February 12, 2017

The Bridge Ladies



The Bridge Ladies by Betsy Lerner
Memoir
2016 HarperAudio
Read by Orlagh Cassidy
Finished on October 4, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A fifty-year-old Bridge club provides an unexpected connection across a generational divide between mother and daughter. Betsy Lerner tells a funny, intimate, and deeply affecting story where we learn a little about Bridge and a lot about life.

After a lifetime of defining herself against her mother's Don't Ask, Don't Tell generation, Lerner, an enthusiastic member of the Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll generation, found herself back home in her suburban Connecticut town. It represented everything she had wanted to flee: namely the traditional life her mother stood for. Yet when Roz needed help after surgery, Betsy stepped in. She expected a week of tense civility; what she got were the Bridge Ladies. Impressed by their faithful visits and home-cooked meals, she saw something her own generation lacked: Facebook was great, but it wouldn't deliver a pot roast.

Tentatively at first, Betsy became a regular fixture at her mother's Monday Bridge club. Before long, she braved the intimidating world of Bridge--a game, she writes, "that well acquaints you with your deficits"--and fell under its spell. Unexpectedly, the Bridge Ladies became a Greek chorus, a catalyst for change between Betsy and Roz as they reconciled years of painful misunderstandings and harrowing silences. The Bridge table became the common ground they never had.

Darkly funny and deeply moving, The Bridge Ladies weaves the histories of the ladies with those of Betsy and her mother across a lifetime of missed opportunities. The result is an unforgettable story of a hard-won--but never-too-late--bond between mother and daughter.

I almost gave up on this audio, growing more and more tired of the author's complaints about her relationship with her mother. But about halfway into the book, I started to care about the Bridge Ladies and their relationships with each other and their families. While at times a bit depressing, or maybe it's just that I couldn't relate to Betsy and her mother, it wound up being rather touching and thought-provoking as the conclusion drew near. Bridge, though? No thank you! Mahjong is much easier!!

4 comments:

  1. I'm glad it ended up being okay since I have it in print. Bunco is my game of choice with friends since it's mindless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy, I have never played Bunco, but I have several friends who do on a regular basis. I'm hoping to play more Mahjong after I retire. It's fairly mindless, too.

      Delete
  2. I enjoy books that explore mother/daughter relationships but I think I'd be totally lost when it came to the bridge stuff. I don't know anything about that! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Iliana, I'm drawn to mother/daughter narratives, too. The details about bridge weren't overwhelming or too drawn out. Reading about it did make me realize, though, that I have no desire to learn how to play the game!

      Delete

I may not answer your comments in a timely fashion, but I always answer. Check back soon!