In 1869, construction began on the first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world. The massive bridge would link Brooklyn and Manhattan. Everyone was captivated by its progress. But when chief engineer Washington Roebling fell ill, the project seemed doomed to fail. Fortunately, Emily Warren Roebling stepped in, and thanks to her, the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883. Frieda Wishinsky's engaging text and Natalie Nelson's distinctive collage illustrations tell the inspiring story of how Emily Warren Roebling saved the bridge. Speech bubbles revealing imagined dialogue add a playful note to this historical account, which includes fascinating facts about the Brooklyn Bridge and a further reading list.--front flap

"An accessible, picture-book biography of Emily Warren Roebling. The Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic suspension bridge that connects Manhattan and Brooklyn, was completed in 1883. It is thanks to Emily Warren Roebling that the bridge was finished at all. Emily was not an engineer, but she was educated in math and science. She married Washington Roebling, the chief engineer of the famous bridge. When Washington became ill from decompression sickness, Emily stepped in, doing everything from keeping the books, to carrying messages for her husband, to monitoring the construction of the bridge. She was the first person to cross the Brooklyn Bridge when it opened."-- Provided by publisher.