Benjamin Stone and his family are fictitious characters but are compilations of actual persons. Carrie Beebe did indeed write Violets at about this time (first known publishing in 1873) in New York State, but her character is otherwise fictional. The connection was inspired by the violets Emily was reported to have worn at the celebratory party and the curious passage that seemed to echo beliefs about women’s place in the era, especially women who dared to be different.
John Roebling engineered the Cincinnati bridge over the Ohio River, which stands today, and of course also designed the Brooklyn Bridge. His unfortunate accident and resultant death from tetanus are historical.
P. T. Barnum was, of course, a real person, but his role in the building of the bridge and relationship with Emily are entirely imagined. However, there are several parallels to the Roeblings that indicate there could indeed have been a relationship between them.
Barnum was one of the most wealthy and influential men in New York City at the time, and it is entirely possible that he had some role in the financing and planning for the bridge. It is accurate that Barnum had several museums in New York that burned and were eventually replaced and another opened in Brooklyn. However, the exact timeline of his various enterprises, his first wife’s death, and his second marriage have been altered to better fit the pace of the story. Barnum also leased the space for his popular hippodrome, the former train station that later became the first Madison Square Garden. He was one of the first to popularize peanuts as a snack fit for humans.
His museum did display a hat that belonged to Ulysses S. Grant, but the way he obtained it in this story is imagined. General Warren’s contempt for Grant was widely known, and such a donation could have happened. It is also true that Barnum planned a parade, featuring twenty-four elephants, including Jumbo, across the bridge for the opening ceremonies. However, his proposal was rejected, then revived a year later to show the safety of the bridge, as in the story.
There is also the commonality of employing ship riggers for the circus and bridge building. Barnum did live in Connecticut with his large family, but his opinions on immigration patterns are imagined.
Emily did indeed come from a Cold Spring family of twelve children, five of whom were lost in childhood, although the story of Elizabeth’s death is fictitious.
The Civil War stories were inspired by historical events or in some cases, such as the head in the chest tale, were oft-told family tales of questionable verity. O’Brien is a fictitious character, although the death of a worker in the arch collapse, leaving six children fatherless, is factual. General G. K. Warren and Washington Roebling were indeed at Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg. Warren was demoted and then cleared of wrongdoing as in the story.
Emily and Washington met at a military ball while Washington was serving as G. K. Warren’s aide, as in the story. That Washington had a pet water snake that frequently escaped is documented. Its appearance in Emily’s bathtub is thankfully imagined.
The loss of Washington’s college roommate to suicide, following a confession of romantic love, is true. Although his inner turmoil can only be guessed at, it seems to have been significant, as it was not until several years after the incident that he entered into a romantic relationship.
Muriel Mann and Henri are fictitious, but the history and culture of the Mountain People are not. The Borough of Ringwood was not incorporated until 1918. The area went by various names before that, and I used the current official name for simplicity.
Washington’s partial blindness, nervous condition, and general infirmity as a result of caisson disease and his extended absences from the work site are well documented. His sexual dysfunction is undocumented, at least as far as I could research, but is a very common occurrence in the disease, especially at the severity he experienced. Dr. Andrew Smith did not become the site physician until 1872. My research did not reveal who tended Wash’s caisson disease before then.
Emily’s role in the construction was considerable, including design of certain metal parts, as surviving letters attest. Her work began as a messenger for Washington and evolved as she learned more and more. Indeed, there is a plaque on the bridge that honors her efforts, along with her husband and father-in-law. However, her adventures in the caisson and atop the towers are imagined, as I did not find documentation confirming that she visited these areas.
Washington recovered from his injuries and was well enough to run the family wire business in Trenton well into his old age. The stress of the bridge and caring for him seemed to have taken a toll on Emily, as she was fifty-nine when she died in 1903 of stomach cancer. Washington outlived Emily by twenty-three years. Although he remarried late in life, Washington and Emily rest side by side in the Cold Spring cemetery.
For those seeking additional reading, David McCullough’s The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge is a thoroughly researched book, as is Marilyn Weigold’s Silent Builder: Emily Warren Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge, the only biography written on Emily Warren Roebling of which I am aware. In addition, Ken Burns did an Academy Award–nominated documentary titled Brooklyn Bridge in 1981.
Other than these researchable elements, the characters, actions, and events are fictitious.
