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Jim Nelson
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Bridge Daughter: Book One of the Bridge Daughter Cycle Kindle Edition

by Jim Nelson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 323 ratings
A world where daughters bear their parents' children.

Young Hanna thinks her thirteenth birthday will be no different than the one before--until her mother explains the facts of life. Hanna is a "bridge daughter," born pregnant with her parents' child. In a few months she will give birth and die, leaving her parents with their true child to raise.

A mature bookworm who dreams of college and career, Hanna is determined to overcome her biological fate. Navigating through a world eerily like our own, she confronts unyielding attitudes and instinctive fears as old as humankind itself.

Then Hanna learns of an illegal procedure that will allow her to live to adulthood...at the cost of the child's life.

"Nelson smoothly realizes a provocative alternate present seen through the eyes of naive adolescent Hanna Driscoll ... Hanna is an engaging protagonist, and her thought-provoking story blends action, introspection, and social commentary in a stark but indirect critique of efforts to control female bodies and restrict reproductive rights." - Publishers Weekly
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  1. Reading age
    11 - 18 years
  2. Book 1 of 3
    The Bridge Daughter Cycle
  3. Print length
    220 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    February 11, 2018
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0990480242
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There are 3 books in this series.
This option includes 3 books.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bridge Daughter is the sort of surprising gem in a sea of fairly ordinary you occasionally run across as a reader of contemporary speculative fiction--smart, highly original, and emotionally brutal. It's a book that, like Ursula LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" or Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, tweaks a single seemingly ordinary aspect of the human condition in order to imagine the terrible possibilities hidden inside all of us, and it does it so compellingly that the story lingers long after the book is done." - John Blair, author of Bright Angel and American Standard

"Nelson smoothly realizes a provocative alternate present seen through the eyes of naive adolescent Hanna Driscoll ... Hanna is an engaging protagonist, and her thought-provoking story blends action, introspection, and social commentary in a stark but indirect critique of efforts to control female bodies and restrict reproductive rights." - Publishers Weekly

"A very good book--in the vein of The Handmaid's Tale without being derivative of it." - Paul Ridge, Fictive

"A strong character, I found myself sympathizing with Hanna and rooting for her until the very end." - The Hungry Bookworm

About the Author

Jim Nelson's books include Bridge Daughter (Kindle Press, 2016), Stranger Son, and In My Memory Locked. He divides his time between San Francisco and Tokyo.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079R8G8VT
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 11, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0990480242
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Bridge Daughter Cycle
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 11 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 323 ratings

About the author

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Jim Nelson

Jim Nelson

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Jim Nelson's books include Bridge Daughter (Kindle Press, 2016), Stranger Son, and In My Memory Locked. His latest is A Man Named Baskerville. All are available at Amazon.com.

He divides his time between San Francisco and Tokyo.

https://j-nelson.net

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
323 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book compelling and thought-provoking, praising its original plot and stylistic prose. They describe it as a captivating tale that's poignantly beautiful and unique, with good character development. The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some finding it fast-paced while others describe it as weird. The ending receives criticism for being too sad and ending abruptly.

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ReadabilityStory qualityWriting qualityAestheticCharacter developmentPacingEnding
49 customers mention "Readability"49 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking, describing it as an absolute must-read with a compelling concept.

"...this review with a grain of salt if you'd like, but I found the novel fascinating and hard to put down. I wound up finishing it in a day...." Read more

"The premise of the story was really interesting and unique. It certainly makes you think about love, children, and morality...." Read more

"...Both of us enjoyed it greatly. I found it a clever way to discuss pro-life/pro-choice issues, and women's oppression as baby makers without..." Read more

"...it was an emotional journey through the book but it was also fairly thought provoking...." Read more

32 customers mention "Story quality"29 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's story captivating and believable, with an original plot. One customer describes it as an ambitious psychological thriller.

"...It certainly makes you think about love, children, and morality...." Read more

"Bridge Daughter is a very unique and original story...." Read more

"...It's as if the book straddles fantasy and reality. I appreciated the parallels to our universe, what it says about life and death, and ultimately,..." Read more

"...Highly disappointed in this one. The writing was OK, and the premise seemed unique and interesting in the brief preview I read while the book was on..." Read more

31 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive4 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its stylistic prose and well-edited text, with one customer highlighting its reimagining of childbirth.

