Under the bridge is a whimsical story in which we learn of Lucy who is in her 60s and homeless. She was once on top of her game as a longtime community organizer and anti-poverty activist.

We learn that all Lucy has are her friends, especially Judith her lawyer. Now, seeking shelter she sneaks into Judith's basement only to learn mysteries she never knew existed. This is one of those novels that grabs you from the beginning and does not let go until the very end.

Very well-crafted with characters you can't help but fall in love with and hope to see again in the future.

Under the Bridge is Anne Bishop's latest novel, not to be confused with Anne Bishop, the famous fantasy author! This is a contemporary fiction novel, and for that reason alone, it'll probably stand out a bit from my usual reading regimen.

Lucy has long been working hard for her community. She's a teacher and anti-poverty activist. And yet, it's a personal trauma that forces her to step back and fight to maintain control over her life. The fight ends up being harder than she could have ever expected.

Her life flips head over shoulders, leaving her forced to take refuge where she can – both physically and emotionally. That is until she comes across a series of secrets that change everything.

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

Under the Bridge is a thought-provoking novel, one that forces readers to confront the meaning and effects of poverty and homelessness. Naturally, it hits quite hard – just like Anne Bishop intended, I'm sure.

Bishop's novel takes a cold look at poverty and what our society is doing (or not doing) to try and get a handle on it. More than that, it tackles the very real consequences and pain that come with working through personal trauma.

It's a difficult read if only for all of the emotional notes this book hits upon. However, I think that just makes Under the Bridge all the more important to read.

This book was honestly so well written, I know Halifax and maritime Canada on a deeply personal level. I requested this book because at the time I was living in the Maritimes and this is a situation I know all too well, living on the brink of poverty in a system and provinces that don't put much effort into mental health or reversing the wealth gap. Lack of liveable wages and lack of mental health services is giving way in the Maritimes to a growing problem that needs fixing.

'Capitalism is insidious. It just finds a different costume, different words, and sneaks back in through a different door.'

I will be honest. I requested this book thinking it would be a suspense/thriller. However, that is not the case with this book. This book is more a character study and human story with an an important message. The author Anne Bishop has written a novel about poverty, and the Beast called capitalism using her experiences in Guatemala and doing popular education and community development work in North End Halifax.

Lucy Chambers who is in her 60s and who once worked to help people out of poverty finds herself homeless and in a dire state of help. She suffers from a controlled mental illness which was brought on by a trauma that she faced during her time working as a missionary teacher in Guatemala as a young woman. The violence and the injustice she saw meted out on the local tribes there by greedy corporations is a trigger for her even after so many years. Through different characters and their interactions, the author paints a realistic picture about poverty and the continuous struggle of a large number of people for their basic needs, wants and human rights against the powerful and wealthy people/corporations, government and laws that are made to support these capitalistic minority.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers Fernwood Publishing/Roseway Publishing and the author for the e-Arc of the book. I apologise for putting up my review late.

The book was published on April 1, 2019.

This had a good premise, but far too many moving pieces to be cohesive.
There are a lot of characters and story-lines without ever developing any of them fully.
There is nothing to really ground the story, so it becomes one big convoluted mess.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fernwood Publishing for my DRC.

Author Anne Bishop presents an intriguing story about an older homeless woman trying to deal with mental illness and its ramifications. Lucy, in her 60s, is bounced from shelter to shelter as she frequently forgets her meds. This puts her in direct conflict with society's expectations.

Lucy used to be a part of the community that helped those on the streets and on welfare, but at some point she became people she once tried to help. Bishop does an excellent job with her depiction of loneliness, homelessness and desperation. There's no sugar coating what life can be like for someone on the fringes. When the last page is turned, the reader will view real-life socially compromised situations with different eyes.

Under the Bridge by Anne Bishop is the exploration of an under-represented group in popular fiction, the poverty stricken and homeless in Canada. This is the story of Lucy, a former activist for anti-poverty groups, who has herself fallen on hard times and is living under a bridge. Lawyer Judith becomes an essential support to Lucy, and her home becomes a sanctuary of sorts until Judith's own circumstances take a dramatic turn for the worse.

