The Engineer's Wife: The true story of the woman who built the Brooklyn Bridge

"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.