Ilze Šķipsna’s first novel Beyond the Seventh Bridge generated more interest among Latvian refugees than her first collection of essays. Literary critic Jānis Rudzītis described this work as the first modern Latvian novel, and its publication as an important event in Latvian refugee community literature. It signalled the arrival of a new generation of authors, and a movement towards the incorporation of existential and surreal elements into Latvian literary works. At the centre of this novel lies an inner or psychological conflict, with a rich subtext 
of connections. There are few actual events in the novel and their role is insignificant: it is the author’s ruminations which are important, and these appear in the conversations of Edīte, Solvīta, and a few other characters. The chapters where Edīte’s opinion is most important begin with the letter E, while those where Solvīta’s opinion holds more sway begin with the letter S. Both characters speak in the first person and, ultimately, the reader comes to understand that they are the same. Edīte is introverted and finds it difficult to make real connections in life, whereas Solvīta – outwardly attractive and interested in life’s pleasures – has already married a rich American Southerner called Gerald Melvy. The plot of the novel grows primarily out of a string of various memories, moments of reflection, and emotions. The tension and dynamic of this work is generated by the constant back and forth between Edīte and Solvīta’s opposing perceptions of the world.

Contact: lelde@shaw.ca