The Bridge [Kindle Edition]

Kay Bratt (Author)

Book Description

In present day China, an old woman's house sits opposite an ancient bridge. Not just any bridge--but a special one because it has always been known as The Lucky Bridge. In olden days it was said that to walk over it during a marriage ceremony, or at the beginning of the New Year would bring the traveler good luck. Because of its reputation, over the years it has also become a popular place for young mothers to abandon their children. What to some may seem cruel is in reality their final gift to their offspring--one last chance to send them off to their new destinies with luck on their side. Jing, an old woman, is the unofficial and often reluctant guardian of the bridge. When no one else will, Jing steps in to prevent the children from frostbite, abuse and hunger, and then she delivers them safely to the orphanage. This has been her routine for many years, but what does Jing do when the latest child, a blind boy, burrows deep into her heart?

Read 'The Bridge' to see how Fei Fei's life is changed by the love of a lonely old woman. The Bridge is a short story of 17,000 words, approximately 72 pages. Fei Fei's character is based on a real orphaned boy that Kay Bratt met during her time in China.

Don't miss these other great books by Kay Bratt! Full length books currently available on Kindle "Silent Tears; A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage", and "A Thread Unbroken".  For children adopted from China, you may be interested in Kay's book called "Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi."

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you like chocolate, you'll know the feeling of tasting an exquisite chocolate that pleases every taste bud in your mouth and has you pining for more once the flavour fades... The Bridge is like that, only with words. It is balanced and well written and is a delight to the senses. There is something beautifully symbolic about it that will give readers different experiences to take away, and they will find themselves reflecting on the meanings and the intent of the author...or maybe it was just a good telling of a story. A good book club contender for readers to enjoy and discuss. Lea Owens, Amazon Reviewer 

It is a story of hope - where none existed or should have existed.
Love - and giving of the little you have to make another persons life worth living.
It is a picture of China - and the hopelessness for some, and the heart that still beats.
O. Scarlett! Reviews

From the Author

The main character in The Bridge is based on a real boy who was abandoned in China. Small things bring back the memory of the day I met him in the orphanage and learned a bit about how he came to be there. I do hope that he has now found a forever family to call his own.--Kay Bratt

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 199 KB
• Print Length: 51 pages
• Publisher: Red Thread Publishing Group (November 6, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0064BYJN8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,149 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock solid "steady-good" November 17, 2011

By J.A.N.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

What is most impressive about this short story is how it is "steady-good" from beginning to end.

Again Kay has taken an experience from her years of volunteer work in China's orphanage system and mixed fiction with reality to paint a picture of just one amongst the endless stream of abandon children in China.

This work is both sad, in that this young blind child is abandon by a historic bridge in China, and uplifting in that absolute strangers take extras steps to help this innocence child have the best life that can be patched out of a bad situation.

I hope that she does many more of these short stories as they are little "shots in the arm," when one needs a quick uplifting read.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT! November 16, 2011

By Emily

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Kay has done it again! This is a short, easy read! It gives me hope that there are people like Jing in China (and all over the world) who can't turn their backs on little ones! I immediately fell in love with her and Fei Fei!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Some honest advice August 25, 2012

By Steve Koss VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Given the overwhelming "5-star" sentiment for "The Bridge," this review is not easy to write, but I promise it is honest. As an American who has lived in and wandered the streets and shops of Suzhou on and off for ten years, I can say that Ms. Bratt's characterization of the locale is accurate as far as it goes, but it only goes the first ten feet of a hundred-mile journey. Her choice of Suzhou is potentially pregnant with cultural implications and a veritable treasure chest of sights and sounds, but to say that she only scratches the surface of this incredible city would already be an overstatement.

As for the writing? The plot is contrived and the ending is so obvious beyond words that there could be no spoilers the book itself doesn't already provide. The characters, especially the little boy, are relentlessly cloying, saintly enough to make Mother Theresa look like a thug. The writing is passably plain but the overall sentiment is almost unbearably treacly. For those whose literary tastes run to the kind of mawkish sentiment and intellectual depth found in Hallmark greeting cards, "The Bridge" will doubtless fill them with inspirational "good vibes." Readers who want something with depth, character development, and a representative sense of life in China are strongly advised to look elsewhere.

More About the Author

About the Author
Kay Bratt is a child advocate and author, residing in a cozy lake cottage overlooking Lake Hartwell in South Carolina with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat. Kay lived in China for over four years and because of her experiences working with orphans, she strives to be the voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. She is currently an active volunteer for the non-profit organization called An Orphans Wish (AOW). If you would like to read more about what started her career as an author, and also meet the children she knew and loved in China, read her poignant memoir titled Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage. Her works of fiction include A Thread Unbroken and The Scavenger's Daughters, the first book in the "Tales of The Scavenger's Daughters" series.

From Kay: I 'LOVE' to hear from my readers! You can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or my blog. To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for Kay's monthly newsletter at www.kaybratt.com