensional, each of them with their little quirks and their own past. Garry (our author) spends much of this book focused on our characters and their inner selves, which I truly enjoy. I wish he had spent a little more time giving physical details about the people and places though that is only a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.
In the end this is a very enjoyable book about dealing with the pains of our past, and getting through them. Forgiveness, love, charity, and trying to make a better future rather then running from previous hurts. Being an avid horror and thriller fan, I did not expect to truly enjoy this book, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I would consider it more of a Drama than anything else... I mean sure there is a bit of legal intrigue and some mystery in there, but the focus is on overcoming the past. And in the end who DOESN'T have pains from their past that they would rather just run away from. That is primarily why this book is so accessible.
As far as age ranges go I don't recall any undue profanity. Due to some of the themes involved I would probably hold off on the under 15 crew. This book is geared for adults but should be accessible to the 15 and up crew. If you are a fan of redemption tales, then pick yourself up a copy of this. It is an excellent book with very few flaws. And the flaws it has are so minor that you probably won't even know they are there (example - missing closing parentheses). Again I highly recommend this book, enjoy!
A Bridge Back is a very quick read, the prose flows smoothly allowing the reader to fly through page after page without even noticing it. The characters we encounter are fairly multidimensional, each of them with their little quirks and their own past. Garry (our author) spends much of this book focused on our characters and their inner selves, which I truly enjoy. I wish he had spent a little more time giving physical details about the people and places though that is only a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.
In the end this is a very enjoyable book about dealing with the pains of our past, and getting through them. Forgiveness, love, charity, and trying to make a better future rather then running from previous hurts. Being an avid horror and thriller fan, I did not expect to truly enjoy this book, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I would consider it more of a Drama than anything else... I mean sure there is a bit of legal intrigue and some mystery in there, but the focus is on overcoming the past. And in the end who DOESN'T have pains from their past that they would rather just run away from. That is primarily why this book is so accessible.
As far as age ranges go I don't recall any undue profanity. Due to some of the themes involved I would probably hold off on the under 15 crew. This book is geared for adults but should be accessible to the 15 and up crew. If you are a fan of redemption tales, then pick yourself up a copy of this. It is an excellent book with very few flaws. And the flaws it has are so minor that you probably won't even know they are there (example - missing closing parentheses). Again I highly recommend this book, enjoy!
September 19, 2009
Nate Morrissey hasn't been back to his home town of Mount Kelven in 18 years. He left after his parents were killed in a tragic car accident, something he blames himself for, and never returned. Now his boss has asked him to go there to look into the filming of a documentary that relates to the car accident and Nate begins to realize that he can't keep running from his past. The story evolves once Nate arrives in Mount Kelven and realizes that a lot has changed since he left. He gets involved with saving his grandfathers hotel and gets reacquainted with his ex-girlfriend who also has issues stemming from the night of the accident. Nate's world gets turned upside down and he realizes he can't look toward the future until he deals with his past.
"A Bridge Back" is more about Nate's journey to escape the past that has been holding him back than about finding out what is really going on with the hotel or what may have really happened the night of the accident. I get what author Patrick M. Garry was trying to do but must admit I felt a little cheated by the ending. Once Nate had his big epiphany, the story just kind of ended with a summary of the events that followed and everything was tied up rather quickly. I was really looking forward to a confrontation being played out between Nate and his brother-in-law and instead, I got a paragraph basically saying it happened and telling me the result. I just wish the loose ends had been tied up with a little more detail.
Though I was disappointed with the final chapter of the book I did enjoy everything leading up to the ending and had a hard time putting the book down. The characters are all very complex but also very real and the author does a good job of developing each of them. I also thought his description of the setting, Mount Kelven, was very well done and I was able to picture the town very clearly in my head. Honestly, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in well thought out characters who are easy to relate to and, to anyone interested in the journey involved in freeing oneself from their past.
"A Bridge Back" is more about Nate's journey to escape the past that has been holding him back than about finding out what is really going on with the hotel or what may have really happened the night of the accident. I get what author Patrick M. Garry was trying to do but must admit I felt a little cheated by the ending. Once Nate had his big epiphany, the story just kind of ended with a summary of the events that followed and everything was tied up rather quickly. I was really looking forward to a confrontation being played out between Nate and his brother-in-law and instead, I got a paragraph basically saying it happened and telling me the result. I just wish the loose ends had been tied up with a little more detail.
