The One-Way Bridge

Mattagash #4

by Cathie Pelletier

Cathie Pelletier draws readers back to the beloved town of Mattagash, a seemingly quiet New England outpost in Maine. Yet Mattagash is anything but tranquil. While its citizens bicker publicly over small-town theft or their neighbors' offensive mailboxes, they privately struggle through deeper life issues: scandal, loss, failed ambitions, and the scars of war.

Reaching across the vastness of America and into the jungles of Vietnam, The One-Way Bridge is an unforgettable portrait of loneliness, family, and community--and the kinds of changes we make for love.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, The United States Of America, Novels, Mystery, Adult Fiction

292 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing itself is excellent, and the town of Mattagash, Maine clearly drawn. And she meshed the tales of various residents quite well.

Yet I trudged through to the very end, regardless of feeling like I'd like to take Billy's Mustang out to the highway and South by the 66% mark (Kindle download tells me the percentage done- not the page number).

Quirky, people post about this book and the tales of those Mattagash residents? Actually I thought much of it was rather tedious and petty. And quite similar to a tiny Michigan town I know and love where a significant number of people do not have enough work, hobby or tasking to occupy half their minds in the present economy.

She does know men.

Possibly that's why this book did not do it for me. I have little interest in men's ego contests, or drinking/eating/smoking schedules- be they in their 20's, 30's or 60's. The women were not funny, they were rather sad, IMHO. Secondary absolutely.

Blanche's story would have been more interesting, IMHO.

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mattagash is a small town divided by a one-way bridge. Everyone in town knows that the first to the one lane bridge has the right away. The town is divided by this bridge, so every citizen has to use it.

The citizens of Mattagash live a typical small town life. It’s citizens all know each other’s business. They argue over theft and mailboxes, but secretly struggle through scars of war, scandal, and loss.

Cathie Pelletier wrote a great novel where you develop relationships with the character. I found myself caring about the character and really hoping that they would find the peace or happiness that I truly wanted for each person. I was charmed and sometimes amused by every character.

Orville Craft was my favorite character. He is the town mailman, who is in his last week before retiring. He seemed to take his job and life very serious and that made me smile. The drama of him and his use to be friend, Harry, and Harry’s mailbox was so small town. Having lived in a small town growing up, I know how something as small as a mailbox can be a HUGE deal. This made me laugh and think back on my younger years with a smile.

The One-Way Bridge is a story of real life. A story of small town drama, both real and imagined. This is a great book to sit and read and enjoy getting to know your new friends.

[Richda Mcnutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book - I had the giggles so long and hard in one place that my husband said he had not heard me laugh like that since reading about a turtle latched on to an old guy in Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer." And at the end I found myself tearing up because I was leaving this little place and its people. They are so very real, so very frustrating, so very touching. You will find yourself growing fonder and fonder of one very unlikely person, and in the midst of humor, there is tenderness and poignancy. A mailman has an ongoing war with a moose mailbox, a somewhat shady newcomer with a foul mouth and a surprisingly soft heart has an ongoing war with his really shady "suppliers," the owner of the offensive mailbox has a continuing war in his nighttime dreams, and various females have simmering wars with their husbands and grown children. But in the midst of these wars, you find loneliness and connection, tolerance (of a sort) and charity, and love - not the sappy kind, but the needed kind. I may not be able to retire in Mattagash, Maine, but I will continue to visit there through Pelletier's other books.

[Kathy McC · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were times while I read this novel that I loved it. But, there were other times when I found it to be just an average read.
There were some terrific quotations:

"... each of them grieving over the sight, over the frozen memory that they would carry back to the United States of God Bless America on that air-conditioned plane, back into the peaceful towns and the shiny cities. Back to the faces in high school and college yearbooks of the boys they once were. Back to families who welcomed them home but could never understand the men who had returned to them."

"He had believed, once upon a time, that Vietnam had been worth something, had taught everyone a lesson not easily forgotten. Otherwise his fellow soldiers had died in vain. But now the country was plunged into yet another war, this one in Iraq and Afghanistan, a war even more corporate and shiny than Vietnam."

"Where was he when his life happened. What had he been doing for six and a half decades?"

[Lynn Plourde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is character driven rather than plot driven, but the characters so delighted me and easily carried the story. Cathie Pelletier is a master at mixing comedy and tragedy (and in life, I think there is a fine line between the two--I've seen many a person guffawing at stories told at a funeral parlor). In the ONE-WAY BRIDGE, I would laugh out loud and and sigh "how sad" all in the same paragraph. I can't remember a more humorous death scene than the one in this book. Pelletier shows the complexities of people. Her characters felt like real people I know--just with different names. She makes me love the young drug dealer and the ego-centric (& also insecure) retiring mail carrier. We are all more than we appear on the surface. We all have our "stories" that explain why we are the way we are. I am so grateful Cathie Pelletier has returned to tell us more stories. Can't wait for more from this talented author.

