Under the Bridge

“There are people who break open and make a new, bigger, self. But some of us are … brittle.”

When stress causes an old trauma to surface, Lucy, a longtime community organizer, teacher and anti- poverty activist, loses control of her life. On probation and living on the streets of Halifax’s North End, all she has left is friends. Faithful friends like Judith, her lawyer, who is helping her take back her life. Lucy begins to regularly sneak into Judith’s basement to take refuge from the cold, but Lucy’s presence in the house betrays their friendship, and she uncovers mysteries from Judith’s past. As events draw their lives closer, Lucy and Judith are forced to face the toll taken by their secrets. Each of them must choose between confronting past pain or remaining broken.

Full of moral complexity and beautifully written, Under the Bridge makes us think about how the world works and our role in it. The story shakes us out of our complacency, even as we laugh and cry over the unique relationships that are formed in unique circumstances.

Charlotte Mendel, author of Turn Us Again and A Hero.

This is a Halifax we do not know, of the down and out, the mentally ill, the homeless, of prostitutes and dumpster divers, but also of poverty activists and legal aid lawyers, and most of all, young people quick to mobilize around a cause. Anne Bishop has told a tale of the complex reality of these characters that is also full of hope. I could hardly put the book down.

Susan Haley, author of Petitot

An excellent book that examines issues such as poverty, land privatization, homelessness and more. There’s a fine cast of characters, both young and old. The transformation of Lucy from a crazed homeless woman sleeping under a bridge to a vital “house mother” to a group of young activists is remarkable. A novel that will make you think and, perhaps, alter your outlook on injustices going on around us and throughout the world.

 James Fisher, Goodreads Reviewer

Read reviews of Under the Bridge here

Read an excerpt from Under the Bridge here

Available from any bookstore or the Fernwood/Roseway website: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/under-the-bridge.

You will find links to purchase the ebook and audiobook versions on the Fernwood/Roseway website as well.

If you would like to purchase a signed or inscribed copy, please go to my Etsy shop, Crone Books, at cronebooks.etsy.com