The Bridge Between by Lindsey P. Brackett Book Review, Giveaway, Guest Post, Excerpt

ABOUT THE BOOK

Louisa Coultrie Halloway has returned home as caretaker for the family home on Edisto Island, but years before she left this world behind. Now she flounders to find her place. When Liam Whiting, a local professor studying tidal creek preservation, invites Lou to join his research team, she welcomes the opportunity for purpose. David, her ex-husband, has followed Lou and their children to Edisto. As he finds his footing in this new life, their once strained relationship eases into a familiar rhythm—and he hopes for more. But the past still has a hold on them all, especially in the presence of Grace Watson, whose son intends to marry Lou and David’s daughter. Somehow, Grace and Lou must let the past of a shared love settle between them. In this idyllic setting, relationships, like the creeks, deepen and shift. Once more, Lou finds herself caught between the life she's chosen—and the love that might be meant to be.

Series: Edisto
Genre: Adult, Romance
Publisher: Firefly Southern Fiction a division of Lighthouse publishing of the Carolinas
Publication Date: July 31,2019

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About the Author

Lindsey P. Brackett writes southern fiction and cooks big family meals, but she complains about the dishes. Her debut novel, Still Waters, released in 2017 and was named the 2018 Selah Book of the Year. Her latest novel, The Bridge Between, released in 2019. Someday she hopes to balance motherhood and writing full-time. Until then, she’s just very grateful for her public school system. Connect with Lindsey and get her free novella, Magnolia Mistletoe with newsletter signup at lindseypbrackett.com.

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Guest Post

When I wrote my debut novel, I had no plans for a second about the same family, in the same place. But one of my earliest readers, back when Still Waters was a barely fledgling manuscript, asked me to please—please—tell the story of Cora Anne Halloway’s parents.

She had picked up on hints of a possible reconciliation for Lou and David’s marriage and more than a story of first love and forgiveness, she wanted to hear a story about second chances—and the possibility that a daughter’s forgiveness of herself could lead to the healing of a broken family.

So that’s the story I set out to tell. Not one of first love, but one of second loves. What if we have the opportunity to love again—not only with a person we once trusted, but with someone who knows exactly what we need? But what if that’s not one person, but two, and a woman has to choose between the life she’s chosen—and the love that could be meant to be?

These and others were the hard questions of marriage and relationship that I struggled through as I wrote The Bridge Between. I believe marriage is ordained by God, is a gift He gives us which demonstrates his own perfect love. He told us how He loves—and how we are to love one another—in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Never jealous or boastful. Hopes all things. Believes all things. Bears all things.

Love never fails.

But loving one another in this fallen world is hardly that simple. Marriage is hardly that simple, right?

But what if it could be?

In this story, Lou struggles with the choices she’s made. For better or worse, she chose to keep her frustrations quiet, to bury herself in sorrow, to ask her husband to leave. Now, she’s chosen to live a life she never imagined back in her family home on remote Edisto Island.

She works with a man who understands her, but her ex-husband knows her. As David and Lou begin to bridge the gap that grew between them, bits and pieces of what drove them apart shift and settle like the sediment washing out of the tidal creeks Lou studies.

And they discover the simple truth that love is indeed, patient and kind and hopeful and unfailing when jealousy and pride are removed.

There are many wonderful stories which celebrate the joy of first falling in love. But I hope if you read The Bridge Between, you’ll discover love on the other side of the meet-cute and the I Do.

 Other great novels with great marriages I highly recommend:

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter—this unconventional marriage of convenience story reminds us love is more than butterflies, it’s a choice we make.

Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton—Betsy and Ty have a young, sweet marriage that’s hit a hurdle and Denton’s portrayal is realistic and thought-provoking.

The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden—playing secondary storyline to Mia’s trek around the world is the marriage of her brother and sister-in-law who both are willing to sacrifice career goals and corporate ladders for the good of their young family.

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell—after Millie and Bump move west, their new marriage is tested by secrets and betrayals. Beautiful follow-up to Into the Free.  

Resources for that helped foster communication in my marriage:

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stable

Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeline L’Engle (I would also call this reflections on marriage and motherhood)

Men are Like Waffles—Women are Like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrels (one of the first marriage books we ever read that enlightened our view of each other)

10 Behind the Scenes Facts about the Still Waters

1. My grandparents actually met on a back road in Colleton County in the 1940’s. She was lost and he was bundling pine straw to sell. So that story inside the story is true. 

