| Title | : | String Bridge (The Bell Collection) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1925417441 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781925417449 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 394 |
| Publication | : | First published October 20, 2011 |
This novel is accompanied by an all-original soundtrack, written and performed by the author, entitled, 'Melody Hill: On the Other Side'. If you purchase this book, please send your receipt to Jessica via her website, and she'll send you the soundtrack for free.
String Bridge (The Bell Collection) Reviews
-
This is my debut. I hope you enjoy it! :o)
-
I got the ARC in the mail on Saturday, started the first chapter that night, and couldn't stop thinking about it. Sunday afternoon I decided would be reading day. It had been a hectic week, I deserved a reading day! I was eager to get completely immersed in the world that Jessica Bell so skillfully created in her debut novel STRING BRIDGE.
The print book is a reader's dream: just the right length, a cover you can keep turning back to, finding meaning in each detail. And nice paper! Not that rough cheap stuff but pages with a nice feel to them, a sensual pleasure to hold and read. I was thrilled that an ARC was available in print version!
The writing is deep and beautiful, with imagery and details that make the characters come alive and move the narrative along seamlessly. Bell writes literary fiction, but don't let that stop you. I realize that some literary writing is self-conscious, overdone, lacking in plot and well, just plain dull. Not this book! String Bridge has a strong narrative that kept me turning pages to see what happens next with Melody and Alex, the troubled couple living in Athens, raising a precocious and adorable (omigosh she is so dang cute!) little girl named Tessa.
Woven through the relationship between Melody and Alex is the complex relationship that Melody has with her bipolar mother, and the fears that she will become like her own mother and do irreparable damage to Tessa. In fact, Melody is so afraid of being hurt by those she loves that she effectively creates barriers to protect herself. It's not until tragedy strikes that Melody begins to understand how very much she did love and was loved in return.
The last novel that moved me and engaged me to this extent was Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel. I look forward to reading her next novel, and next and next. -
Jessica Bell’s debut novel String Bridge is the story of Melody, an Australian musician, who put down her guitar to raise a family with her Greek husband. Four years later and living on his native soil, Melody realizes she’s become the empty, passionless shell of the person she once was. A return to music is the key to her salvation. But her struggle to decipher her dark feelings, to understand when they are surging from a place of honesty and when they are the result of her own fears or selfishness, threatens to turn all their lives upside-down. And when fate flings tragedy her way, she learns some bridges are easier to cross than others.
I was mesmerized by this book. The narration is raw and unapologetic, from deep inside Melody’s complicated heart and psyche. Her fragileness and her egocentricity are exposed in a way that feels naked and truthful. I loved the way each scene peeled away another of Melody’s layers, allowing me to eventually understand her as well as she could understand herself.
Melody’s relationships with the people in her life are as important to the story as her relationship with her music. The genius in Bell’s writing lies in her ability to show each character in authentic light and to therefore demonstrate one of life’s truths: no one is 100% right or 100% wrong in his/her convictions. Responsibility and culpability spin in cycles of blame and redemption in String Bridge, leaving me with a healthy dose of pathos for every character, by the book’s end.
Bell writes with poetic flourish, her descriptions lush, poignant and intense. At the same time, her main character is quirky, oftentimes ungraceful and unpolished. The combination creates a style that is fresh, unique, and wholly intoxicating. This character-driven story that dives into the abyss of the human condition is a must-read! -
‘String Bridge’ is the debut novel from the very artistic writer Jessica Bell. If you enjoy stories that involve characters who experience adversity within their lives and that explores the frailty that can exist within some human relationships, then this is a book that should be added to your reading list!
This particular story tells the tale of Melody, an aggravated wife and mother who somehow finds herself separated from the person she felt she used to be and also the individual that she would really like to be.
As a musician, Melody gave up her music for marriage and motherhood but soon Melody finds that this routine quickly becomes a grind for her. With added suspicions that her Greek Music Promoter husband may be having relationships outside of their marriage with women that he meets through his music promotion business and his late returns to home from work at night, Melody is certainly not happy.
