Every now and then I read a book that reminds me to be grateful for my life. The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne is such a book. Alexander “Cat” Rucker is summoned home by a call from her neighbor. When Cat left her hometown 10 years ago, she never intended to see the place or the people again in this lifetime and the next if she had any in say in it. But, Cat’s mother shoots herself in the head after her father suffered a massive heart attack and the neighbor was instructed to call Cat. As Cat starts the long drive home, she wonders how did the neighbor have her telephone number, and is puzzled, not that her mother committed suicide, but by the timing of her actions.

The first chapter gives the reader enough hints that the Ruckers are a dysfunctional family, yet the town acts as if the events are as normal as the sun rising every day. There was no doubt that this was going to be a dark story, but how dark would be revealed in the subsequent chapters. Shortly after arriving at her childhood home, Cat finds out that her mother left her, the unwanted child, a suicide note.

February 23rd
Cat,
He isn’t who you think he is
Mom xxxooo.

Who does she mean? Who is he? Her father, who was abusive to her? Her brother, Jared, who was at times her savior? Her ex-lover/friend, Addison, whose words left unfulfilled promises? The county coroner, Andrew, whose knowledge of her mother and family is disturbing?

The quick-moving plot seeks to answer this question, and the reader will get their answer. The story is told in alternating chapters between the past and the present which reveals the extent of Alex’s abuse and the role others played in hiding this truth. Most of the time, the language just soared and lead you through the complexities of the disturbed and misguided lives of the Rucker family, but at other times the language was just flat and was distracting to the flow of the story. Through Cat, the other characters in the book come to realize that while they were not necessarily as outwardly disturbed by the past family events, they all have scars.

This book will affect all who read it, as you learn the hurtful actions that humans do to each other – including to the family that matters. It will also enrage you that the community did nothing to alleviate the known situation. But, I still was unable to put this book down once I started reading and finished it in one sitting. I recommend this book to all who read stories about families and the human spirit to survive.

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub
September 6, 2009

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