I Am a Brave Bridge: An American Girl's Hilarious and Heartbreaking Year in the Fledgling Republic of Slovakia

by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson

Once upon a time an American girl moved to a little town in Slovakia. And she fell in love with the country, and with a boy. And then another boy. And then about a dozen boys fell in love with her. Many linguistic and romantic antics ensued, and a happy ending unlike any she could have foreseen. This is a story for everyone—the armchair traveler and the real one, the lover of love stories and the connoisseur of culture clash—but above all, it’s a story for anyone who is always homesick for somewhere else.

Genres: Nonfiction

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2021

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in learning more about Slovakia and having a laugh while doing so, this is the book for you. Hinlicky Wilson recreated her year as a teenager in Slovakia back in the 90s. Her father was a Lutheran minister who went there to teach taking the family along. The author was already a budding writer who sent lengthy and descriptive letters to her friend Colleen still back in the U.S. Recovering those letters allowed this to be the book it is. The teenage angst, drama and tone reads perfectly. Along with stories of teen romances, there are mature forays into Slovakian history, culture and traditions. This reinforced much of what I already knew but I also learned more about the aftermath of communism as well as attitudes toward the Czech Republic and other countries. I listened to this book which is read by the author giving me an extra appreciation for her language abilities. She learned the Slovak language that year in addition to an existing proficiency in German plus studying Greek. Hinlicky Wilson is currently a pastor in Japan after living and traveling abroad plus a couple of years spent in Minnesota. She also reviews Slovakian literature hoping to give more recognition to her briefly adopted country. This is incentive for me to continue correcting people who refer to Czechoslovakia and to ask if they have heard of Bratislava.

[Anna Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir is indeed hilarious and heartbreaking, detailing all of Hinlicky Wilson’s near romances with some of the Slovak boys during her eventful year in 1993 Svätý Jur. Her introduction to the more quirky parts of Slovak culture (for example, did you know slivovica, a popular fruit spirit in Slovakia, can be used as a substitute to antifreeze?) made me giggle while her assertion that people who spend most of their lives moving countries are in fact bridges, finding a home in their connection to multiple cultures and places, is deeply relatable. Even if you have never lived in nor visited Slovakia, I highly recommend this read. Much like myself, I am sure you will soon become deeply invested in the cross-cultural teen romances the author describes. But without a doubt, the most compelling love story in this memoir is the love Hinlicky Wilson has for the country of Slovakia.

[Jo Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an expat living in slovakia and being a similar age to the author meant the book resonated on many levels.

Esentially a coming of age memoir with romantic plot, but set in a young country finding its own identity. I found this on a blog by the author which was recommending other slovak books, many of which i also enjoyed.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio where Sarah, herself, narrates the story. I did like that she narrated the story, and it was enjoyable in the beginning. As the story unfolds, I found that I liked the history and culture references, but after awhile it became too overwhelming. In my opinion, I felt the story didn't need all the extra history lessons within it. Another thing I grew tired of, were the obscene jokes and boy drama. (1.5 star read)

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an expat currently living in Slovakia this book was relatable on many levels. It could be slow at times but overall left me feeling all the emotions!

[Georgene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the many insights that the author had about her trip to the newly liberated country of Slovakia in 1994 from her perspective many years later. Her views on the people, culture, and changes brought about by the Velvet Revolution and the demise of Communism were liberally sprinkled throughout this book. However, her point-of-view as a teenager with crushes on all the handsome Slovak boys who found her interesting because she was an American, was kind of superfluous and silly. The telling was funny at times, but did not go well with her mature thoughts on Slovakia and how it evolved throughout its history. I did still enjoy reading this book!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this memoir of an American girl living in my ancestral country. I started reading it to learn about how people live there now. It didn’t fill that gap, being more about how it was just after the time when Slovakia gained her separation from the Czechs. Everything is seen through the eyes of a seventeen year old, who is a pastor’s daughter. So it didn’t quite tell me the things I had expected it would, but it was captivating all the same.

The title is a joke based on a phrase in Slovak which sounds amusing to English speakers.

I just wish there had been pictures.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Lots of laughter along with information about Slovakia. Enjoying the recipes.

[Anneli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful memoir with a lovely sense of place - Slovakia in the 1990s - that explores young love and friendship that rises above language and culture differences. My favorite parts are the hilarious exploartions of languge and verb tense, as well as the author's reflections on what Home is. I've also moved a lot in my life and there are times when it can feel like pieces of myself are scattered all over the globe, and I found comfort in the author's observation: "I know now that nothing is wasted...My calling is to link [all the places I've called home] to one another."

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson's hilarious and reflective coming-of-age memoir is a delight - full of history, recipes, verb conjugation, and the reminder that Home is something that can be found and cultivated no matter where we live.