The year is 1875 and the Brooklyn Bridge is under construction. To many, this bridge is a symbol of greatness and ingenuity. This sense of hope and aspiration echoes in the background as the book examines the lives of two Irish American families.

Bridget Mallon, called Bird, is about to enter her last year of school and struggles to find her place in the world. She wants to follow in her mother's footsteps as a healer but there are many difficult challenges on that path and Bird is not quite sure if she's cut out for the task. Bird worries about her family and determines to make things better for all of them. Her sister Annie, still unmarried, has few prospects for romance. Hughie, Bird's older brother, engages in illegal back street fighting with crippling results. Nory and Sean, Bird's parents, strive to make ends meet to provide a good and loving home for their family.

Thomas Neary is Bird's new friend who just moved into the upstairs apartment with his father, an alcoholic, who spends most of his time at the local pub. Thomas doesn't even know his mother and wonders if he ever will. He spends most of his time with Bird's family and keeps a journal full of stories he has created about the people and the places that surround him. Thomas' steadfast devotion to Bird's family encourages Bird to keep striving for better things.

Even in their world of frustration there is that ray of hope and expectation as Bird and Thomas watch the progress of the looming towers of the Brooklyn Bridge and reflect on the possibilities of the future.

This book challenges the reader to explore the history of the time and the plight of being an immigrant in America. Giff allows the reader to step into the heart and soul of Bird and Thomas and discover what it means to be called a friend and a family.