Reading Group Guide
1. Before accepting Wash’s proposal, Emily worries about losing a sense of herself. How would you characterize the changes Emily undergoes during her marriage? Were any of these changes negative?
2. Wash returns from the war a different man, with what today would be diagnosed as PTSD. Discuss the ways you think his time in the war affected him long-term. How did his behavior change? How did he change emotionally?
3. Emily juggles working at the bridge and managing office work while taking care of a young child. Discuss the difficulties of being a working mother. What kinds of challenges does Emily face? How do they differ from challenges modern working mothers face?
4. Building the Brooklyn Bridge was a dangerous process—working in the caisson results in multiple deaths and injuries, and men like O’Brien and Supple die during construction. Do you think sacrifices like these were/are justified, then or now? Do losses undermine or enhance the image of the bridge?
5. Emily is forced to choose between continuing her work with the bridge—thereby fulfilling Wash’s dreams—and being a part of the suffragist movement. Did she make the right choice? Put yourself in her shoes. What would you do? Do you think Wash was right to make her choose in the first place?
6. PT asks Emily if she loves him or the idea of him. What does he mean by this, and which is true?
7. Emily admits to underestimating the women around her. Discuss the effects of this internalized misogyny. How do you think this affects her relationships with other women?
8. As Emily rises to the occasion and does the job of the chief engineer, Wash becomes listless and reclusive. Why do you think this is? Is he threatened by Emily? Discuss how masculinity was perceived at the time.
9. How do both Wash and PT help Emily take risks and become the person she was meant to be?
10. Though they can’t vote, the group of suffragettes finds ways of being influential behind the scenes. Discuss the ways that women have enacted change while avoiding the public eye throughout history.
11. Emily becomes frustrated with the suffragist meetings because of the infighting and the lack of agreement on central issues. Can you think of other movements that have suffered in this way? In what ways were they still successful?
12. Throughout the course of the book, Emily and Wash lose many people they love—siblings, friends, and parents. How do you think they each cope with grief differently? Which character’s loss did you grieve the most?
13. Emily is in a difficult position: she is married to Wash but also loves PT. How do you feel about Wash’s ultimatum to Emily? What would you do if you were given a similar choice
? Whom did you think she should have chosen?
14. Which of Emily’s traits are your favorite? Do you relate to her?
15. Emily has a lifelong habit of breaking societal rules and conventions. How do the important people in her life—her mother, GK, Wash, and PT—either encourage or try to limit this?
16. After twelve people die from the panic on the bridge, Emily almost loses her will to continue working on the project. Have you ever faced a crossroads like this? What did you do to keep going?
A Conversation with the Author
How did you first learn about Emily Warren Roebling? What inspired you to write her story?
I was doing research for a play, which was to center on multiple generations of a family who were involved in the same dangerous occupation. I wanted to explore the family dynamics of such a situation: the conflict between sharing a passion and livelihood while at the same time subjecting loved ones to danger. In my research, I discovered the Roebling family and was immediately captivated by them, especially Emily.
I grew up in northern New Jersey, and my father had a penchant for taking my siblings and me for climbs to the top of everything. Hills, cliffs, buildings, monuments, whatever—if we could get to the top of it, we did. We also walked across long and high bridges. I remember how startling and frightening it was to be in the middle of the George Washington Bridge and feeling it sway in the wind.
When I discovered that Emily’s story had never been novelized, I knew it had to be and that I was the person to do it.
The Engineer’s Wife relies on a great deal of research. What was that process like?
I am lucky in that the construction of the bridge is well documented. Between purchasing several excellent texts, borrowing library books, and internet searches, I found the answers to all my questions. The more difficult part was digesting the scientific information and writing it in a way that readers would understand it and not get bored. Therefore, many of the most complicated processes are simplified or left out of the story.
I am also fortunate that a large number of personal papers and correspondence has been preserved, shedding light on the central characters.
As you were writing the book, did the story unfold basically as you had expected? Were there any surprises along the way or places where your research took you in a different direction from what you had initially envisioned?
Oh my yes. I created fictional secondary characters to serve particular functions; for example, Phebe’s circle of friends was intended to reflect on the expected roles of women at the time. But as their characters developed in the story, they took on other duties in subplots: suffrage, parenting, supporters, and naysayers.
PT was to have been a financial advisor and supporter and somehow became much more as I delved into Emily’s predicament as she was left behind by her husband.
