‘A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove’ is a captivating novel written by James Moloney. It details the hardships of a family falling apart, friends and communities coming together, and the willingness to be a part of something. Kerry, Harley and Joy are trying to achieve this sense of belonging in Moloeny’s novel ‘A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove’. This is shown through the desperate and extreme measures the characters take to feel that sense of belonging.
Kerry is a mother of three who feels as if she doesn’t belong in society today, or even to the people who love her the most: her family. All her life she has been running: from her family, from her home and now from her children. Each of Kerry’s children have been born to different fathers, who have all abandoned her. As quoted on page 9 of the novel, “Kerry abandoned the veggie patch after planting it”, just as all three fathers abandoned her after metaphorically “planting a child” inside of her. All she wanted was for…show more content… She was also the mother of son Graham who was about Harley’s age when he was killed by Harley’s grandfather. As quoted on page 232-233 of ‘A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove’, “It’s not Skip’s leg that they’ve hated us for all this time. It’s on the account of the boy. Little Graham. Your grandfather killed him.” Now however Joy has realized that the Beryl (daughter) of the man that killed her son is abusing his Harley and wants to do something about it. When Joy is with Harley he is a “normal kid” as there is that motherly love and bond put into place. Harley later gets adopted by the Duncans, therefore also filling in that gap where Graham would be. Family stands out among the novel as the need to belong and be loved are prevalent themes. The message that is conveyed through the assumptions of: a mother’s love, is the strongest type of love. And the beliefs, that a mother and father will always love their children is: you should never abandon your
