Welcome to my stop on this amazing tour.
DESCRIPTION:
Katie Connelly has lived in San Francisco all her life. Her late father made his career on the Golden Gate Bridge, and the many stories of how he saved jumpers still haunt her. And now her job assignment is to write about the history of the bridge-a history that includes a secret journal about a promise ring and a love story that may be the answer to her unresolved sorrow.
Meanwhile, Dave Riley, a marketing executive in New York, has sorrows of his own. Grasping at straws after tragedy strikes his family, he decides to follow a daydream that has turned into an obsession: to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge on a motorcycle on the Fourth of July. Does the bridge somehow mysteriously hold the answers both Katie and Dave are looking for? Or will they find something completely different when they get to the other side?
MY REVIEW / THOUGHTS:
When the opportunity came up to review one of Camron Wright's books I jumped at it. His book "The Rent Collector" is one of my favorites, so I knew I was getting a good book.
This story was so complex, and beautiful. I have to admit I had read some reviews that made me wonder if I would love it as much as I did his other books, lets just say, everyone has their own opinion, and I loved this book. It was so moving.
We follow two different stories in this book, that end up being intertwined, but not in a way you think it would be.
Katie is a single woman who has been tasked with writing a story about The Golden Gate Bridge. This is something near and dear to her heart, since her father worked on the bridge for years, saving people from jumping to their deaths.
I learned so much about the making of this bridge from Katie's research, and I have always had a fascination with the Golden Gate Bridge, but I still have never been. I want to go now more than ever. I feel like I would be able to feel the people who worked so tirelessly to make it such a great site. There were so many lives lost while building the bridge, but also some wonderful friendships and stories that came from it as well. Katie does such a great job researching and bringing to life these amazing people who helped build the bridge. It's so great.
Dave on the other hand has a story that is so tragic, that it was hard for me to read. I don't want to give anything away, but his man had a hard go at life for a while. He had a dream to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge on the 4th of July, with the sun at his back and the wind blowing through his hair. His Grandfather had helped build the bridge and had told him that it had helped him find answers. Dave was hoping the same thing would happen for him. But, how could he leave his life and his work and just go take off on a Harley across the country.
The story that brings this to life is so wonderfully tragic. We all face loss, disappointment, and anger. What we do with that is what makes us who we are as humans now. Dave seem to be stuck in the anger, until he met Redd. Redd introduced Dave to his first Harley Davidson (which is a bike I swoon over every time I see one.....I don't want to ride it I just want it to sit in my garage and look pretty).
When Dave finally decides he is going to go for his dream. He walks out on his work, and his life, buys a Harley and heads towards San Francisco.
This book is such a great story of love, loss, anger, friendship, devotion, and new beginnings. I couldn't put this one down. It was so captivating to hear two different peoples look on life and to see how their little lives come together just for a moment. That moment seems to be what they are both looking for.
Wright is an excellent writer. He brings the world to life. He brings tragedy to the forefront and makes your heart ache. He also tells such a compelling story that now all I want to do is learn more about the bridge.
Pick this one up. I know I always say that, but that is because I love to read and love to share the books I love with others. You won't be disappointed. It is such a beautiful, and meaningful story. We all need to find our place in this world and sometime it takes some longer than others. Sometimes we think we have found it, and learn that there can be more to add to the beauty that is already around us.
I cannot say enough good things about this book! Read it. You won't regret it.
Source: I was given this book as part of a book tour. I was not compensate in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.
MY RATING:
this deserves the +1
WHERE TO BUY:
ABOUT THE AMAZING AUTHOR:
pic and bio taken from shadowmountain.com
Camron Wright holds a master’s degree in writing and public relations. He says he began writing to get out of attending MBA school, and it proved the better decision. His first book, Letters for Emily, was a Readers Choice award winner, as well as a selection of the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. His next novel, The Rent Collector, won Book of the Year, Fiction, from ForeWord Reviews; Best Novel of the Year from the Whitney Awards; and was a nominee for the prestigious International DUBLIN Literary Award. The Orphan Keeper is his most recent publication. Camron lives with his wife, Alicyn, in Utah. They are the parents of four children.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO
Sarah Cobabe @
for the opportunity to participate in this wonderful tour!