"...The book was well written and easy to read from that point but it was an emotional journey through the book but it was also fairly thought provoking...." Read more

"...I am giving it two stars because it held my attention, and the writing isn't poor. But I am sad that I took the time to anticipate reading this story." Read more

"...normally skip out too when I see that designation but this is well written with nuance and empathy and will appeal to adult readers as well...." Read more

"...Nelson resists genre categories with elegant, stylistic prose that tells the story of thirteen-year-old Hanna, who lives a “normal” life with her..." Read more

12 customers mention "Aesthetic"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book aesthetically pleasing, describing it as poignantly beautiful and unique, with one customer noting the skillful use of flower symbolism throughout.

"The premise of the story was really interesting and unique. It certainly makes you think about love, children, and morality...." Read more

"Bridge Daughter is a very unique and original story...." Read more

"...I also found the flower symbolism throughout skillful...." Read more

"...Nelson resists genre categories with elegant, stylistic prose that tells the story of thirteen-year-old Hanna, who lives a “normal” life with her..." Read more

9 customers mention "Character development"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning the hope for the protagonist in peril and another noting the realistic portrayal of everyday people.

"...but what I really appreciated were the depictions of everyday people, somewhere in the middle, trying to wrestle with the ethics,..." Read more

"...It is a story with great and believable characters in a very unbelievable (or maybe not) situation. A book you will appreciate...." Read more

"...The depth of the cast of characters, shone through in each and every one. This book asks some very deep and profound questions...." Read more

"...Glad i did! Loved many of the characters - despised the rest, but they completely deserved it!..." Read more

8 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it fast-paced while others describe it as weird.

"This book was easy but at the same time hard to read...." Read more

"...As best I can remember his comments, my friend found it dark/noir, strange, full of twists and turns so he didn't know how it would turn out right..." Read more

"...Bridge Daughter is a thought provoking and nuanced book. It's pacing is a delight -- I found myself eager to find out what was going to happen next..." Read more

"Such an interesting story line. Needless to say i finished it fast. Lost sleep time. That good. Looking forward now to next book!..." Read more

26 customers mention "Ending"7 positive19 negative

Customers find the ending of the book too sad and unexpectedly abrupt.

"...What is hard to imagine is the ending of the story. It ends abruptly and we have no idea what happens. It feels unfinished...." Read more

"...Do not expect this to be a happy book though as it was fairly sad and depressing. I would give it a 4.5 rating but since i can't 4 will do...." Read more

"...Dreams of Barbecuing People" made me laugh out loud, this one brought me to tears...." Read more

"...live up to its promise, devolving into what amounts to a depressing abortion fairy tale that genuinely offers no redeeming value with its..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Eric Gregory
    5.0 out of 5 stars The horrors of life and death in an alternate world
    Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The author is a friend so take this review with a grain of salt if you'd like, but I found the novel fascinating and hard to put down. I wound up finishing it in a day. I'd strongly warn against reading Amazon's description of the book because it contains spoilers. I'll try to avoid any such spoilers in this review.

    Bridge Daughter takes place in a world almost -- but not quite -- like our own. For that reason the "fantasy" and "sci-fi" categories technically fit, but the tropes associated with those genres don't apply here. As the story revolves around a young woman forced to accept that life isn't fair, particularly in her own case, I'd categorize the novel as a form of horror. Albeit an unusual form of horror.

    That lack of clear classification is what makes the story such a page turner. If you identify with poor Hanna at all and care what's going to happen to her then you're going to have a hard time putting the book down. While another reviewer claims they saw the ending coming, I have to admit that I did not. There's more than one path the story could have taken and it wasn't clear to me which direction it would go until the final chapters.

    My only nitpick is that Hanna has to be told about her fate. It seems she should have picked up on this on her own, since she's educated, clever, and the world around her makes a bare minimum effort to conceal the horrible secret from her. That said, it's a nitpick that applies broadly to almost any story that involves a conspiracy since humankind is notoriously inept at keeping secrets.

