There were flashes of the later brilliance Pritchett exhibits in Hell's Bottom, Colorado but overall, this was obviously a first novel - overwritten in parts, with unbelievable characterizations, and Very Important Messages delivered with the subtlety of a jackhammer. Don't make this your first Pritchett, as you might never return to her, and she definitely deserves more readers. Just maybe not of this book. ( )

Sky Bridge is set in a small, impoverished rural town in Colorado. Libby and Tess are sisters, who live with an angry, alcoholic mom, Kay. Tess, the younger sister, finds herself pregnant just as she is ready to leave high-school. Libby, the elder sister, convinces Tess not to have an abortion and promises to take care of the baby after she is born. The day young Amber is born, birth-mother Tess leaves town and Libby is left to raise baby Amber. Libby works part time in a supermarket and helps her mom , Kay , as a farm hand. At the age of 20 or so, Libby finds herself raising the young baby of her sister, while still living with her angry and often abusive mother , Kay.

It's a heartbreaking story of poverty and abuse, yet the author still is able to convey some hope and love .

The story is spare and reminds of the sort of writing that Kent Haruf was able to do so well. This is Laura Pritchett's debut novel and I think she deserves to be more widely read. I know I'll be reading more by Laura Pritchett.

4 stars. ( )

Sky Bridge is the story of Libby, a young grocery clerk who lives with her embittered mother, Kay, and younger sister, Tess, outside of a small town on the dusty plains of southeastern Colorado. The story is narrated by Libby, who offers to raise Tess’s impending baby and is then stunned when Tess leaves town, abandoning not only her new baby, but Libby as well. Libby is overwhelmed by her new responsibility and kind of muddles through life. Her mother, Kay, is awful and it’s no wonder Tess thought motherhood would not be for her. A life of poverty in small town Colorado is a rough deal but luckily there are caring neighbors. Also, luckily, Pritchett is a fine writer (and this is her first book) who can gracefully see the reader through a story chock full of despair and poor decisions to a more hopeful light.

Fans of Kent Haruf should give Laura Pritchett a try, although I’d recommend reading her stunning Hell’s Bottom, Colorado first. ( )

I seem to be drawn to stories set in small towns where the protagonist has to overcome some kind of obstacle. In this case, the small town is on the plains of eastern Colorado. It is not Holt, but it is written much in the style of Kent Haruf with well-drawn characters and lovely descriptions of the stark setting. Libby is raising the infant daughter of her younger sister with the "help" of her grudging and unsympathetic mother. She wants to do the right things but is thwarted by the colicky Amber and the challenges of single parenting.

This was Laura Pritchett's debut novel. She has that ability to allow the reader to connect with and care about her characters with all their flaws. While she writes about hard times, the values and authentic intensity of lives shaped by harsh surroundings come to the forefront of a book which deserves more attention. ( )

SLJ Reviews 2005 May
Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com
Adult/High School-This captivating first novel is the story of Libby, a 22-year-old checkout clerk who has been a mother figure to her younger sister. Now pregnant, 18-year-old Tess wants to have an abortion, but Libby convinces her to have the baby, saying that she herself will raise the infant. Within days of delivering, Tess indeed takes off to pursue her own dreams outside their small Colorado town, and Libby finds herself raising Amber while trying to deal with an alcoholic, abusive mother and make sense of her own life. Libby is a protagonist who is not afraid to confront her fears and loneliness; this very openness gives her a depth and strength that others draw on. At the same time that she is trying to make a life for herself and Amber, the baby's father reenters the picture, promising a custody battle, and Libby discovers that Tess has gotten involved in smuggling drugs and illegal immigrants. The primary and secondary plots captivate readers and ensure an ending that is anything but trite. Reminiscent of Billie Letts's Where the Heart Is (Warner, 1995), this book offers a gritty but redeeming picture of a family that never quite lets go of hope, and characters who are not soon forgotten.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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