A fifty-year-old Bridge game provides an unexpected way to cross the generational divide between a daughter and her mother. Betsy Lerner takes us on a powerfully personal literary journey, where we learn a little about Bridge and a lot about life.After a lifetime defining herself in contrast to her mother’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” generation, Lerner finds herself back in her childhood home, not … home, not five miles from the mother she spent decades avoiding. When Roz needs help after surgery, it falls to Betsy to take care of her. She expected a week of tense civility; what she got instead were the Bridge Ladies. Impressed by their loyalty, she saw something her generation lacked. Facebook was great, but it wouldn’t deliver a pot roast.
Tentatively at first, Betsy becomes a regular at her mother’s Monday Bridge club. Through her friendships with the ladies, she is finally able to face years of misunderstandings and family tragedy, the Bridge table becoming the common ground she and Roz never had.
By turns darkly funny and deeply moving, The Bridge Ladies is the unforgettable story of a hard-won—but never-too-late—bond between mother and daughter.
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Our book group read and enjoyed this–even non-bridge-players (like me). Betsy Lerner manages to sympathetically but honestly depict a generation of ladies who are often criticized for their shallowness and focus on appearance. These are strong women, each in her own way, and Lerner allows us to see both their strengths and their frailties. An excellent mother-daughter memoir, and more.
If you’ve wondered about and tried to understand your relationship to your mother, this might be a good read for you. Our main character moves back to her home town, close to her mother, and with a desire to understand that generation, therefore her mom, and how they dealt with life’s joys and sorrows, she joins their bridge group. Interesting analogies between bridge and life. Not a page turner, but an enjoyable book. However, if you are a bridge player you may enjoy it even more.
Kind of a fun look into the world of Bridge. I remember my mother’s bridge friends going back fifty years. I thought the author became a bit tiresome in her sense of superiority but she seems to grow up as she finally gets to know her mother’s generation a little better.
Light, fun, but probably not that compelling to anyone who doesn’t play bridge.
Interesting perspective from a different world and class of people than I experienced during early adulthood.
Being a bridge player who hasn’t been allowed to play due to the virus it was enjoyable to read about this tale of bridge the eyes of the author.
Complaining old ladies. Couldn’t relate.
The author tries to understand her mother and improve the relationship between them by learning bridge. Her mother has friends who gather weekly for many years to play bridge. I have no interest in the game of bridge although I began to appreciate its complexity in this book. My primary interest was in her characterization of the women of her mother’s generation and the nature of their mother-daughter relationship.
As a bridge player and person who enjoys human interest stories I enjoyed this read.
It’s every woman’s relationship with her mother. Realistic and if you don’t play bridge, you will want to learn after you finish.
A fun read for all who play Bridge
Interesting memoir of the author’s Mother’s Bridge Club which has met every Monday for lunch and Bridge from the time they were young marrieds to the present time when they’re all in their 80’s. The author attempts to understand what brings them together, the game of Bridge, and how the individuals have managed to maintain their growing families, jobs, and still be able to play Bridge regularly. Author even describes her attempts to take Bridge lessons and put it to practice. Funny in many places but cross generational differences are apparent. Fast read.
Charming and a wonderful look at our society in those post World War 1 years.
Bridge and it’s history became such an encompassing and exciting game in
America’s leisure hours.
Since I am an avid Bridge player, it was interesting to follow the author as she delved into the personalities of her mother’s bridge group, but also her experiences learning to play bridge. A very interesting book to read, and actually quite anthropological discussing a particular set of behaviours among this particular group of women, which was something that would not likely happen in this day and age.
Although this isn’t an “edge of your seat” kind of book, the story is entertaining, enlightening, and provides a glimpse into the lives of a group of women who persevere in the midst of life’s challenges. Their common bond of Bridge highlights the importance of belonging.
Good for bridge fans ; otherwise boring
This book is a must for anyone who has ever been in a bridge club. Although this book is set in the North and I live in the South, ‘bridge ladies’ are the same everywhere. The ‘bridge ladies’ culture of a few decades ago is slowly dying and women are the poorer for it.
If you have ever played bridge, this book will be easy to relate to. Great characters and well written. Enjoyable to read.
I thought it was an interesting way to gain insight into others lives.
Interesting story but the writing was a little sterile