I found this to be an enlightening read, educational but never preachy. I came away with, if not an understanding, a heightened awareness of the plight of Canada's most destitute population.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Fernwood Publishing for this ARC.

Not every book is for everyone and this one wasn't for me. It's sad and depressing. I couldn't identify with the characters at all - not just because I've never been in that position, but because - to me - the writing seemed strange and stilted.

I love Anne Bishop's writing but this was different. I struggled at first with the story but was so glad I did by the end. Anne's books always leave me satisfied and wanting more.

DNF@40%

First let me just say that it isn’t necessarily the books fault I DNF’d it, I’m just an idiot sometimes. I saw this on Netgalley by Anne Bishop on who is on my autobuy list, so I requested it. But it isn’t by Anne Bishop author of The Others series, it is by Anne Bishop community organizer and social commentariat. However, I branch out from time to time so I gave it a try.

The story revolves around Lucy a homeless woman in her 60s suffering from some sort of PTSD, who on occasion lashes out at the world around her when something triggers her outrage at society for there first world way of living and the effect she has seen it have on third world countries. Lucy is not well and lives on the streets just trying to get buy day to day. It was really difficult for me to connect with Lucy, she is angry at the world but she is also sick and living on the streets. Sometimes an author can make you relate to an individual you have little in common with, but the way the story is told I just never felt a true connection to Lucy.

Not a lot is going on in the story up to this point, Lucy I sneaking into a friends basement to stay warm since some of her stuff is being stored there. Lucy has also befriended a young girl out on the streets and is trying to help her get set up in the system the same time she is trying to push her away. It was extremely sad in so many ways and a little bit gross at times as living on the street probably always is. Lucy used to be a part of the community that helped those on the streets and on welfare but at some point she became people she once tried to help.

I wanted to know what happened in Guatemala in Lucy’s past but only hints and snippets were given here and there and so when she freaks out at someone because they have bananas with a sticker from Guatemala it just feels so extreme. I never connected and I’m not big on books into social commentaries since I usually read as a form of escape.

Is this book for you? Well it might be. If you like books exploring first world/third world dynamics, poverty, social programs and bigotry then yes, I think this will fit your reading preferences. If you are like me and read to get away from thinking of such things then definitely no.

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Going in, I knew this could be a difficult read and it was. The book dealt with poverty and homelessness (heavy topics). Not a light-hearted read but an extremely necessary read, especially when some either choose to willfully ignore the problem or are unaware of how easy life can change in a matter of moments.

The book centers around Lucy and when she is introduced in the book she is homeless and struggles to maintain her sanity. So right from the start, you question: What happened to her? The “whys” are slowly uncovered (tedious at times) but I think it was necessary for the development of the book.

Yes, this was a hard read but it made me think & question some falsehood that I hadn’t really wanted to face. For that I rate the book 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you Fernwood Publishing/Roseway Publishing, Anne Bishop, and Netgalley for providing me an ARC for my honest review.

This book was an odd one for me. I wanted to read it because I’m interested in mental illness, poverty, and social justice – I like to read novels that take a strong stand and make me think. This novel accomplished that, but it still missed somehow missed its mark.

The character development was slow moving. When the book opens, Lucy – our protagonist – is living on the streets of Nova Scotia. It’s immediately clear to the reader that she wasn’t always living this way — she used to have a home and a job. What isn’t clear to the reader is why Lucy is now homeless. This wasn’t a problem for me; often authors take some time to develop their character’s backstory. However, Lucy’s backstory was only seen in the briefest of glimpses for the first half of the book. In the second half of the novel, her backstory began to come out in dribs and drabs before its full reveal at the end – but at that point, I had lost interest.

