"Powerfully relevant to women’s lives today." - Publishers Weekly
In 1869, Washington A. Roebling is commissioned as the chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of America’s most iconic structures. His wife, Emily Roebling, is a keen advocate for women’s suffrage, at a time when American society expects her to stay home and support her husband silently.
But when Washington falls ill on the job, Emily supports him in the most immediate and courageous way imaginable, taking over his role and overseeing the construction of the bridge.
Emily spends the next eleven years supervising the colossal project, calculating measurements, deciding on materials, and undertaking the impossibly intricate work of cable construction. But as the bridge finally rises against the New York skyline, Emily is not quite sure whether she has realised her own ambitions or those of her husband.
Could it be that she has realised the collective ambition of women all over America?
Set against the backdrop of a burgeoning New York, from the suffragette halls to Manhattan mansions, The Engineer’s Wife tells the story of a devoted wife, an exceptional woman, and an American hero.
Industry Reviews
"Historical fiction at its finest."- Andrea Bobotis, author of The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt
"Powerfully relevant to women's lives today." - Publishers Weekly
"This important work of historical fiction brings to life the strength and resolve of a nineteenth-century woman overshadowed by men and overlooked by history books." - Booklist
"Tracey Enerson Wood raises Emily Warren Roebling from the historical depths, bringing to vivid life the story of the woman who saved the Brooklyn Bridge." - Anne Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., Putting the Science in Fiction and Harlequin Creator Fund Recipient
"Who really built the Brooklyn Bridge? With its spunky, tough-minded heroine and vivid New York setting, The Engineer's Wife is a triumphant historical novel sure to please readers of the genre. Like Paula McLain, Tracey Enerson Wood spins a colorful and romantic tale of a storied era." - Stewart O'Nan, author of West of Sunset