Betsy Lerner’s memoir is my kind of book: at once hilarious and poignant. I love her writing style, love the conflicting mother-daughter relationship, and especially love the bridge references. You don’t have to be a bridge player to enjoy this book, but as a bridge enthusiast, I found it enhanced the story.
Betsy’s husband responds to a job offer and the family returns to live in Betsy’s home town, New Haven, Connecticut. Betsy has misgivings. She and her widowed mother have never been close. Her mother, now in her eighties, has never approved of Betsy’s choices. Of anything. Betsy’s clothes, makeup (or lack of it), entertainment, her housekeeping, or occupation as a writer. Betsy has always felt she wasn’t up to her mother’s standards and resents her not-so-subtle hints.
Ever since Betsy was a little girl, her mother played bridge with four other Jewish ladies (they always had a stand-by). Sure enough, they’re still at it when Betsy returns to New Haven. Determined to really know these ladies, including her mother, Betsy joins them, as a writer interviews them, and discovers what it means to age, to lose loved ones, yet still go on. Along the way, Betsy learns about herself.
This memoir at times made me laugh out loud, made me more aware of generational differences, and encouraged me to ponder my own senior years. I highly recommend The Bridge Ladies: A Memoir.
Mary, I’m a bridge player and enjoy playing twice a week with my husband Nitin at Pullman Senor Center. I wrote about bridge in my novel, THE CASCADE WINNERS about four couples and their friendship through bridge. I’ll definitely add the list to my “to be read books.” Thank you for a great review.
Hema, I remember those bridge scenes in The Cascade Winners. I think you’ll enjoy this book, not only for the bridge references, but for the family dynamics between mother and daughter.
One of my grandmothers was a bridge player. I never did learn the game. Sounds like a good book for anyone. Nothing like humor within family drama.
I love bridge, but these days I rarely play with other people–I play computer bridge. It takes less time, and I can decide when to play.
I could have sworn we read this for book club, but…not so. I checked my Goodreads history and found I read it about two years ago. We had a slightly different take, but I did not dislike it. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
Actually, Sue, I thought it was a book club selection from long ago. I have a stack of reviews that I haven’t used in my blog, and this was one of them.
Thanks for such a thoughtful Book review. Definitely made me want to go out and buy the book!
Thank you, Julie. I loved this book and think you’ll enjoy it, too.
Mary, Thanks for sharing the info about this book. I’m not sure why the relationship between mother and daughter is such a cantankerous one, but we still keep dancing around each other, trying to lessen our regrets before it’s too late. This sounds like a great read. Thanks.
The relationship between mother and daughter is often perilous. But then, so it often is with father and son. I often wonder about those relationships. Sometimes mother and son are closer, as are father and daughter. I love thinking about family dynamics.
Not only do I have this book, I have read it from cover to cover. I too am a bridge player (enthusiast? not quite there—yet) and I sympathized with Betsy as she learned from her mistakes—from her mother, bridge ladies, and a complicated card game . Betsy is also a talented literary agent—there may be more of her stories in our future.
Very interesting, Judith. As a result of this blog I just learned that my husband’s niece, age 14, is a bridge player and will soon compete in a champion play-off in Las Vegas. She lives in Seattle. I had no idea kids played bridge.
My goodness, that surprises me, too. Good luck to your husband’s niece. Age 14, wow, in a champion play-off.
I think it’s great! I’ve always thought bridge as an adult game, but I can imagine it would be challenging to kids, too. At least it’s not electronic!
This book sounds wonderful, I have to look into ordering it. Thanks for the review, Mary!
It is so good, Irene. I think even non-bridge players would enjoy it. That just added another wonderful element for me.