    To that end, I'll even let you in on a little secret myself since you bothered to read to the end of this review: the author, Jim Nelson, wrote a slightly fictionalized version of himself into the novel. But which character is he? I'm afraid my lips are sealed.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • BlueLily82
    4.0 out of 5 stars It certainly makes you think about love, children
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The premise of the story was really interesting and unique. It certainly makes you think about love, children, and morality. How do you give birth to and raise a daughter until she is 14, only for her to give birth to your "real" child and then die? The main character, Hanna, is one of these "bridge daughters" and has just discovered this on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. She struggles to understand what is happening to her. She wants to go to college, get married, and live her life. Her mother and father have hidden the truth from her all her life. She doesn't want to give up her life to let this new genetic copy live the life she had planned. I was hoping for a different ending for Hanna, although I do understand her reasons.

    I would have liked to know more about the history of the process, and understand if this was a dystopian future, and some of the history of the world had been revised to hide it, or if it was intended as an alternate version of Earth.

    I received a free copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.
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  • LilMissMolly
    3.0 out of 5 stars Very unique story!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Bridge Daughter is a very unique and original story. The premise is basically that most women do not give birth to their own children, but rather, they give birth to bridge daughters who are born pregnant with the parents’ "real" child. These daughters are just like normal children until their pregnancy suddenly becomes apparent at about the age 13. It doesn't take much to imagine that the main character in this story doesn't want to have her parents' baby and instead wants to go to college and live her own life (bridge daughters die after giving birth). What is hard to imagine is the ending of the story. It ends abruptly and we have no idea what happens. It feels unfinished. Hopefully it is not going to be a trilogy. I received a copy of this ebook as part of the kindle scout program.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Lora S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good book if you are looking for a good cry
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Hanna Driscoll lives in some kind of alternative universe where nearly everything appears to be just like it is in our universe except for the way humans reproduce. In this universe normal women do not give birth to their own real children. Instead they give birth to what are known as ‘bridge daughters’. The bridge daughters are born pregnant with their parents’ real child. They appear to be just like normal children until they are around thirteen, when their pregnancy suddenly becomes apparent.

    This situation is not the result of nuclear war, environmental degradation, or some devastating recent plague. Apparently it has been going on as far back as Old Testament times, and mention is made of a version of the story of Hagar where Hagar was a bridge daughter who ran away. Also in this universe, Mary did not give birth to Jesus but to a bridge daughter, Susanna who actually gave birth to Jesus. Scientists believe the bridge daughter phenomenon to be a product of evolution. Just what positive benefit this conferred on the human race is not clear.

    The downside for the bridge daughters is pretty obvious however. When they give birth to their children it severs a symbiotic relationship they have with the babies, and they die.

    In order to protect themselves from feeling too much sadness for their bridge daughters when they die, the parents generally distance themselves emotionally all their lives, treating them as servants or slaves, abusing them horribly, or ignoring them altogether. The entire society concurs in this treatment. Although Hanna rebels against the idea of dying so young and attempts to short-circuit her fate, it is this idea of being ignored and marginalized that is really bothering her, and that is the real point of the book.
    17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • L O
    5.0 out of 5 stars I have not had such a visceral reaction to a ...
    Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I have not had such a visceral reaction to a book in such a long time. Well written and thought provoking as well. I just purchased Hagar's Daughter and can't wait to read it.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars beautifully written and achingly sad
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Unique, beautifully written and achingly sad. A tale I won't forget. I'm not going to say too much more as I don't want to accidentally give out spoilers. Im not sure if this is classed as dystopian or speculative fiction or maybe both, but I do know I love both genres and enjoyed this story very much. I would recommend it.
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  • Diane Balser
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really super read.
    Reviewed in Canada on January 17, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Thought provoking and hard to put down once you start. Well written with a genuinely novel plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Can't wait to read Hagar's Mother.
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  • sally
    5.0 out of 5 stars wow!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book is very well written, the author takes you on an emotional journal, that touches your soul.
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