Judith – Lucy’s lawyer, friend, and colleague-in-activism – is mysterious for much of the novel, and she’s mysterious to Lucy as well, but I didn’t feel that there was enough about her to make the reader care for Judith – I wasn’t concerned with her throughout the book, even when her circumstances should have required me to care for her well-being.

The other characters that Lucy meets while on the street – Bara, Robin, Gord, and their band of friends – were less developed, and that was fine with me because I honestly didn’t care about them either. I sympathized with Bara for a minute, but stopped once she made new friends and started treating Lucy with less kindness.

This wasn’t a plot-heavy novel, but much happened throughout the course of the story. I like reading novels that give views into the days and lives of their characters, and this book did that. We saw Lucy and her colleagues and friends as they went through their days. The overarching themes of the novel were poverty and its causes, homelessness and the difficulties of getting by, and the first-world’s effect on third-world countries. These are all themes that interest me and that I care about – and it was clear to me that Anne Bishop conducted significant research before writing this book.

But, the information and facts were presented through dialogue – specifically, Lucy explaining capitalism and poverty to Bara and her younger friends – and it felt preachy to me. I agree with much of what Lucy had to say, but I didn’t feel that her self-righteousness and indignation was the way to reach the other side, and bring them around to her point of view. I share her thoughts, and was still turned off by her method of delivery. Other reviewers have specifically said that they didn’t find the novel preachy – so it is certainly a matter of opinion.

Finally, the novel felt long. I don’t believe that it is particularly long, but I began to feel as though I was dragging through it, and by the end I was glad that it was over.

Regardless, the Anne Bishop is a good writer, and her ability to craft a story and characters is obvious. The novel was easy to read and understand. The themes that Bishop chose to focus her novel on have the potential to become convoluted and frustrating, and Bishop did well to keep her explanations understandable and surface-level. Further, I appreciate Bishop’s willingness to write about these difficult topics – their examination is necessary and everyone should care about the people around them who may be suffering.

I recommend reading this book if you’re interested in novels about poverty, homelessness and mental illness, especially if you’re someone who has not done much reading about these issues before, because this book may be able to provide you with some new information.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-arc of this book.*

This is not quite what I expected. I read the synopsis but I wasn’t expecting this story. It’s a story about homelessness and poverty. Lucy, a once successful advocate for people who are down and out, is now down and out herself. She’s sleeping on the streets eating out of dumpsters and trying to keep a low profile and stay out of jail. Her experience in Guatemala as a missionary has enlightened her on the evils that capitalism causes in third world countries. She rails against disparity and capitalism but usually does so inappropriately so is often in trouble. She makes friends on the streets, some former recipients of her social work These friend work together and help each other out even though they have little to nothing.. Judith, a lawyer, agrees to hold Lucy’s stuff in her basement while Lucy gets her act together. Lucy abuses her trust by spending time in Judith’s basement and eventually brings other squatters in. Judith has her own issues and they must work out their differences. This is an eye opening account about the ravages of poverty and disparity and our need to acknowledge and advocate for those less fortunate than ourselves. I did not really enjoy this but it was well written and is a thought provoking topic for today’s society to address. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

After trying so hard .. I am not continuing this book.. I left it at 34%..

The story seems little bit promising but the writing is just awful..

I mean look at it :
Force my wooden feet, one ahead , then the other. Drag the blanket behind me . Up the slope, under the bridge ramp. At least it’s sheltered here. Concrete bare of snow. Traffic deafening. The Beast. I slump against wet graffiti, crawl under my rag of a blanket, curl up as tight as I can. Teeth clattering.

The writing may become better later.. but i can't seem to enter into the protagonist...

Sorry... I don't know what to rate..

