I loved this historical fiction book. It brought me right to this time period. I loved the characters and setting. Overall wonderful book.
Thanks so much for letting me review this book

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
The Engineer’s wife is about falling in love with a soldier during a war, the aftermath of what that war does to that man and how it changes him, and what being a women meant in the 1800’s-the loss of rights, the loss of having your own voice, the loss of power that so many men took for granted. Emily is a truly wonderful character..young, charmingly real, strong, empowering, challenging, and intelligent.
“Emily runs counter to the rules.”
She is forced to fit into a world that doesn’t accept women, demands that they be humble homemakers that give up themselves and any dreams to their husbands; but she refuses to do that and therefore must fight to find herself and her worth! AND the best part, this is based on a true story of a women who gave up everything, even her identity, to make one of the most impressive, gorgeous structures we have!
“It wasn’t in me to settle for a life of domesticity—managing a household and having chats with my husband about the wallpaper or the rats in the cellar. In Cincinnati, we had drifted apart. I wanted to know his worries, help him think through difficult problems, be his partner in life. His work was so central to his being—I had to understand it.”

I also really enjoyed learning about bridge building, something we take for granted as a common place thing but is really a work of art. Another bonus of information, her “friendship” with PT Barnum, the famous circus.”
“The bridge is...an everlasting monument to the sacrificing devotion of a woman and of her capacity for that higher education from which she has been too long disbarred.” ~Hewitt

I looked forward to reading the book about Emily Warren Roebling who was the wife of the chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. Emily was an amazing woman and her determination to accomplish things despite the fact that she was a woman…who were not respected in that day and time.

The author obviously did a lot of research. I also appreciated all of the efforts Emily put into the suffrage movement. She was a strong woman and, despite the lack of affection from her husband, was willing to accomplish awesome feats.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thanks to Sourcebook Landmark and NetGalley for the digital arc of this title.

The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Emerson Wood is an interesting book that details the history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and specifically the life of Emily Warren Roebling. I found the history aspects of the book to be really interesting and I loved learning all the various tidbits of information. I also appreciated the discussion of the suffrage movement. What didn't work so much for me were the relationships in the book. Specifically that of Emily, Wash, and PT Barnum. Part of this is that I don't really care for love triangles as they make me uncomfortable. For others who don't mind allusions to a relationship triangle, this might be a good choice.

A well-written and interesting book, and an excellent debut novel. A bit long in parts, but an engaging story, and I adore the cover. Thank you for allowing me to review this book! I look forward to future works by this author

When you go back into history to read the stories they almost always focus on the men, so how refreshing to find a story where a woman can take center stage and who did and with her taking the lead something big happened - a bridge! Did you ever wonder how the Brooklyn Bridge came to be? Did you think that it was ahead of its time and an engineering feat of its time?!

I guess I had never really thought about bridges in general and never the hows behind the Brooklyn Bridge and how it came to be. Emily Warren Roebling married and dropped everything to follow her husband as he pursued the family business and his dream - building bridges. Watching her husband and her father-in-law, build a bridge or two, Emily learned a lot of things and when her husband needed her to take the lead she did and she not only innovated, but fought the authority along the way.

I love historical fiction. This book is the perfect example. I love a close look at something that you never questioned and with that close look you learn so much and you learn about the people who were there at a crucial time.

After finishing reading the book and going to deep dive into the author, I was excited (and sad) to see that this was her fiction debut because she hit it out of the park, but there is no backlist to dive into! I will not so patiently wait until her next book arrives!

Whenever I read fiction based on a true story I go in skeptical. Does the story feel too perfect? Is our lead character too strong or too unbelievable? And while there are people in the world that are incredible human beings; the reality is that most of us are just average and incapable of most feats in our favourite novels. In The Engineer's Wife it's 1865; and so women are arm candy, the suffragette cause is protesting forward, and white men believe themselves to be the best of the best. Our lead character is the wife of the primary engineer whose tasked to build the Brooklyn Bridge. While the story is fascinating, deadly, and awe-inspiring at times in the end I can't quite give it five stars because of the romantic entanglement story (completely fictional). I will credit Tracey Enerson Wood however with being very honest in the afterword about what is true and what is not in this historical fiction novel.

