The Vanishing Bridge by Elena Graf

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Reviewed by byWomen Using Words

The details…

  • Title: The Vanishing Bridge
  • Author: Elena Graf
  • Publisher: Purple Hand Press
  • Publication date: April 6, 2023
  • Available formats: ebook, paperback 
  • Digital file size: 1648 KB
  • Print length: 326 pages
  • Genre: romance 
  • Themes: women loving women, community, Maine, love, loss, aging, commitment, friendship, marriage, family, children, health & wellness, religion, music and singing, transgender women, politics, current affairs

The blurb from the publisher…

Rev. Susan Gedney returns to Hobbs after facing the wreckage of her past in the Midwest, but she soon learns her own recovery is incomplete until she earns back everyone’s trust. Susan remembers what she learned in Rehab: ‘You’re only as sick as your secrets’. She may have to reveal a few before winning back the support of the people who want to believe in her again.

Meanwhile, at the Hobbs Family Practice, Bobbie Lantry, the new Nurse Practitioner, has a big secret of her own. She seems always to be rushing away to take care of a mysterious older woman. Why? And who is the mystery lady? And why does Bobbie feel she can’t tell anyone what’s going on in her life?  

My thoughts…

Nearly four years ago I was introduced to High October, the first book in the Hobbs Series. The storyline sounded intriguing and I was excited to read about a community of strong, capable and intelligent women in their fifties and early sixties. When I finished that I book, I immediately wanted more—more Liz, more Maggie, more Hobbs. The tight community of women immediately felt like friends, and I was eager to know more about them.

After reading The Vanishing Bridge, Graf’s latest addition to the series, I sat back and reflected on why I enjoyed the series so much. Graf gets a lot of things right from a literary perspective and I appreciate that. Her style is certain and direct, utilizing language that elevates the storytelling. She’s built a story world that I can count on, one that I enjoy returning to time and again. But as alluring as the town of Hobbs, Maine is, the real meat and potatoes of the series lies in its characters. This is a character driven series, and it pivots around the dynamic women of Hobbs. I’m all about that; it’s why I show up for each new book.

Even though the cast of characters has grown over the years, Liz Stolz remains at its nucleus. She binds these characters together. She’s a solid presence and bears the responsibility of prominent protagonist with grace. I don’t always agree with her, but that’s the genius of her design. She’s a dynamically fluid character that guides the series in productive ways, ways that suit the series. Therefore, her choices not only benefit the series, they open it up for potential and possibility.

Graf finds new story ideas in several places, but her ability to develop storylines through her secondary and supporting characters is admirable. In fact, it’s what helps make the overreaching arc capable of expansion. Graf understands that she must keep things fresh by creating narratives that capitalize on the utilization of secondary characters. Pulling these characters to the front creates a depth and complexity to the storytelling. Additionally, it feeds the central arc, which is crucial for maintaining a strong pulse in the series.

That’s what Graft did with Susan and Bobbie’s storyline in The Vanishing Bridge. Their relationship and all that it entails definitely pumps new blood into the arc. The events involving these two women unearth new tensions and obstacles for the central plot. Inarguably, they make the storytelling more complex and layered. Furthermore, they aid in keeping the series from becoming flat and uninteresting, something no author wants!

Throughout the course of the Hobbs Series Graf has used her instincts to guide and nurture it, and they’ve served her well. She isn’t afraid to try new things, but that doesn’t mean she approaches the task without consideration. In The Vanishing Bridge, for example, she takes care to pen Susan and Bobbie’s developing storyline with balance and sensitivity. She remains cognizant of the need to keep things consistent, relevant and engaging. Additionally, Graf angles it in a manner that ensures reader investment. She makes sure to keep the steaks high for the subplot as well as the larger plot. And last but not least, she engages the emotions. There’s always a strong need to return to Hobbs and see what will happen next. 

Final remarks…

The Vanishing Bridge is a compelling addition to this well-established series. Susan and Bobbie’s budding romance provides new possibilities for the series arc, amping it up in interesting degrees. Graf lets us know there’s more to come, though. Bread crumbs were left, thus spiking curiosity to return. Unfortunately we must remain patient to see how it unfolds next. No doubt the wait will be worth it, as it always is.

Strengths…

  • Storyline contains relevant and timely topics
  • New characters are masterfully used
  • Plotting remains credible 
  • Storytelling remains consistent 
  • Characters are dynamically developed 
  • Foreshadowing is masterfully used
  • Conclusion is satisfying 

This book is available from…

Other books in the Hobbs series…

A bit about the author…

Award-winning novelist Elena Graf has been scribbling stories since high school. Her first novel, Occasions of Sin, was published in 2012. Graf considers herself primarily a historical novelist, but her contemporary Hobbs series, set in a small town in Maine, has introduced her work to many new readers. The four historical novels in the Passing Rites series, are set in Europe in the early 20th century and show how a noble family dealt with the momentous changes of the period. Lies of Omission, the third volume in the Passing Rites Series, won a Golden Crown Literary Society award for best historical fiction and a Rainbow Award. The fourth volume, Acts of Contrition also won a Goldie and a Rainbow Award.

The author pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy but ended up in the “accidental profession” of publishing, where she worked for almost four decades. She lives with her wife in coastal Maine.

If you are interested in finding out more about Elena Graf, you can check out her social media or her website. 

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