This hard hitting story works through the trials and tribulations that Melody encounters in her interactions and relationships with her husband, her daughter and the other people that she meets during her turbulent journey.
String Bridge’ is another one of those books that once started can become very difficult to put down! The author herself has a musical background and this is reflected very well in the setting that has been chosen for this particular narrative.
As well as being a good author Jessica Bell is also a very good musician. As an added bonus, a CD of Melody’s songs has been produced by Jessica Bell to accompany this book. As well as reading ‘String Bridge’ the accompanying music CD entitled ‘Melody Hill – On the Other Side’ is also worth listening to as well! -
Wow.
Okay.
So Jessica Bell's an incredibly talented poet, and her unique way with words completely translates into fiction. I was so there, in the frustration of unsaid things in relationships, of wanting something you're not sure you'll ever have. I trusted the author from page one, and never felt let down by characters actions.
She made imperfect people, and made us like and love them still. Not an easy feat.
I won't spoil this for you, but the story's intense, emotional, and her strong language carries throughout. -
Melody is at a crossroads. She's given up her music career for the corporate world of course writing, and motherhood, and her increasingly overbearing Greek husband is trying to keep her in the kitchen and away from both music and management. As Melody inches closer to reinvigorating her stalled dreams and pump up her life, she finds that the obsticles that begin appearing are far more significant and overarching than she could ever imagine. Poet and musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel:
I close my eyes for a moment, facing the window, pretending to look out at the overcast sky--at the clouds that make liing in a high-rise building seem like living low in a valley, in the mountains, in the mist, in a place where self-doubt and fear have been erased from the dictionary, and self-belief and hope are not onlyf eelings, but material objects that you can hold in your hands and confidently say you possess.
While the plot centres on Melody's own growth in this character driven novel, Alex, her husband, and Tessa, her daughter also develop and grow, literally in Tessa's case. The plot twists are unexpected and at times quite wrenching, as Melody finds that her beliefs, perceptions and desires distort, change and are pulled in different directions. Behind the character development, the Greek setting becomes a rich backdrop that enriches the book, showcasing the beauty of landscape seen through a visitor's eyes:At dawn, especially, it was a Neverland of lush luminescent green mountain, deep purple sea, sherbet orange sky and sharp-toothed cliffs so high you could literally walk on clouds
Throughout the book the writing is poetic and fine, with original metaphors working the imagery thorugh. Air is so crisp you can "snap it like celery", lips part like "velcro", and the piano shines like a "freshly glazed tart". Above all, this is a novel about music. Music drives the plot as Melody's desire for music becomes the motivating catalyst for change in her life. Her guitar and voice underpin the narrative in all sorts of ways, from the songs that open each chapter, to the lullabyes Melody sings for her daughter to the musical career she attempts to resurrect. Then there is the music of others -- the pop and rock bands that Alex promotes and those stars like Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell, whose music is the inspiration for Melody. Patti makes her own cameo in the book, and Joni's "Blue" is referred to a number of times in the book.
Jessica Bell's String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic. -
Taken from
HERE
Dare you call this chicklit. And as much as I adore chicklit, this is not the tale of a single girl, lost in the city, romping about to find HER MAN. String Bridge goes beyond that. This is after the girl has found her man, her family and is pushed over as she is made to face the hard realities of life. You could call this the after-the-fairy-tale part of life.
Familial love, marital drudgery, long suppressed dreams - Jessica Bell brings it all in and questions it all. What really is more important?
The writing is awe-inspiring. It's easy to see that she's a poet. Don't get me wrong. There's no floweriness. Bell's writing hits hard and yet there's an underlying musical cadence to it.
I was so surprised with this book. I'm a YA book whore. So much so that other genres often get neglected. But reading this reminded me how much I love a good women's fiction. And this wasn't just good. It was effing brilliant.