Romance
I'm not a sucker for romances to start with; so anytime you want to try and justify why people should just fall into one another's arms instantly, or be compelled to cheat on their spouses because 'OMG the other person is just so amazing' (gag), it's going to be a hard sell. Yes I have a long-time spouse. It's a man (although be a woman) whom I've been with for 12+ years. We are not formally married (but call one another husband and wife). Neither of us is overly romantic or into the big gestures. Due to my health situation we don't have a ton of sex; nor do we take part in any overly romantic events or affairs. Why? Because that is not what the core of a relationship should be in my opinion. So when you give me a romantic story line that is seemingly 100% focused on the idea of 'good sex' and on grand moments of passion I will always remain unconvinced.
This is the problem with the developing relationship between our engineer's wife and P.T. Barnum (yes the circus man). The reality is it doesn't work because (most importantly) it probably didn't happen. This is man who made circuses famous, widely supported the thirteenth amendment to abolish slavery, and whom months after his wife of many years died married a woman 40-years younger than him. Barnum was a man of action, excitement, thrills, and didn't wait around for things to happen, he made them happen.
Thus the romantic side story and ridiculous insertion of Barnum is the entire reason this is not a 5-star book for me. While Barnum had some connection to the bridge construction; it's as though Wood thought no one would care to read the story without a famous historical figure to tote in the back blurb. I'd have much rather Barnum had a couple cameo's here or there like history tells it than have him smooching the engineer's wife time and time again.

Caisson Disease, the Bends, Depression Sickness
No matter what you call it, depressurization's affect on our bodies is intense. Those darn air bubbles wreak havoc on our ability to breathe, thus affecting the amount of oxygen our brains are getting and from there can ruin just about every aspect of how your body functions. I had no idea prior to reading The Engineer's Wife how prevalent caisson's disease was for construction workers, or the exact physics and math behind building giant bridges that was used in the late 1800's. It's impressive to me that humans were able to fathom these structures and then ultimately build them. However, they came at a price. Many lives were lost during construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and many others were destroyed from caisson's disease; including that of our primary engineer. There is a lot more death and sickness in this story than you might expect.
Caisson's disease is how a woman *gasp* ends up working directly on the Brooklyn Bridge plans and construction. If you want to be outraged by the way women were treated back then this is a great book to show it. With many references and lines like:
"Calculus. Trigonometry. Engineering. All subjects deemed unsuitable for women."

The Science and Math
I love how Wood gives enough details on engineering the bridge to whet my appetite; without going into vast amounts of detail. I understand tensile strength of steel cords, caisson building, weight allocation, and other engineering concepts better than before I read The Engineer's Wife. Yet, I never felt like the science and math were too belaboured. It is a real feat to balance a woman's suffragette story with a task as huge as building the Brooklyn Bridge. Not only does Wood do a good job in authoring this story but our leading lady does all the hard work fighting back every step of the way.
Everyone around her is gossiping, making fun, questioning her abilities, and/or deciding what political causes she can associate with because of her involvement in the construction. It makes me feel like my stories of being over looked, sexualized, or underestimated because I'm a woman are nothing next to hers. I can't decide if she would be pleased by how far we've come; or disappointed in the ~75% wage differential, number of female CEO's, that we still divide 'women's work' up in today's world.
”I set back my shoulders. To be successful in a man’s world, I would be strong.”

Overall
I did really, really enjoy this book. It's a fascinating time in New York as huge high-rises are being raised, bridges are reaching across water, and women are fighting for their rights. Wood does a great job of keeping the pace of the novel up, even if it does mean that some events are skewed (especially near the end of the story). I could forgive all of them if not for the ridiculous Barnum romance aside. Luckily the romance is not the crux of the story and each time it came up I could look forward to the next visit to the bridge site our leading lady would make or moment when she conferred with her debilitated husband over the building plans.
If you have ever had any interest in this time period, bridge building or the history of New York City I would highly recommend you read this book. Wood did a great amount of homework to put this story together for us and I"m so glad to have learned about Emily Warren Roebling and her immense contribution to the New York City skyline; and proof that women are just as smart and capable as men. I hope that I can continue my career and life in a male dominated industry (software development at this moment) with even half the dignity and courage that she had.
"Let them talk. Gossip has always been spread and there is nothing to do but to live ones life as best one can."

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This was a really interesting era of history to explore. The main character, Emily Warren Roebling, is a self-taught engineer who ends up seeing the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge through to completion despite enormous obstacles. The author has done a great deal of research on the historical background, and one winds up learning facts almost through osmosis. I do rather wish that the book didn't contain several (rather awkward) sex scenes, or the historically unfounded relationship between Emily and PT Barnum, as it makes it less appropriate to use in the classroom.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

An amazing book about an amazing woman who played a large part in the building of the Brooklynn Bridge. After I finished I had to go learn more about this woman who’s story isn’t told enough.

