Matthew, due to his age, is given guardianship of his brothers but he is blasé about the responsibilities. Infuriatingly, the adults in the novel are negligent. Ultimately both are cast in careful nuance demarcating their vulnerabilities and foibles. It’s easy to approve of the taciturn Clay or become infuriated when his brother Rory is allowed to drop out of school and carouse the local bars without consequence. Characters undergo sweeping arches exhibiting a human’s culpability while extenuating flaws, grief, and regret. The only Dunbar boy willing to help Michael is Clay thereby sparking the series of events leading to the family’s reunification and the novel’s crux.īridge of Clay is an epic novel thrusting readers into the middle of a rowdy and rambunctious family. A seemingly simple request, Michael is actually testing their tenuous relationship to determine if forgiveness is possible. After several years, he returns to ask the boys for help in constructing a bridge. When Penelope, their mother, succumbs to cancer, Michael abandons the boys and takes up residence deep in the Australian woods. The novel’s theme of redemption is primarily embodied by Michael Dunbar, the boys’ father, while his sons signal forgiveness.

Mathew carefully develops the brothers’ narratives thereby establishing luminous and unique identities for each character. The novel is narrated by the eldest Dunbar, Matthew, in a method utilizing flashbacks and heavy foreshadowing. Whereas the comparisons to The Book Thief are few, Zusak’s classic and Bridge of Clay share the ability to inspire emerging readers while serving as a practical teaching tool and catalyst for engaging curriculum development. Marketed as young adult fiction, Zusak has again proven his ability to present complicated and demonstrative ideas in an authentic and accessible manner. The novel is a sprawling family saga depicting the lives of the five Dunbar brothers, living alone after their mother’s death and their father’s abandonment. Readers have waited 13 years for Bridge of Clay, finally released in the United States this October. After receiving global acclaim for 2006’s The Book Thief, Zusak became an international bestselling author for young adult literature. Bridge of Clayis the highly anticipated novel by celebrated Australian author Markus Zusak.

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