Author: Anne Bishop
# of Pages: 340 (ebook)
Genre: Fiction, Politics, Poverty
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: 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.
Review: I received an advanced copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Under the Bridge is a whimsical story uncovering the past of Lucy, a 60-something year old socialist homeless woman who was once a well-known and well-respected poverty activist. Bishop does not sugar coat anything; she reveals the grit and grime of the uncivilized fashion the disadvantaged have to live in to survive in capitalistic Canada.
Although Lucy is an extreme leftist, her friends balance out her ideals to create an interesting narrative for the civil rights of the poor. One such voice is Bara, one of Lucy's younger friends. The voice Bishop gave Bara may seem unrealistic and stereotypical of someone in high school, but it is simply how Lucy (from an older generation) perceives people her age.
A simple read meant for those who may be interested in politics and poverty advocacy.
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