Get historical fiction novel. Somewhat slow at times but overall a great story of a little known woman.

A long time ago I walked across the amazing Brooklyn Bridge and I watched a documentary about the making of it, so this book immediately caught my eye. I remember thinking what an inspiring story Emily Warren Roebling's tale was, and this novel certainly does her justice.



Young, ambitious and energetic, Emily Warren doesn't want to be a domesticated wife and do embroidery. When she meets handsome engineer Wash Roebling, she is impressed with his dreams, but she has no idea what life will throw at her. As Wash is afflicted with caisson disease, she has to take over much of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, an almost impossible feat. All this, while she struggles with her feelings for P.T. Barnum, shady characters who want to bring her down, and conflict in her marriage.



I found much of the book harrowing, because of the effect on the workers of the caisson, and the terrible accidents during the building of the bridge. However, it is certainly an inspiring story.



I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A wonderful historical fiction piece.
The writing was detailed and there’s a wonderful history behind the scenes.
Thank you NetGalley.

it's 1764 in Washington DC Emily is invited to a ball. The ball is full of soldiers including her brother. I thought some parts were boring

This novel was well researched and is richly detailed regarding the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is very atmospheric of Manhattan and well written. I never knew the history behind the bridge and I am appreciative of the authors research.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

{Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!}

The Engineer’s Wife is a unique historical fiction account of Emily Warren Roebling, the wife of Washington Roebling who was the chief engineer for the Brooklyn Bridge project. Emily ended up taking over as a project manager after her husband, Wash developed caisson disease during the early years of the bridge’s construction. The book is based on true events.

I love the historical fiction genre as a way to learn about people or events that I didn’t know about and this one definitely fit the bill. It was truly fascinating to read about the woman whose hard work and sacrifices made it all possible, especially at a time when women’s rights were nonexistent. Emily is such a strong and complex character and I fell in love with her.

The only major issue I had was with the amount of technical jargon used at times. The author really described a lot of the engineering processes and I struggled to understand some of it. I found that I would skim these parts of the story because of that and I had to force myself to stay interested until it would circle back to the character’s storyline. I think the book could have benefitted from more character development and less technical information.

As a debut, this was a fascinating story and I would definitely read other books by this author!

3/5 stars!

This was quite a slow read but is filled with detail. I really enjoyed the historical context but was a bit put off by the involvement of PT Barnum who seems to pop up everywhere these days thanks to Hollywood. I'd have enjoyed it better without the fictional addition of him. The details about the bridge and the issues with its construction I found fascinating as well as all of the details about women's rights during that time.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars- I love a good historical fiction and was pleased for the opportunity to read this title, about a subject and time that were fairly new to me. I've read another book about bridge building in San Fransisco based around fictional characters and was quite fascinated by the process and danger of building these massive bridges. This title, based around the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, was equally interesting. While based on real people and some real experiences, it is still a work of fiction.I enjoyed however imagining what it was like to work on the bridge and the obstacles faced by women wanting to contribute during that time. It was well written, well researched, and quite interesting. I was disappointed by their marriage, but maybe this unfortunately gives a more accurate portrayal then what you'd imagine or wish for them. Overall, enjoyable and interesting.

I've read some children's books dealing with the Brooklyn Bridge, but this is the first adult book I've read. The research done helps to paint a very realistic picture of the building of the bridge from the point of view of the woman who's husband and father-in-law designed the bridge. I also see it as a book club discussion starter on woman's suffrage. That secondary storyline involving P.T. Barnum is great.

After her husband develops a disease that keeps him from continuing his work on building the Brooklyn Bridge, his wife Emily Warren Roebling takes over his work in an era when women's role in the workplace was still unheard of.

I am happy that this real woman gets the praise and recognition she deserves for her accomplishments.

Writing style wasn't to my taste so I skipped through a great deal of this one.

The Engineer's Wife is a detailed account of Mrs. Roebling's involvement with the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I had heard of the engineeer prior to receiving this book, but I was not aware of his wife's involvement in the project. Ms. Wood included many details and wove in the women's suffrage movement as well. I found the book slow but appreciated learning more about this interesting couple.