2. McConkey’s Jungle Shack—and they’re not kidding about the shack part—really does have the best fish tacos on the coast 

 3. Late in Still Waters, I reference a story about soldiers mistaking a loggerhead turtle for an enemy when the beach was being used as a lookout during WWII. This really happened and you can read about it in Nell Graydon’s Tales of Edisto, which I used for both reference and inspiration. 

 4. We drive a blue minivan and it’s kind of well-known because the paint job was bad (thanks Honda) and we’ve never spend the money to fix it. So my best friend begged me to put the blue van in the story. It’s there, when Cora Anne and Nan stop at King’s Market, complete with a passel of kids. (I have four of those.) 

 5. I buy and eat a whole King’s Market key lime pie every time we go to Edisto. 

 6. My cousin Heather and I were born 18 hours apart, and our moms are sisters. Yes, she inspired Cora Anne’s cousin, Hannah. When we were kids at Edisto, we always hunted for sharks teeth and snail shells so we could make necklaces with our grandmother. 

 7. The book is set in 2006 because I wanted a time period before social media’s invasion and before BiLo bought out the Piggly Wiggly. Edistonians are not coming around. They still call their only grocery store The Pig. 

 8. The Edisto Island Open Land Trust is a gem I stumbled upon while researching what made the most sense for Tennessee’s philanthropic spirit. The EIOLT was the perfect fit since it’s all about preservation of the Island’s natural beauty, while empowering home owners to still be able to afford family property that’s been passed down for generations. The executive director, John, drank coffee with me one morning at the Edisto Coffee Shop and told me so much valuable information. 

 9. Botany Bay (and that’s the Botany sentinel tree on the Still Waters cover) was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Edisto took the brunt of the storm’s hit and the eye passed over the island. When the beach pushed inland, the entire first row of houses were left standing in water. But the community there is strong and resilient. They’ve been rebuilding and regrouping. The beaches will never look the same, but as my mama says, “That’s nature. And life. Storms come and you have to deal with the aftermath.” Or, as Tennessee puts it in the story, “Sometimes a storm’s what clears out the junk…” 

 10.  Edisto Beach still has a video store, probably the last one left in the country. It’s also one of two places in the town to get ice cream—unless you’re sitting on your own porch enjoying the ocean breeze and listening for the churn to slow down.

Snippet

"Sparkler time." Cole grabbed the package and headed out the door, his brothers on his heels. Outside was clear—a sailor's dream sky. The boys set off the sparklers against the midnight black and whooped when someone a few streets over sent up a spray of light. Lou stamped her feet and rubbed her arms. "I'm going to freeze to death." She’d traded her earlier t-shirt for a sweater, and David could tell it was thin by the way the fabric skimmed her body. "Here," he slid his coat around her shoulders, pulling the collar close under her chin and brushing aside her chestnut hair. She'd let it grow beyond her jaw for the first time in at least a decade. "Thank you." They stood that way for only a moment—but in the freshness of the new year under skies beaded with light eternity could have come and he would’ve died a happy man. 

Review

The Bridge Between bought so many emotions. I found this book can be a stand-alone because I didn't read the beginning of the series and still was able to follow along. Lindsey P. Brackett did a great job of making me this was a true story of a family. We are taken into Lousia's old family home on Edisto Island with her triplet sons. She wanted to leave Edisto Island to further her education after high school graduation.  Instead, she quickly went back to the island. She wasn't sure of what she wanted for her life. She is not happy with her life and doesn't do how or where she will find happiness. Slowly her relationship with her ex-husband continues to grow stronger making it even harder on Louisa. David and Louisa worked together to provide their children with good family values.  There are so many characters and so many intertwining stories. This is a very realistic family with many problems we face in real life such as in-laws finding your place in the world. The pace was well done. The characters were well developed. This is my first time reading a book by Lindsey P. Brackett. It won't be the last. 

Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a Bridge Between Prize Pack.

Enter the giveaway HERE.

Giveaway ends October  27 at 11:59pm MT. ​ Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

Tour Schedule

Check out the tour schedule HERE.