Book Review: The Bridge of Little Jeremy by Indrajit Garai

“All our worries will be erased by the waves from the ocean.”

Indrajit Garai, The Bridge of Little Jeremy

Review:

When I think of books set in Paris, my response is perhaps that of a stereotypical American female. It’s such a romantic setting! But of course, behind the preconceived notions of any place, there are the less ideal situations. Such is the case of The Bridge of Little Jeremy.

Geraldine is deeply in debt and she and her son Jeremy are on the brink of losing everything. Jeremy, a loyal son, wants to do whatever he can to help his mother even if it means doing things against her wishes. He appears older than his years at the age of twelve, no doubt due to poverty.

This is an introspective and touching story touching upon art, a mother/son relationship, the struggle of poverty, and Leon, who quickly became one of my favorite dogs in literature. The writing itself was somewhat different than I’m used to, though I’m not entirely sure how to describe it. Direct, maybe? It resonated well regardless even if it did take some getting used to. I thoroughly enjoyed getting a glimpse of the less romantic side of Paris, though the art fit perfectly.

A huge thanks to Estelle for reaching out and offering me a free copy for me to read and review!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Discovering a new perspective of Paris (for me).
• The melancholic tone of the writing.
• The human nature of the story.

What I didn’t like:

• There were a couple of rough translations that were a bit distracting, but nothing terrible.
• The pace was very slow.

Afterthoughts:

I’m not sure if this is something that would have caught my eye on its own. Thank you again to Estelle for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to experience this book. I love character-driven stories and I enjoyed the mother/son aspect of this one a lot. An emotional book for sure. I will certainly be reading more from Indrajit Garai in the future.