Review: The Bridge - Rebecca Rogers Maher

Review: The Bridge - Rebecca Rogers Maher - September 2013

I was scrolling through my Kindle one evening, looking for something to read, when this cover caught my eye. I'll be honest, I couldn't have told you much about it at the time of buying. The blurb must have done its job, though, because once I started reading, I realised it was right up my alley.

The Bridge is an edgy YA/NA read that opens in the middle of the night, with two strangers meeting on top of the Brooklyn Bridge, both ready to jump. Christa has already had a mastectomy and has just learned there is now a tumour in her other breast. Henry lives with chronic depression. Neither of them expected company that night, but once they start talking, they make a pact. They'll spend 24 hours together, doing the things they both love, each trying to convince the other to stay. When the time is up, they'll go their separate ways, and if either still wants to go through with it, that will be their decision. At the very least, the other will have tried, and given them one more day of really living.

It's a quick novella, the kind of read that hits the spot when you want something that packs a punch without taking a week to get through. It's heavy in places, but it's also tender and hopeful, and it shows that life is worth living when you find the right people to share it with.

I couldn't have picked a better week to read it. It's Mental Health Awareness Week, and this book felt especially close to home. I've had my own brushes with thoughts of suicide and depression, and I know how isolating they can be. That's part of why I'm sharing this. Even the most put-together person can be carrying something heavy behind the scenes. The friend who always has her act together, the one who's first to make you laugh, can be struggling in ways you'd never guess.

So please, check in on your people. A simple "how are you really?" or a cuppa and a catch-up can mean more than you'll ever know. Everyone has their own struggles, and sometimes all it takes is someone willing to sit with us on our hardest nights.

If you're struggling yourself, please reach out to someone you trust or a helpline in your area. You're never a burden, and you're worth the 24 hours and so many more.

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B07fvwvOK