Sometimes, research would reveal an enticing detail that I enjoyed working into the story, such as Washington’s pet snakes, a fire in the caisson, and glacial bedrock.
Emily and Washington’s love story is a complicated one. Did you find it challenging to portray the dynamics of their relationship?
I found the relationship fascinating and enjoyed sussing out the very complicated nature of what they had to accomplish together, the numerous obstacles they faced, and how that would affect their marriage. They were both incredibly intelligent people, so getting into how their minds might have worked was a challenge!
Which character, if any, from the book did you relate to the most?
Mostly Emily, for her slightly rebellious yet loving and dedicated nature, but also Eleanor, for her levelheaded wisdom. Not that I have that, but it’s something I aspire to.
Have you always enjoyed science yourself, or was writing about engineering and bridge building a whole new world for you?
Science was always my favorite subject, but I gravitated to the life sciences. I certainly wish I had studied the physical sciences more, as I had quite the learning curve.
Who are some of your favorite authors, and why?
I enjoy reading Ann Hood, both her novels and memoirs, due to the lovely flow of her words and the ease with which she shows her characters’ emotions. Kristin Hannah is another favorite, as she has a way of making history relevant and personal. Going back a ways, Herman Wouk’s historical fiction is what turned me on to the genre, and I enjoy early dystopians, such as Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. They were way ahead of their times.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m drafting a historical novel starring another heroine who did amazing things yet is obscure in history. Julia Stimson was an American nurse who recruited, trained, and led a group of nurses to serve in France during World War I before U.S. troops even arrived. She went on to lead all the nurses in the theater, then later headed the Army Nurse Corps, being the first woman to attain the rank of major.
Acknowledgments
There is a saying that the zest in life is the journey, not the destination. So true for the writing of this book. This was a surprise, as my initial goal was only to put this fabulous story into words. I didn’t foresee the enormous adventure ahead and all the people I would meet and learn from along the way.
First, I must thank my ever-patient family, especially my husband, Dave, who stood by me through every triumph, disappointment, and long hours when my focus was 150 years in the past.
Next, my writers’ groups, from which many participants have become dear friends. The Eckerd College Olli Writers’ Circle, led by the dedicated Pat Brown, was the first to read pages from early drafts and provided excellent feedback and support. To Jami Deise, Tom Cuba, and all the fabulous writers at the St. Pete Meetup, I miss you, and thank you forever. The biographers and historians whose hard work was the focus of my research are too numerous to list, but they have my gratitude as well.
Another organization I was privileged to be part of, Pitch Wars class of 2015 and Pitch Wars Mentors class of 2017, proved a giant step forward in the editing and publication process. Thank you to all these fabulous writers who continue to support one another in numerous ways. A special thanks to my mentor, Alex White, and Brenda Drake for creating these groups that have benefitted so many.
I am fortunate to have attended a number of conferences where I was able to workshop my manuscripts and improve my craft, such as Writers in Paradise, where I learned from the best: John Searles, Andre Dubus III, Lori Roy, and Laura Lippman; the Surrey International Writers’ Conference, where I had the pleasure of a session with Diana Gabaldon; and the Salt Cay Retreat, where I received critical advice from David Ebershoff.
Another important lesson is that it is difficult to judge when your own prose misses the mark. It is essential to have sharp-eyed readers to help you. Thank you to my many critique partners, who spent countless hours on the many manuscript drafts or assisted in research. This list is not complete, but I would like to personally thank Carol Van Drie, Stephen Maher, Anne Lipton, Joan Lander, and Sue Wolfrom.
Finally, my eternal gratitude to my agent, Lucy Cleland; editor, Anna Michels; and the entire Sourcebooks team, who made my impossible dream come true.
About the Author
Tracey Enerson Wood has always had a writing bug. While working as a registered nurse, starting an interior design company, raising two children, and bouncing around the world as a military wife, she indulged in her passion as a playwright, screenwriter, and short story writer. She has authored magazine columns and other nonfiction and written and directed plays of all lengths, including Grits, Fleas and Carrots, Rocks and Other Hard Places, Alone, and Fog. Her screenplays include Strike Three and Roebling’s Bridge. The Engineer’s Wife is her first published novel.
A New Jersey native, Tracey now lives with her family in Florida. Follow her @traceyenerson.
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