Bell picks at the nuances of life. The little things magnified. She isn't afraid to mention things that often go unmentioned. Like, sometimes getting irritated with the demands of the daughter you love so much that you'd wish she'd shut up. Or feeling jealous when you see her smiling with her father. Or wanting to throw utensils at your husband like a stark raving lunatic even though he's not really the villain you think of him to be. Or make him out to be. Emotions run high here, so high they spiral into cracks in the main character, Melody's life and her relationships with the people around her.
The author deftly paints relationships like she is really exhibiting the pages out of the tormented mind of a woman trying to find an identity for herself beyond being a mother and a wife. Melody's relationships with each and every character that appears in the book is explored in such depth, it is as real as it gets. The strains with her mother. The annoyance with her husband, Alex. The love for Tessa. The need for music. The fluttering feelings for a certain 'button boy'. Bipolarity, anxiety, depression. It's raw but dealt with a sensitivity, much like the one used to deal with the oddity of love.
And if you think you have it all figured out, think again. Because String Bridge veers off the path of predictability and throws you off your seat in such a way it makes you gasp for breath.
String Bridge is evocative of music that comes from a sad place then rises above the din and makes you appreciate the beauty of the world we live in and the time we have here.
I highly recommend this. -
Jessica Bell's STRING BRIDGE has been hyped up all around the writer blogger world and so it's only natural I should get around to reading it eventually! Before I started, I had got to know a little bit more about the author, and found we had a fair few things in common (namely writing, nationality and music! We are both Australian singer-songwriters who write novels too). I also knew I'd look forward to the read because it was about a character I could relate to - another singer-songwriter.
Anyway, onto the book itself! The writing truly was beautiful, descriptive in a way that made me feel often that I was on the ocean, listening to the waves washing/crashing/hissing onto the shore. I could smell the exhaust fumes and feel the sapping heat of a Greek summer. I could smell the sea salt in the air. I could smell Alex's cologne even though I haven't actually ever smelled that scent (knowingly) before. haha. I could definitely relate to Melody in a lot of ways, but in other ways she was different and had many "issues" to deal with.
I knew there would be some tragedy in the book, and having read another (non-fiction) book recently dealing with the death of a child, I feared that would be the outcome in this novel too. Thankfully no kids died in the making of this book, only a mother and a husband (wow, that's mean of me, being thankful for two character deaths!!). I'm not a mother myself but there's still something very very uncomfortable about reading of children's suffering. After Tessa was injured I did fear that things would only escalate from there. I suppose they did, in a way, but not as I'd feared. Still pretty bad, though. ;)
It was strange for me reading about Melody's decision to return to Australia, because while I personally daydream of using my British passport for something more substantial than just getting in the shorter lines at airports (European airports anyway), I was excited for Melody when she decided to "go home". If I was her, I would have leaped at the chance to go home as well. And yet I also could understand her reluctance to leave the apartment she and Alex had shared. I could totally picture a scene in my head, Melody staring around the apartment thinking of all the memories that had been created. Still, I thought to myself, 'Yay!' when the decision was finally made.
All in all, despite the occasional typographical error that pulled me out of the story and made me twitch, I thought this was a wonderful read and I definitely see Jessica Bell as an author to watch! Oh, and the soundtrack that came with the book? Stunningly beautiful! -
From the outside it would appear Melody Hill, the main character and narrator of Jessica Bell’s debut novel, String Bridge, has a perfect life. She lives in Athens with her charming Greek music promoter husband, she has an adorably precocious daughter, and she has a dream job as an editor for a publishing company with a promotion and raise in the offing.
But getting deeper into her story, the reader finds what’s hidden behind this façade and her wanting-to-please-everyone persona. She is frightened by her husband’s abusive yelling and mortified at finding out he has had an affair. She is suffering from the effects of her mother’s erratic bipolar behavior and worries that she is bipolar herself. She is constantly searching for help from her silent but loving father. And she regrets giving up her music career for a life that she can hardly bear anymore.
That author Bell is a poet is evident through her use of metaphors, rhyme, and repetition. As I said in my review of her book of poetry, Twisted Velvet Chain, Bell is “a genius at portraying the raw and the dark parts of life through her use of clipped lines, staccatos, onomatopoeia, and descriptions of icky body fluids.”
In String Bridge she describes a character sometimes so disheveled that she wears unmatched shoes to work, she doesn’t wash off yesterday’s smeared makeup or bother to separate whites from darks in the washing machine, and her buttons pop off her dress during a public speech. Melody always seems to be cleaning up jammy fingers or other messes. Bell excels in showing life’s little details.
This is a novel that has it all: regret, romance, sex, desire, guilt, an adorable child, a bumpy marriage, mental illness, a devastating tragedy, and the promise of a live-happily- ever-after-ending. But, that ending doesn’t negate the ever-increasing struggle to get there. String Bridge is a wonderful read, well worth going through the struggle to find out what happens to Melody Hill and her family in the end. -
This is the first novel I've read by Jessica Bell, but I've read and enjoyed some of her poetry and also her non-fiction books about writing, so I was already tuned in for her distinctive poetic and lyrical writing style with quirky use of similes and adjectives. I was drawn to choose this novel because I was interested in the relationship between a Greek husband and a non-Greek wife. Having been to Greece often, and fallen in love with the country, the one aspect of life there that I find most alien is the old-fashioned, unequal status of men and women in society, so I was keen to see how it worked in this book, where the Greek husband is dismissive of his wife's career. Without giving away the plot, I thought it provided an intelligent and realistic portrait of the constraints of such a marriage and its impact on other relationships too. I welcomed the addition of a spirited small daughter binding the pair together through thick and thin (she was my favourite character) which also added to the melting pot the old chestnut of "can you have it all?" for women who want a great relationship, successful career and a happy family life. I loved the precise and accurate evocation of daily life in Athens as the heroine begins to buckle under the strain of trying to have it all. I also thought the detailed handling of grief and bereavement, and the rebuilding of life after loss, was done very well. I found the book hard to put down, reading more at every opportunity, and thought the conclusion was logical and pleasing, although it felt ever so slightly rushed and reductive after the much more detailed and slow unveiling in the previous part of the book. Especially recommended for any woman who has ever tried to "have it all", for anyone interested in modern life in Greece, and for anyone seeking intelligent contemporary fiction that alludes throughout to guitar music and the love of playing guitar.
Disclosure: I know Jessica Bell professionally but I paid for this book like a normal reader and she doesn't know I'm reviewing it. -
For us who had been married for a long time;we know how hard it can get once the years start to pile up, kids are present and routine kills the romance. Eventually the relationship changes, and if we are not careful, one day we wake up feeling like we are living with a stranger instead of the person who is suppose to be the love our lives. This is what happen to Melody and Alex in String Bridge. They are drifting apart,and both struggling with who they are now and what they used together. Melody is currently fulfilling the role of wife, mother and career woman, but she misses her music, feeling like something is incomplete she starts to recent her husband for it. Turns out Alex is feeling neglected by his wife and instead of communicating this to her, goes out and cheats on her. Its a very compelling story, because even though they both love each other and adore their daughter, are just barely making it work. This is a very interesting book because the characters and their situations felt real, but full of despair. I found myself desperately hoping for something to change, a little light inside all the darkness in the life of this couple, in other words, 95% of this book was heartbreaking and just plain sad, we only get little glimpses of the happiness they once share. unfortunately it took an awful and unexpected event for Melody to finally find herself, and be able to feel whole again. One thing I got from reading this novel is the reminder to never go to bed angry with your love ones, because you never know if you will be able to tell them "I Love you" once morning comes.
-
String Bridge explodes with emotional conflicts to the very end. Melody’s story is an exercise in decision making, guilt, and in yearning.
Melody’s bipolar mother and her own self worth all threaten to send Melody off the deep, deep end. She believes that she is living a socially acceptable existence. But the strong desire to play her guitar is overwhelming at times. From panic attacks to believing there is a family curse, Melody must come to terms with what she really wants out of life and with her insecurity. Her husband Alex agrees that she should start playing her music again. This makes their marriage stronger until, you guessed it; Jessica throws a hammer into Melody’s happiness.
I loved Jessica's descriptions; they made me feel as if I was standing inside the book covers walking through it with all of the characters. Her voice is amazing. I found myself wishing and hoping that I could develop my voice as well as she has. The characters are flawed, but isn’t that what we want when we read a novel? They are real people with real problems, not some perfect smerfect types.
I do have to mention that this is a book for adults. It does contain swear words which I had to skip over. But her story, her music, her poetic voice are exceptional. The original metaphors made me want to start adding them to my own WIP.
Jessica is a powerful writer who intends on keeping her readers glued to their seats or bathtubs or wherever they do their reading. -
This is an emotional story of a woman’s journey to find herself and what truly makes her happy.
The story will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as the protagonist, Melody, struggles with finding her center. She had been a musician, but gave it up to be a wife and mother. In time she realized she had not only given up her dream, but also a part of herself. She deals with depression and fights to be different than her bipolar mother.
In the end through a series of tragedies, there is triumph and happiness.
Author Jessica Bell has created characters that are realistic with flaws, problems, attitudes and strength to endure. Her writing is smooth and conversational making readers feel a part of the action. The story is intense with language that some may consider brazen, but given the circumstances fits naturally.
STRING BRIDGE will hold you captive from the opening paragraph to the last sentence.
Author Jessica Bell’s website is
www.jessicabell.com
String Bridge by Jessica Bell, Lucky Press, @2011, Kindle Edition, ASIN: B005Y48DF6, 1606 KB, @2011, ISBN: 9780984631742, Paperback, 288 pages
FTC Full Disclosure - An eBook was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. -
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads. I'm so excited to read it as my boyfriend plays guitar and wants the whole rock star life. Review to follow.
Wow, this book has left me speechless. I went on a complete roller coaster of a ride with Melody in this book. Everything she felt I felt too. I laughed, I cried, I got angry. I don't think I have ever felt so attached to characters in any book before. Every character felt totally real. I loved Melody, on a few occasions she did anger me slightly, but that just helped make her all the more real. I fell in love with Tessa from very early on too. Such a cute and perceptive child. As for Alex, I couldn't work out to love him or hate him, but I do know that I felt the same as Melody every step of the way when it came to him.
I have nothing but praise for this book. The author writes wonderfully and I would recommend this book to everyone. I felt genuinely touched by the content within, and felt like I learned so much from Melody and also from Alex. This was the type of story that would sit with me even after closing the book to go to bed for the night or to go to work. I couldn't get the characters and plot out of my head. It has been a while that a book has touched me this strongly. -
Melody's struggle follows a difficult trajectory, one that the reader struggles through with her. At almost every step, I found myself feeling the same emotions felt by Melody, wanting her to do the things she wanted to do--even when they weren't the best choices for herself or her family. I identified with Melody throughout the entire novel, fighting and crying and yelling when she did.
I love the way that Bell develops her characters. Each of them felt like a real person that could have stepped out of my own life and settled into print. I especially loved the way Melody's daughter, Tessa, came to life, as I think it's sometimes difficult to capture the wonder and excitement of children. In this case, I never once doubted the authenticity of the little girl's voice.
Another aspect of the book that I loved was reading Melody's songs. It's wonderful that Bell is such a talented artist, in that she both writes beautiful prose and beautiful music. A soundtrack to the book is also available.
String Bridge is a wonderful, heart-wrenching read. Anyone who enjoys a strong, character-driven novel should not hesitate to pick this up. -
Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE is a beautifully tragic tale of desire, music, and love.
Melody, an Australian living in Greece, decides she wants it all: to combine who she used to be with who she is now. She’s ready to pick up her guitar again and play gigs as well as pursue a chance to further her editorial career while being a wife and mother. Yet nothing is life is ever so simple. As she searches for the bridge to secure her two halves, she will have to lose it all to find herself.
STRING BRIDGE is edgy musicality. Bell uses every word to spin its poetic prose, and they should be savored. Emotions fill the characters, laughing, crying, anger. The characters seem so real. For me, the pace slows in the middle, but the surprise of what sparks the last part of the book speeds the end to fruition. I love how Melody discovers her strength through tragedy. This literary novel bursts with wonderful imagery, particularly the bridge of a guitar to life.
STRING BRIDGE by Jessica Bell sings a raw, tragic song that crescendos into hope and love. I recommend it to readers who love poetic prose and characters driven to the edge and back again. -
Definitely gripping. It might be a cliche to say it's 'unputdownable' but there isn't any other way to describe it. Just amazing.
With a storyline so consuming, it felt like being in some sort of a trance reading this book. I couldn't stop. It felt like being on a rollercoaster of emotions. Just when you think Melody is going to make a long-time dream come true, just when everything is all coming together - piece by piece...BANG! Everything shatters. How does Melody put all the pieces back together again? Where does she go? What is in store for her?
Intense writing. Outstanding dialogue. Impressive metaphors. Jessica Bell writes beautifully. String Bridge is a powerful novel.
"Somewhere up there is us, a happy us, in some parallel universe, living the way we're supposed to be. I truly believe that the earth is our practice ground - the place where we are to test things out, to make mistakes, to discover what we believe in, what we are passionate about." - Page 213
Definitely a MUST-READ. Get a copy. Now. -
String Bridge is author Jessica Bell's debut offering. It is a terrific portrayal of Melody, a career oriented mom who longs for more. With semi-dashed dreams, an unappreciative spouse, and unbalanced parents, an uncertainty about a promotion at work and her husband's secretive behavior drive 'Mel' to an emotional boiling point.
I enjoyed every minute and appreciate the way Bell wrote about very relatable topics. I'm not much for Women's lit, but I will be checking out future books from this author. Bell, who in addition to being an author is also a poet and musician, uses her skills to weave both poetry and lyricism into her descriptions of mundane everyday struggles that anyone could relate to. While the issues facing the main character are unique, i.e. bipolar mother, secretive music-promoter husband, each one is written about in a completely relatable and tangible way.
There is also an accompanying music CD released simultaneously entitled ‘Melody Hill – On the Other Side’ that is also definitely worth a checking out. -
This is one of the best and most fastmoving books I have ever read. First of all, the language is simple and easy to read. The author did not use very complicated sentences, so it encouraged my desire to read more. As I am a musician, too, String Bridge fascinated me from the very beginning. The author achieves to mingle the reader with the story in a very successful way. For example, I was so pissed when I learned that Melody was cheated by her husband Alex that I was mad at him. Through the end of the book, I was really shocked by the events that occurred; I wasn't expecting the death; I really cried while I was reading those lines. And I felt remorse for my previous anger towards him. I just didn't like the end of the book when she remarries another man years later. If she didn't remarry, Alex and Melody's love would remain divine and magical in my opinion, but of course life is all choices...
PS: She recorded a CD for the book and sent it together; she has beautiful voice, I liked it :)
http://sweepstakelover.blogspot.com/2... -
For a long time I thought I was just a slow reader. Over the years I've come to learn that the sound of words echoing in my head and rolling off my tongue requires a slow pace. Like fine wine and great food, literature is meant to be savored. Jessica's lyrical words and phrases ruminate long after the cover closes. String Bridge is more than a story. When Melody begins listening to her soul, you can't help but feel your own soul harmonizing right along. This touched my heart on so many levels and I can't recommend enough. Jessica Bell has opened her heart and spilled her soul for all of us, the ultimate gift. Thanks, Jessica.
-
Jessica has created very real, tangible characters with the kinds of flaws most of us pretend not to have, but deep inside, we know we do. Her exploration of the disillusionment of marriage felt almost like she was in my head at a certain stage in my own—a stage you can work past if you are determined, but nevertheless leaves us somewhat more scarred and fragile. I think she did a brilliant job with tugging emotion and heartstrings... providing a portrait of temptation and regret.
The language of this book is beautiful, even as the experiences are sometimes painful. Read with a box of tissues. -
What an engaging read. I started in the morning, and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished. 'String Bridge' follows the story of Melody, a frustrated wife and mother who somehow finds herself miles away from the person she used to be -- and from the person she wants to become. Author Jessica Bell paints a claustrophobic vision of life where domesticity becomes a ever-diminishing prison cell. With gripping prose and terse dialogue, 'String Bridge' is a powerful debut novel from a very talented writer.
-
My detailed review coming in November 2011 upon release. But, it's great!
-
I was absolutely hooked from the first page. This is a fantastic book, well worth buying to find out all about Melody Hill and her inner struggles.
-
I'm sorry to say I just couldn't get to grips with this story. The characters annoyed me and less than half way through I decided I didn't really care what happened to them, so I didn't finish it.
-
Main character Melody is dealing with a promotion in her job as an editor, a husband who loves her, and an adorable, precocious four year-old daughter, who is just too cute.
Life is good, right? Wrong. She's miserable.
Melody decided after daughter Tessa's birth to stop playing the occasional musical gig and focus on being a good wife and Mommy. The only problem is music is her passion. It feeds her soul, and without it, the monotony of daily life is killing her.
She's spiraling into depression, every little thing her family does sends her into an internal rage, and she's battling fears that she's secretly becoming her bipolar mother.
Melody's mother is a whole other aspect of the story. She's a difficult, strong personality, who during Melody's childhood subjected her to sudden, unexpected bouts of abuse while in her dark times.
Bell establishes Melody's inner turmoil so well. Her guilt over wanting her own life, and her relationship with her husband and her mother. Melody longs to remember the good days before her mother got sick, and her intense self-analysis is so seamless, you feel like you're working through her struggles with her.
And that's only the first quarter of the book!
There's a lovely scene where Melody recalls visiting her parents' island home while her grandparents were alive. It's so gorgeously detailed, you can feel the water on your feet.
Actually, every observation and memory Melody has ties the characters together and builds to the story's ultimate conclusion. Bell handles this expertly. You don't even notice as you flow along with her.
The office where Melody works is a nice source of comic relief, and it helps our main character confront her problems. She finally asks husband Alex, a concert promoter, to help her start playing music again, and he agrees.
They draw closer as a result, but their relationship victory is colored by a secret Melody discovers about Alex. She's still deciding what to do when she's faced with the biggest challenge of her life...
I can't tell you any more without spoiling the story, but I can say this is one of those books that's so real and familiar, it opens the door to great discussions.
For instance, how much turmoil do we create in our own lives? Are there are really any wrong choices or simply choices that lead to different outcomes? And do we control our view of the world by what we choose to focus on in our relationships?
Great stuff.
These characters are flawed, but they know they're flawed and they're trying to find a way to overcome their shortcomings, find healing, and ultimately be happy together.
I highly, highly recommend this book to adult audiences.
Bell is a frank, realistic writer, and I think it will make you sit and think long after you're finished reading. -
Rating: 7/10
String Bridge tells the story of Melody, an Australian musician, who came to Greece to sing and ended up getting married to a Greek music promoter, Alex. But life in Athens is not what she expected it to be. She is not doing any gigs, but instead has sort-of settled into the roles of businesswoman, mother and wife. Over the years, she has come to miss that feeling she got when she was creating and performing and it has instead been substituted by the dreary monotone of doing the same - unenjoyable - thing, day after day. Her relationship with Alex seems to have lost its spark, with Alex not wanting Melody to have anything to do with performing music of her own and Melody having that nagging feeling that Alex may be cheating on her.
In this book, we get to see how Melody deals with all these things that seem to have come upon her. And the way with which she does that is realistic. During the course of the book, Melody encounters the everyday, small scale problems everyone has to deal with, but she also comes to deal with other, much bigger events. There was one in particular that I found to be so devastating, I was actually wondering at the time: "Oh, Jessica, how could you have done this??".
