In The Bridge Ladies, Betsy Lerner returns to her childhood home in New Haven, Connecticut, to reconnect with her aging mother and her mother’s long-standing bridge club. What begins as reluctant visits turns into a profound journey of understanding as Lerner joins the women at their weekly games. Through their conversations, she gains insight into their generational values, secrets, resilience, and the quiet rituals that sustained their friendships for over fifty years. Lerner contrasts their world of loyalty and tradition with her own, shaped by rebellion and therapy, discovering unexpected common ground.

Betsy Lerner explores both personal and collective memory in The Bridge Ladies, offering a moving meditation on mother-daughter relationships, aging, and the cultural shifts between generations. As she interviews the women and reflects on her own life, the memoir reveals the emotional distance and deep ties that exist beneath familial roles. With humor, tenderness, and honesty, Lerner crafts a narrative that honors the past while embracing reconciliation and renewed connection¹.