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singerofstories 's review for:
The Engineer's Wife
by Tracey Enerson Wood
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This is a fictional work portraying the true story of Emily and Washington Roebling, the masterminds--if I may--behind the Brooklyn Bridge. The book begins before the two are married, when Emily is a young women's rights advocate and Wash is a Captain in the Civil War. Both Wash and his father are engineers and their current project is the Covington Cincinnati Bridge, which has been delayed due to the war. Following the war, their dream is to build a much larger bridge in Brooklyn but there is much planning and fundraising to be done.
Wash and Emily wed after the war and Emily is asked to help with speeches and public appearances such as dinner receptions and meetings. She is constantly conflicted about giving up her place in the women's rights movement to assist with her husband's work with the bridge. She meets challenges with police and public officials as she takes on more responsibilities following decline in Wash's health. In all this, she befriends P.T. Barnum, who takes a major role in not only funding the bridge project, but also personally helping Emily cope with practicing her speeches and being more comfortable on the public stage (he is, afterall, an expert).
I listened to the audiobook and found it to be extremely interesting. So much so that I had to look up documentaries on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was especially curious about the caissons and how they worked, as I found the science and engineering explanations extremely fascinating!
Wash and Emily wed after the war and Emily is asked to help with speeches and public appearances such as dinner receptions and meetings. She is constantly conflicted about giving up her place in the women's rights movement to assist with her husband's work with the bridge. She meets challenges with police and public officials as she takes on more responsibilities following decline in Wash's health. In all this, she befriends P.T. Barnum, who takes a major role in not only funding the bridge project, but also personally helping Emily cope with practicing her speeches and being more comfortable on the public stage (he is, afterall, an expert).
I listened to the audiobook and found it to be extremely interesting. So much so that I had to look up documentaries on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was especially curious about the caissons and how they worked, as I found the science and engineering explanations extremely fascinating!