Though I was disappointed with the final chapter of the book I did enjoy everything leading up to the ending and had a hard time putting the book down. The characters are all very complex but also very real and the author does a good job of developing each of them. I also thought his description of the setting, Mount Kelven, was very well done and I was able to picture the town very clearly in my head. Honestly, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in well thought out characters who are easy to relate to and, to anyone interested in the journey involved in freeing oneself from their past.
May 25, 2010
On a stormy night the worst tragedy of Mt. Kleven takes place on a lift bridge over the Esarno river. Many speculate and conclude the accident occurred because of two young lovers plan to elope. Nate and Laura drift apart following the immediate tragedy that they take the blame and guilt for. Nick moves away at the advice of his beloved grandfather. Nate, whose is now a top lawyer in New York City, finds himself returning to Mt. Kelvin for the first time in eighteen years. A documentary being filmed about the tragedy has Nate sent home, undercover, for a client of his firm.
With deep opposition to the return, Nate goes and is faced with the past, the truth and the discovery of himself. Nate and Laura are soon thrown into remembering that fateful night and discovering that for eighteen years they have been living with guilt that might not be rightfully theirs. Through discovery Nate learns Laura has been keeping a haunting secret and both learn the truth of that fateful night.
A Bridge Back is a gripping novel. It had me spellbound from the start. It will bring you through a variety of emotions, and keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of the truth. Mt. Kelven is a beloved town that has been hurting for the past 18 years. The truth enables everyone to be set free and finally move on with their lives for good. It was a wonderful novel from beginning to end. Many lovable characters and exciting pages! A Bridge back is a novel of the past, present and the future. It is the realization that all three make us who we are and what we will be. It is self discovery and understanding. I would recommend this book to any reader. It will capture you and you will not be disappointed.
With deep opposition to the return, Nate goes and is faced with the past, the truth and the discovery of himself. Nate and Laura are soon thrown into remembering that fateful night and discovering that for eighteen years they have been living with guilt that might not be rightfully theirs. Through discovery Nate learns Laura has been keeping a haunting secret and both learn the truth of that fateful night.
A Bridge Back is a gripping novel. It had me spellbound from the start. It will bring you through a variety of emotions, and keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of the truth. Mt. Kelven is a beloved town that has been hurting for the past 18 years. The truth enables everyone to be set free and finally move on with their lives for good. It was a wonderful novel from beginning to end. Many lovable characters and exciting pages! A Bridge back is a novel of the past, present and the future. It is the realization that all three make us who we are and what we will be. It is self discovery and understanding. I would recommend this book to any reader. It will capture you and you will not be disappointed.
September 20, 2010
Nate Morrissey, a successful New York lawyer, has just been asked to take on a client that will require he travel to Mount Kelven – the place he grew up in; the place he fell in love in; the place of that horrible tragedy; the place he fled from 18 years ago.
Nate was a fearless boy who grew up to know no limits. He was successful in all that he did, until one fateful night when he and Laura, the girl he loved so fiercely, decided to elope. When they arrived at the Justice of the Peace, they changed their minds, but not before both of their families came rushing to stop them. The combination of stormy weather, emotionally driven parents, and a power outage on the lift bridge was more than enough to produce the worst tragedy the residents from Mount Kelven had ever witnessed. Now, 18 years later, Nate will revisit Mount Kelven, that tragedy, and Laura. What he finds during his stay in Mount Kelven will again change his life.
Patrick Garry has succeeded in writing a gripping emotional novel that claims your attention on the first page. With witty characters and heart gripping revelations, “A Bridge Back” is a very satisfying read that shows us among many things, that by always looking back you can’t see in front of you. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great book!
Nate was a fearless boy who grew up to know no limits. He was successful in all that he did, until one fateful night when he and Laura, the girl he loved so fiercely, decided to elope. When they arrived at the Justice of the Peace, they changed their minds, but not before both of their families came rushing to stop them. The combination of stormy weather, emotionally driven parents, and a power outage on the lift bridge was more than enough to produce the worst tragedy the residents from Mount Kelven had ever witnessed. Now, 18 years later, Nate will revisit Mount Kelven, that tragedy, and Laura. What he finds during his stay in Mount Kelven will again change his life.
Patrick Garry has succeeded in writing a gripping emotional novel that claims your attention on the first page. With witty characters and heart gripping revelations, “A Bridge Back” is a very satisfying read that shows us among many things, that by always looking back you can’t see in front of you. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews