The Last Bridge

There is so much to say about this novel that I'm having a hard time thinking of how to put it in words. I would have finished it in one sitting, except motherhood called me out of my revelry. So, I finished it in 2 sittings. I have read reviews where the reader didn't like the main character, Cat, but I did. She was hugely flawed and yes some of it she could have stopped but she was a product of her environment to a large extent. I am all for adults to quit blaming their parents for what's wrong with them and to take ownership for their lives, but in some circumstances it takes a bit longer. Cat is a drunk. She's a hard living drunk who travels from town to town doing jobs that give her enough cash for a hotel and booze. With one phone call she has to return to the house she left 10 years before without looking back. Her mom killed herself and her dad is in a coma. She comes back to the family farm to be confronted with the events that caused her to leave all those years ago. There are some twists and turns in the book that I didn't see coming. There was one that I did see coming but I think most readers would as well. I think she alludes to it during most of the book. I had no respect for Cat's mom at all. Cat's sister Wendy hides behind a facade of being happy and her brother Jared is torn with guilt that he can't get over. So essentially they are one messed up family. The note that is described is essential to the book but not in the way I thought it was be. "He" refers to many different men in Cat's life but for me it didn't stick to one more clearly than the other. What I think might have been more poignant is if the note said, "Cat - You aren't who you think you are." Either way it did lead Cat down the road to self-discovery. I've never been abused and I can not imagine what it is like to be in a relationship like that. I do know from other reading and studying it in school, that when it's good it's so good and when it's bad, it's terrifying. Cat's dad was definitely a monster and I'm glad he finally got what he deserved. Karma has a way of being very vengeful. This novel is dark, daring, brooding, honest and hopeful. During parts of the book I cried and recovered. At the end though I continuously cried. The journey that Ms. Coyne takes us on in this book is one that I will never forget. It will resonate with me for a very long time.

BOOK REVIEW: 'The Last Bridge': A Stunning Debut Novel of the Year By David M. Kinchen As Teri Coyne's debut novel "The Last Bridge" (Ballantine Books, 240 pages, $22.00) opens, Alexandra "Cat" Rucker learns from her back-in-Ohio "ugly neighbor" Ruth Igby that her abusive monster of a father has suffered a massive stroke that puts him in a coma and that two days later her mother has committed suicide with her husband's shotgun. The two events are enough to bring the 28-year-old Wilton, Ohio woman from her disorganized alcoholic haze of a life in New York City to the family farm she had fled ten years before. Returning is the last thing Cat Rucker wants to do, but her sister Wendy and her brother Jared are coming back, so she arrives at the farmhouse to receive a ZipLock bag with a letter on lilac stationery addressed to her with the cryptic message: "Cat, He isn't who you think he is. Mom xxxooo." Cat spends the rest of the book trying to figure out who the "he" is. Is it her one and only lover, Addison Watkins? Is it Jared, the family jock who never seemed to be there for Cat during her abuse by their father? Is it Andrew Reilly, the county coroner who seems to have known Cat's mother in the past? Or is it her father, the man who chopped off the tip of his wife's ring finger with a hatchet when she tried to leave him, threatening to chop off her hand if she tried to flee again. Or is it all of the above? Coyne packs a lot of dysfunctional living into a relatively short novel, but she does it in a way that we can visualize and identify with the characters. Cat's father is bitter about the success of his friend Jared Watkins, Addison's father, who's living the good life in California -- or so he thinks. As the author peels back the years, we learn that their friendship was a very complicated relationship. I won't go into the details because I don't want to spoil the book for readers of a book I consider to be the debut novel of the year. Coyne has said that it took ten years to complete this novel, which combines dark humor with horrifying cruelty. That sounds to me like a definition of life itself. Coyne uses as the novel's epigraph a quotation from the American poet Muriel Rukeyser: "What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open." As the novel progresses, from one revelation to another, we see Cat Rucker's life split open. I have to admit, with shame, that I'm not familiar with Rukeyser's work, although I'm familiar with her name and status as a distinguished poet. She lived from 1913 to 1980. I am familiar with the work of Joyce Carol Oates and I believe that, at its best, "The Last Bridge" evokes the power of the novels of Oates. This is not to say that "The Last Bridge" is a copy of Oates; I'm merely suggesting that with her first novel -- and I hope she writes many more -- Coyne has portrayed a family with the nuances found in Oates' writing. Or in Anne Tyler's or John Irving's,

