Jon McConal is my friend. Nonetheless, as an objective reader -- I'm an editor - I found "Bridges Over the Brazos" fascinating. Jon and a friend or two traveled the Brazos -- a river to be respected, if not feared. They scouted the Brazos from its origins to its termination point - a "fur piece" almost the length of Texas. He tells stories of the river, its bridges, old and new, and most importantly, of the people who have watched the Brazos swell and fall for decades. Jon is a seasoned reporter and retired columnist of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. His reportorial skills serve him well in the story of the river and the bridges.

Jon uses an unusual literary device to move the book along. There's a fictional subplot involving a lonely young harmonica player who found refuge and solace playing his music under one of the bridges. One day, he hears another harmonica echoing his melody. He is fascinated and returns to the bridge year after year to play lonely duets with his mystical musical companion. Through vignettes at the beginning of each chapter, the reader follows the maturing of the musicians and their eventual fates, which I will not reveal here.

Both stories are worth the read.