As a character, I couldn't always sympathise with Melody, because I did feel she overreacted a few times. I suppose it's just a different kind of temperament, that I am just not accustomed to. But she was real, strong, not afraid to chase after her dreams. Alex, on the other hand, took a bit of getting used to. His attitude changed considerably in different parts of the book, but that didn't make him a bad character; just one who seemed to have made some not necessarily wrong, but rather misguided choices.
All in all, String Bridge is one of those books that is not all that easy to put down. While I was reading it, I just had to keep going just to find out what the author had prepared for the characters next. Jessica Bell's writing is very good and rather lyrical, but it all fit together with Melody's musical personality! And seeing as Jessica is just as talented as her character, there is also an soundtrack to accompany the book, entitled "Melody Hill - On The Other Side", links to which you can find below.
Originally posted at
funny wool, where you will also find links to purchase the book, ebook and soundtrack. -
String Bridge is one of the few contemporary/music-related story I’ve ever find fascinating. It is a story about Melody—a wife, mother, musician, editor—who married a Greek music promoter and soon have a child. Everything seems perfect but she wanted to have her ‘music’ back in her life again, but how can she do it if it means a lot of sacrifices, that even her life and family could be at risk?
As I read the first part of the book, I was somehow lost on the story of Melody, given that I’m not yet a mother or a wife or in any state of Melody’s life, so I didn't quite work out some of the things at first. But the notion was gripping enough to stimulate me into giving it some credits. Jessica’s writing is easy to take hold of that you wouldn’t notice you’re midway reading the book; she doesn’t try to use expressions or phrases which could just complicate the story. Readers will definitely follow the course of Melody on bringing music back on her life as well as the obstacles she faces on achieving what she wants. The story line was salubrious and there are parts where I somehow shred a tear. At first, in some way I was riled on Melody because of her hushed quality when it comes to her husband, Alex, and when she wanted to say something but don’t have the strength to do so. I love how Melody turned into a strong woman from a wife who would just listen to what her husband says or wouldn’t react on things. Her relationship with her daughter and friends made her more altruistic, she would not do things that would harm them. The minor characters add up on making the story more remarkable and pleasing--Alex, Tessa and Melody’s parents and friends--each has there quality on being plausible. This story will grip you from the very beginning and not let go until the last page is turned.
Trust, understanding, love, reconciliation, being selfless and stand for what we believe in. These are the few things String Bridge will teach you in this story.
Jessica Bell
String Bridge Website
String Bridge Book Trailer
String Bridge Merchandise:
-
This is one of the deepest books I've read in a long time. Most of my usual reading list consists of middle-grade and young adult fantasy and whimsy with a touch of the dark. It can be pretty deep in a symbolic way. But not like this book.
This book made me feel.
Perhaps because I'm a mother trying to live out her dream (writing for me, not music), I especially related to Melody's plight. But I think there are many ways in which Melody represents all of us struggling with finding fulfillment, purpose, and ultimately love and belonging.
I really loved this bit:
"I sit in silence sipping my wine, looking into the brownish sky, imagining the stars I'd see if I were sitting on my parents' verandah on the island. Somewhere up there is us, a happy us, in some parallel universe, living the way we're supposed to be. I truly believe that the earth is our practice ground - the place where we are to test things out, to make mistakes, to discover what we believe in, what we are passionate about. Death is when we move on and go up there - to the real world; to start again, to rectify our mistakes and live a happy and fulfilling existence. There is no hell. Earth is hell. This is where we are allowed to sin. Up there, is where we no longer want to."
The descriptions are beautiful and symbolic, very well crafted. Jessica Bell makes Greece come alive.
I really love the way Melody questions everything and doesn't let herself hold onto comforting yet dysfunction-enabling conceptions of her own life. She analyzes it, admits her own faults, and keeps trying to be the person she wants to be.
When tragedy strikes, as the blurb hints, Melody is so human. I cried nonstop. And yet, there's life and joy again after tragedy.
On a personal note, I appreciated the author's sensitivity to the very difficult decisions a mother has to make to balance work, family, romance, and dreams. The subject was never treated rashly. Like I said before, this is a deep book, one I think many adults will swallow whole and feel full. I know I did.
