The Brickworks (A Novel)

The AUC Book Club and friends enjoyed a wonderful evening with Author Lucy E.M. Black on October 15. Lucy presented her research, sharing information she learned about brickmaking, bridges, and the 1879 Tay Bridge disaster in Scotland, underlying the historical fiction novel, The Brickworks. 

From the back cover:

When the Tay Bridge collapsed in 1879, it killed everyone on the train that was crossing, leaving the son of the driver, young Brodie Smith, traumatized and reduced to poverty as a result of his father’s death.  Leaving home determined to make his way in the world, Brodie finds safe haven with his kindly uncle in Edinburgh and studies engineering, intent on demonstrating that the bridge disaster was not his father’s fault.  In search of adventure and further opportunities, Brodie then travels to Buffalo where he befriends Alistair, another young Scot filled with dreams and ambitions.  Together the men bring industrialization to a small rural community where they establish a brickworks, changing the lives of all those they encounter with a sense of possibility and the reality of attendant loss.  Told in beautifully crafted prose, it is Black’s incomparable voice -- her uncanny humour and an astonishing ear for dialogue – that renders The Brickworks both remarkable and unforgettable. 

Lucy has graciously donated 20 of her books for our Rising From The Ashes Campaign. Several of the books were sold at the event. There are 3 copies of the book left for a donation of $20 for each book. If you would like a copy of the book please call or email Suzanne at the AUC Office.