I was surprised to find myself so completely drawn in by this book, "The Last Bridge." The story begins when Alexandra "Cat" Rucker returns home after a ten year absence, after the suicide of her mother. Her mother leaves Cat a one sentence suicide note "He's not who you think he is." As you are introduced to other characters, you begin to learn more about Cat's past, her family, and the events that ultimately led to Cat leaving her hometown. The mystery of which character the suicide note "he" represents in the book is left to the reader to decide, although many different possibilities are revealed. The author skillfully weaves Cat's memories of the past with scenes about her current struggles. The book has very heavy themes--abuse and addiction are prominent in Cat's story. While the author vividly describes, through Cat's own flashbacks, the many abuses she suffered as a child/ teenager, the reader is also allowed a compelling look at present-day Cat. The author is adept at character development, and the writing is engaging. I finished this book in a weekend! As each chapter unfolds, the reader is provided more pieces to the puzzle that will ultimately answer the many questions that arise in the first few pages about who Cat is, where she came from, and ultimately, where she is going to end up.

Teri Coyne's debut novel, "The Last Bridge", is an excellent composition to begin her, predictably, long and successful career. This story immediately drew me in and captivated my interest with the suicide of Cat's mother and the cryptic note she left. As each character was introduced and identified, their multifaceted roles in Cat's nightmarish and traumatic life unfolded. Ms. Coyne's edgy narrative and colorful storytelling evoked strong emotions as I read of Cat's childhood with an abusive father and their dysfunctional family. She skillfully intertwines past and present events so that the reader can understand and appreciate all aspects of the story. As it continues, the details of Cat's eventual, dramatic escape and struggle to deal with the ghosts and fallout from her past are mesmerizing. When I chose this book, I assumed it was just another mystery novel and was unaware of what I was getting into. Upon completion, I can say that I am completely satisfied with the ride it took me on and I highly recommend it. Excellent job Ms. Coyne! Encore!

Although that is not as dramatic as it sounds since I'm a pretty fast reader (the title for my review that is!) I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel. I was kind of waffling after I ordered it---you know when you get that feeling like you should have not clicked on the button just yet. I am very happy to say that I apparently shoudn't listen too close to my intuition--clearly it was wrong! I should say my normal genre would be more mystery/crime/paranormal type so you understand my perspective. This is quite a story. I would classify it as a story about running. Not that type of running--this is the type that sneaks up on you rather than you sneakering up for it. In the latter part of the book there are a couple of lines that I feel perfectly explain what this book is about in a broad sense: "I looked at the road ahead and at the ground I had covered since leaving, and, as always, I had not gone as far as I had thought." Cat had a life filled with many things, but dominated by her abusive father, apathetic alcoholic mother, and siblings who just couldn't see, or wouldn't do, anything about her situation. Of course, as with most books, things come to a head and Cat leaves after a major event. It is gut wrenching and extremely well written--as is the entire book. The plot is tight, convincing, and addicting--much like the alcohol Cat drinks to keep the memories at bay. The characters feel like they are real and could be your neighbors. The author really draws you into this story with an intensity that keeps you positively enthralled until the last page is read. I highly recommend this novel. It is dark in places and has a gut punch of issues that may make you squirm uncomfortably and wonder who could ever be like that--regardless of whether John Doe down your block is or not or whether you know it. The ending had me in tears, which is completely uncharacteristic for me.