Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but she left her heart back
in Tennessee with a man she walked away from five years ago. They had a
rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.
Ryan Kelly lives
in Nashville after a broken engagement and several years on the road
touring with a country music duo. He can still hear Molly’s voice
encouraging him to follow his dreams; Molly, whose memory stays with
him. At least he can visit The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic
downtown Franklin—and remember the hours he and Molly once spent there.
For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have
run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee,
conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales
and the rise of digital books. Then in May, the hundred-year flood swept
through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store.
Now
the bank is pulling the lease on The Bridge. Despondent and without
answers, Charlie considers the unthinkable. Then tragedy strikes, and
suddenly, everything changes. In the face of desperate brokenness and
lost opportunities, could the miracle of a second chance actually
unfold?
The Bridge is a love story set against the struggle of the American bookstore, a love story you will never forget.
MY REVIEW: "The
Bridge", from author Karen Kingsbury, is a quick, thoughtful, heartfelt
read. Set in Franklin, TN during one snowy Christmas season, the story
is told in real time and flashbacks, leading up to a life-changing
miracle which will leave none of the characters unaffected. Charlie and
Donna Barton are the owners and operators of "The Bridge", a small,
user-friendly bookstore housed in an historic Civil War-Era building. A
devastating flood washes away the hopes and dreams of the Bartons, along
with all the books and furnishings in their store. Unable to recover
financially and reopen the store, Charlie sinks into despair. Donna
tries her best to encourage him and help him past his troubled thoughts,
but being turned down by the bank for refinancing is the last straw.
Thinking that Donna will be better off without him, he sets out on a
late-night drive, intent on relieving his wife of her burdens. As he
wheels through the icy darkness, he relives the happy years that he and
Donna have spent together, and the joy that he found through connecting
with people who came to the store. A last minute change of heart comes
too late, and Charlie is unable to stop his fateful ride. Later, as
Charlie fights for his life in the hospital, his family and friends
rally to help the Bartons. Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly had met in
college, become best buddies, and spent many hours together at the
bookstore. While each of them had personal commitments back home, they
stayed just friends even as they both longed for a romantic relationship
with each other. Finally, one kiss leads to hope that love will find a
way. However, Molly's father interferes, and his scheming pushes Molly
and Ryan apart. They go their separate ways, each thinking that the
other soon marries and has a settled life. When they both come to the
aid of the Bartons, their reunion is bittersweet. At first, neither
realizes that they have each remained single, having far different lives
than they imagined for one another. As they work to save the store, and
pray together that Charlie will survive, bits and pieces of their lives
apart are revealed. Will that long-ago love bloom once again? Is there a
second chance at life and love for Ryan and Molly, and also for Charlie
and Donna? Will the community which found a haven and helpful heart in
The Bridge, come to the rescue of Charlie Barton? While there is a
reunion romance in this story, and also a second chance for a long-time
couple, the real heart of the book is its insight into how what we do
affects those around us. Everyone matters, and learning to care for
ourselves as we care for those around us is truly living faith. "The
Bridge" is a touching holiday read, but its message is timeless.
Book Copy Gratis Simon & Schuster
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes this e-short prequel to her novel, The Bridge, shedding light on the love story behind the bookstore and how it came to be a place of hope and encouragement.
Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge: The Complete Story
Karen Kingsbury s The Bridge is the sweeping tale of Molly Callens (Katie Findlay) and Ryan Kelly (Wyatt Nash), two young students who share a profound friendship their first semester in college, a time that becomes the defining moment of their lives. At their favorite bookstore, The Bridge, they spend countless hours studying and inspiring the other to dream their 10-year goal. They bond with the owners of The Bridge, Charlie (Ted McGinley) and Donna Barton (Faith Ford), a couple who designed the bookstore as a place where people can connect and be part of an extended family. But when a misunderstanding tears Molly & Ryan apart, it takes a tragedy at The Bridge to bring them back together. Can they open their hearts to second chances for them, for Charlie & Donna and for The Bridge?
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