[Adri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. But it grew on me like moss. The characters grow with each passing page as one becomes familiar with each of their stories, their internal dialogue, their inner torments. And as one gets to know them so they take shape as fully fledged human beings trying to make sense of who they are and to find their place in the world.

It took me a while to 'get into' the book, but once I did I had to finish. I will definitely read more books by this author.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not too sure if I liked this book or not in the beginning, but as I was determined to finish it. It started getting more interesting in the middle and ended up enjoying it more. I liked how the author ended the book and she had added notes which I found to be very good. I may read another one of her novels.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has driven outside the city has experienced the one-way bridge. Some of them have traffic lights to control drivers, but many others have only the unwritten but universal rule that whoever is on the bridge first has the right of way. You don't argue it, you just wait and it doesn't matter how important you think you are, either. That's bridges.
Mailmen. There is no reason to try to rub your mailman the wrong way because they will get you back - unless you live in Mattagash, where the mailman reminds himself regularly about the rules pertaining to delivering the mail, no matter what sort of decorations are put on the mailbox. As long as the decorations are not offensive and the box opens the way it is supposed to, you live with it.
There are other elements: blueberry pie, sisters who have left home and married several times, mothers who pick on you regularly, and the retired school teacher who educates the town weekly with a new word posted on her lawn.
I thought this would be cutesy, but it isn't. Some of those people lived in my small home town on the opposite side of the continent and the situations were quite logical and familiar.
I really enjoyed this book.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Cathie Pelletier so I was really looking forward to reading this book. I wasn’t disappointed. Cathie Pelletier has a way of looking at the various relationships between the folks in a small town and making you really care about the characters. Yes, they can be petty and small but they can also really come together and help each other when it becomes necessary. The book was about slights (real and imagined) and love found later in life and just life in general. It was lovely to spend time with these people.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
This book was okay. I gave it three stars because although I read the entire book without getting tired of it, I felt like it could have been more interesting. Overall, it's a good book to read but it's not one of my favorites. Keep in mind, this book might be interesting to you but it's just not for me. It's quite interesting and keeps you wanting to read more. The cover is pretty cool-looking!
I hope you enjoy The One-Way Bridge by Cathie Pelletier!

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I didn't actually read the whole book. There was too much swearing and things were starting to get crude. The writing, when it wasn't in the voice of one of the characters, was beautiful. I wanted to be in the town where the book takes place so I could feel the peace of the nature, see the river, watch cars drive over the bridge and walk along the road to see the mailboxes. But there are so many good books out there that aren't ruined through swearing that I couldn't justify spending my time reading the F-word over and over, multiple times per page sometimes.

[Christa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book to read because it is set in Maine. My mom is from Maine and we travel there at least once a year and I like to read books set this. This story was just ok for me. I had a lot of trouble seeing where it was going and caring about the characters as much as the author probably wanted me to. I'm not terribly fond of the manner in which most of the women in this novel were portrayed. And though the writing was good and I felt like I had a good picture of the town and the people, it felt like a chore to get through this book. Disappointingly, this novel was not a win for me.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cathie Pelletier did not disappoint in presenting a wonderful array of quirky characters from a northern small town in Maine. I liked her use of the one way bridge and how she wove it into the fabric of the story of many who had to learn to give and take in order to move forward. Some of the stories within the stories felt a little too neat, but I would rather have neat then loose endings. All in all an enjoyable read!

[Marian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this on an Amazon daily deal based on the price and good reviews. I only made it through about 20% before I gave up. It needs a big F-word alert. It has a stupid story about a bunch of dysfunctional people who don't really do much of anything. It was so bad I didn't even want to waste anymore time on it. I'd have given it zero stars if that were possible.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I didn't like this book more. The author writes well and the characters are fully drawn, but I just thought it was boring.

[Amanda Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

didn't finish this book, got bored half way through it

[Melanie Dixon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!

[Jeanette "Josie" Cook M.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing this one, I decided I must read the rest of these! A brilliantly written series in a fictional setting that brings in the flavor of Maine! Yes, after the last one, I am confident the rest will be just as colorful and entertaining to read.

The characters are very entertaining and wonderful to experience in this winter setting. I'm looking forward to following these characters in the other volumes soon...Waiting for Amazon to deliver them. They sent a book I didn't order instead of the first one in this series. I'm so sad about it. Now, I have a wait to start reading about this town again and the citizens living there.

Billy & Buck are two of my favorite, funny men as I finished this book. "Pilot to Co-Pilot"--they're a funny team to listen in on and also to talk about in this small community.

The reflections on Wally are nicely weaved into the story. Harry became a constant to me as I read about his past experiences and his missed moments in time. His new discovered love is refreshing and promising. Blanche is so in tune with him and his thoughts as they spend time together.