With this story based around Lucy the author attempts to get readers to question their thoughts on poverty. I live in England and see news reports of far away countries with starving children and like most want to give something to help but does my contribution really bring aid ? Like many western counties we have a welfare system that offers financial help to many but does that mean poverty is eradicated in my country ? Perhaps those who have to choose between heat or food would disagree and then there's the question of just why the third world is poor. Are we greedy consumers contributing to the suffering? This book approaches questions such as these in a fictional manner to make the reader stop, think and question.
So what actually happens ? Lucy is an older woman who when we meet her is homeless and struggling with reality and some would say she's broken. Having been a missionary, an educator and a radical thinker she's tried to make a real difference but now is alone and yet still has more to give. Her history isn't immediately apparent and her background is very slowly dragged out but as we read she makes new connections that start to take over her life. New friends help her but old friends still exist and Lucy journeys into herself to confront her past and incite a new future.
As this ended I remembered seeing Gone With The Wind a long time ago with the final scene reminding us that there's always tomorrow and I am left with that very same feeling of hope. At times slower than I prefer but I didn't want to put it down so I think that's a recommendation in itself. A book to encourage everyone to question what is right for our planet and its inhabitants.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair.

Fingers crossed I don't ever slip far enough to experience what this character is going through. The line between the having enough and having very little is really a very thin line. The way this is written/narrated makes the situation very realistic! (I've still many pages to go but wanted to post a partial review). The low rating is only for the topic, not the writing.

In her dedication, Anne Bishop reveals that not only this book but her whole life has been inspired by 'the courage, insight and wisdom of Nova Scotia's anti-poverty, anti-racism and Aboriginal rights activists'. She is the author of Becoming an Ally, a very well-received investigation into the oppression of vulnerable groups. I believe that this most readable novel is her way to reach the understanding of educated people who may nevertheless, deliberately or otherwise, have closed their minds to continuing world-wide problems.

Written in the first person, Under the Bridge introduces us to the thoughts of Lucy, a previously respected elderly educator of groups struggling to achieve social justice, in Canada and in South America. She has recently returned to Halifax from the country she thinks of as 'dear, tormented' Guatemala, and, in the opening chapter, she finds herself in a flower shop, verbally, but scarily, attacking an unknown young man for buying roses. She recognizes that she has lost control of herself at a time when she has just been warned by her probation officer to 'Keep the peace and maintain good behaviour' and her reaction is to hide herself away, initially sleeping rough 'in the scrubby woods' under the ramp to the Angus MacDonald Suspension Bridge. But why? Gradually, from her later interaction with former colleagues and a group of equally homeless young people, her story emerges. The reader will definitely want to piece together her enigmatic references to people and places until the fascinating jigsaw puzzle is fully solved.

Wendy Pollard, reviewer and independent scholar.

This is a character driven human interest story done wrong.

This story follows Lucy, a woman in her 60's, who has found herself homeless with under-controlled mental illness caused by previous trauma. Which brings me to my biggest gripe about this book.

The reader doesn't get a clear picture of the events that led Lucy into her current circumstances until near the end of the book. This made it super difficult for me to connect with her character. I think this was a fatal writing flaw on the part of the author. This isn't a suspense/thriller story, there's no need to sprinkle hints until the end where the plot behind the plot is finally revealed.

The writing is jerky with short, to the fact sentences. At times I felt like I was reading a list rather than a narrative.

The first half of the book is by far the most interesting part of the book as it deals primarily with the harsh realities of living on the streets as well as the overwhelming need of these often forgotten and ignored human beings.
Personally I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know about this segment of the population but kudos to the author for not trying to sugarcoat it.



I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Under The Bridge is eye opening and sad. It's the story of the homeless and poverty stricken. These people are living on the streets and under bridges in Halifax. It's a gritty raw look at the hunger, dirt, and horrible living conditions. Even shelters aren't much help because they're too overcrowded. Honestly, there are characters and a story here, but it's the topic of poverty that interests me. I think this is a well written realistic portrayal of life in extreme poverty and life homeless. It's such a relevant topic. I recommend for anyone who is interested in the subject matter. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The author in Under the Bridge examines the very nature of the homeless, of living in abject poverty and the daily struggle to survive. This book is well written; I learned a lot. The dirt, the hunger, the struggle to survive, the daily life on the streets were very well described and the characters well developed. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book in exchange for an honest review.