The Other Side of the Bridge

Arthur is overwhelmed trying to run two farms alone. He tries to lose his grief in work, in the routine of the farm, but “the routine was of his father’s devising, and memories ambushed him at every turn” (213).

Arthur decides he has to tell Otto he can’t work his farm and asks his mother to write to him, but she doesn’t. Then he asks her again a few months later, becoming angry when she is reluctant to do so. Jake, who could work but doesn’t, tells Arthur to get a POW from the nearby POW camp. Arthur does, and two German prisoners of war come to live at the Dunn farm. Their names are Dieter and Bernard.

With the help of the POWs, Arthur is able to run both farms. Arthur allows the POWs to use the tractor on the Luntz farm, though he won’t use it himself or let them use it on his farm.

In the summer of 1944, the Reverend March and his daughter come to Struan to take the place of the former reverend, who is now overseas due to the war. March’s daughter is Laura, and the town puts them up at the Luntz farm, which is how Arthur first sees her. He falls in love with her at first sight. Arthur is tongue-tied and awkward around her, and unable to stop thinking about her. It’s Laura who ends up talking to Arthur.

For a few weeks, Arthur is able to be in love with her and at peace, though he never acts on his love at all. One night, at dinner, his mother encourages Jake to bring Laura over and Arthur blushes. Jake sees it and realizes Arthur is in love with Laura. The chapter closes with Arthur’s vision of the future: “Arthur knew what was going to happen. He saw the whole thing, right then” (243).

Jake eats lunch with the Dunn family and Ian, telling stories from earlier in the Arthur timeline, avoiding work, getting in trouble, burning the fence posts, and even acknowledging that Arthur kept him out of trouble. Ian notices that Arthur doesn’t seem to like his brother and even works to avoid him, returning early to the fields to work rather than sitting in the house for a bit after the midday meal, the way they did before Jake arrived.

Ian begins to notice that Laura is different around Jake and that Jake follows her around all day. He thinks Laura doesn’t like Jake, but Ian feels “uneasy” (247) about the two of them and wonders what Arthur thinks about it. Arthur pretends not to notice and stays out in the fields to avoid Jake.

Ian is grooming the horse one day when Jake approaches him and they talk about the future of Struan, if any of the children will take over the farm, and what Ian will do. Jake puts Ian in a position of defending Struan, which Jake thinks will suffer in the coming years as kids like Ian move away to the big cities, rather than taking over the farm. Jake tells Ian that his father is wasting his time and talents “treating people’s sore throats” (250);  Ian finds himself offended by Jake slighting Struan and his father.

Ian and Pete go fishing in the evenings. They’re still chasing the big fish that got away from Pete. One evening, Ian tries to get Pete to tell him what his plans for the future are but Pete won’t unless Ian tells him his. Ian can’t, however, because he still doesn’t know. Finally, Ian decides he wants to be a pilot. Pete just laughs.

Arthur also asks Ian what his future plans are, and if he will continue to work on the farm during the summers. Ian says that he will the next summer.

Jake and Ian talk of women, Jake reveals that he has just split with a woman, which Ian believes is the reason he returned home, “to lick his wounds” (260).

There is a bad car accident and Ian and his father’s nurse both have to help out. Dr. Christopherson is able to patch up the injured family well enough until they can be taken away in an ambulance, but Ian realizes that without him, it might not have turned out that way.

Ian’s mother stops sending him letters. He has received 192 letters and never opened one of them. Ian goes out to the farm at night to watch Laura Dunn, which he has not done in a long time. He sees Laura and Jake interacting strangely and he can’t figure out why.

Pete brings Ian a rabbit, which Ian plans to give to March Dunn. Ian and his father make plans to get a dog. Ian tells his father that he wants to be a pilot.

The chapter ends with Ian dreaming of his mother, who cryptically says, “tell Laura she doesn’t have to worry about Arthur. Arthur will be fine” (268).