Tommy makes me angry towards the end, and when Billy steps up, I applaud him for his selfless acts and his courage to move on and finally face the truth. He becomes a hero after being a character that many often laugh about and hate openly.

Edna and her rediscovered talents in creativity were my best moments inside these pages. Her love for art and painting became inspiring. She reflected on her own thinking through other artists and their work along with her past spinning in to make it a mystery. Then, "I'm here, sweetheart, so fly down and get me." --Yes, she is now in love again with the man she married. Her lost soul is back together with her future as she rediscovers her relationship with her husband.

Bullet, the dog, an animal that Billy cares for and loved deeply enough to give away his most cherished toy made of metal. He gave so much in the end to find his own happiness. Billy and his Miss October, a man seeking someone like the woman he left behind. His Phoebe in the pink uniform was all he thought about as he tried to replace her with other steamy thoughts and collected images.

The one-way bridge taking up most of the ending with two men staying there too long. They form a shared bond after hating each other through simple misunderstandings allowed to fester and not be resolved because they are stubborn, old men. So like the men in the movies--Grumpy Old Men.

[Goose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was really enjoying this book, the sixth one I've read by Cathie Pelletier, and then came that first scene from the point of view of the dog. Wow! The scene between the dog and Billy Thunder, the "drug dealer", was spectacular. Each scene after that from the dog's point of view only made me love this story more. Coming from a Northern Maine town, much like the fictional Mattagash, I felt like I knew and understood many of the characters in the book. If you have read Pelletier in the past, you will like this book. Recommended to anyone who likes stories about Maine, or small towns in general, or anyone who likes novels full of quirky but real characters trying to live their lives every day.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about life in a small town in Maine. Coming from a small town in Maine, I could almost recognize some of these characters in the people from my own town! This is well written, good character development even tho it takes its time with some of them. I literally laughed out loud several times while reading this.
It also reminds us that we need to look below the surface and that each person has their own personal struggles.
This is not a fast paced, action packed story but you keep wanting to see what could possible haappen next!
I look forward to more Mattagash books.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on the shelf for a while and I remembered that (back in high school?) I read "The Funeral Makers" and liked it. So I decided to give "One-Way Bridge" a try. It was good! Very pleasant, very "small town novel-y," a teensy bit predictable. Good characters. Feels accurate, if a bit exaggerated - my small Maine town is a lot further south and not as small as Mattagash/Allagash, but lots of the characters and situations ring true.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being from Maine, I enjoyed this tale of a small town in northern Maine, an hour north of Caribou. The characters were realistic, the woes so true, and the characters' voices drew the reader into life in a small town. I loved the variety of experiences and dilemmas, from the bridge battle to PTSD to romance, aging, and just surviving day to day. I thank Cathie Pelletier for giving us a last chapter glimpse into how the characters ended up years later. This was the prefect ending.

[Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book very slowly tells you the stories of four boring people. You hope it's building up to something, it is. Does it make it a worthwhile journey? I'm not sure. I enjoyed the writing and the humor. I didn't like the rough language and the violence tied to drug use. I also skipped the Vietnam flashbacks. I just wanted a cute story, this is deeper than that. I would give this author another try.

[Chrome · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lure of the hometown full of quirky characters local lore,history and humor is so strong.
This author presents a time and a place almost within reach of memory. The small town just around
the bend that is not a place to escape from but a place to take shelter in. There is pain sorrow and
loss - but it is home and healing. In the ordinary and unremarkable there is sometimes grace and
love - always wonderful

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the type of book I normally read, however, I found it to be very engaging.

All the characters live in a very small town in northern Maine and have known each other (or their families) for all of their lives. This leads to many situations fueled by old grudges, secrets , rumors and a one way bridge.

There are moments in this book that make you laugh out loud and others that explore unbelievable sadness.

Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable story.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the character development in the story. Kind of a slow start, like the town, slow as small towns can be. Intriguing as any one's life can be if we dig deep enough. Funny in spots, as one's next door neighbor can be, exasperating as they can be, but sweet in the intimacy of a small town.

I liked it a lot.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't know how to categorize this one other than a real good feel good read. Maybe a restores my faith in humanity read. Loved the community feeling, the characters, the story. Read it too quickly, wish I had taken my time in visiting.

[Susan Kietzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful novel set in a small town in Maine, with a cast of characters reminiscent of those in Jan Karon's Mitford and Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegone. Reading The One-Way Bridge is like travelling to Mattagash and spending several hours with close friends.

[Trudy Ackerblade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for returning me to Mattagash, Maine. I have missed it. I still have wonderful memories of the times I spent there.
Do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Mattagash Maine through The Funeral Makers, Once Upon a Time on the Banks, The Weight of Winter, and The One-Way Bridge (in order). I will be revisiting the first three books again.

[Dory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathie Pelletier is a wonderful writer who brings us funny, poignant characters that aren’t quite believable but we love them anyway. This is a quick, entertaining read with solid substance lying beneath.