The Jackson River Bridge

by Elliott Light

Alone on a bridge staring into the dark water... He was not born Noah Waters, but constant rejection often has a way of encouraging one to walk away from everything they have known while giving birth to the person they are meant to be. This is Noah's story... I was a sixteen-year-old runaway when I worked my way to the edge of the Jackson River Bridge and peered at the moonlit water swirling below. To be fair, I wasn't an ordinary sixteen-year-old. I had an affliction akin to autism that left me with fragmented memories of my childhood, memories that inspired nightmares filled with demons that tormented me while I slept and awoke me screaming in the dark void of my room. Even I understood that I had few choices, and all were bad. There was nothing for me on the side of the river I had come from, and I had no reason to believe that the other side of the river offered anything better. Logically, jumping seemed a way to break the tie. The stalemate only broke when I heard a voice emanating from the darkness. The voice belonged to a man wearing a hooded garment that shadowed his face, a man who chose to live on the grounds of an old monastery with a dozen cats. The moment he stepped from the darkness my life began to pivot. I first learned to trust him, then love him. He put me on a path toward a future I never imagined possible that night as I stood on...The Jackson River Bridge

222 pages, Hardcover

Published December 14, 2025

About the author

Light grew up outside Washington, D.C. in McLean, Virginia before the beltway encircled the capital city, before farms were turned into housing developments, and before open fields became mega-malls.

Light attended the University of Virginia, receiving degrees in Electrical Engineering and Law. He has several patents to his name.

After stints as an environmental lawyer and a high tech in-house counsel, he practiced patent law in a private law firm.

Now retired, he resides in Naples, FL with his wife, Sonya. Throwaways is his fourth published novel.

Reviews

[Sandy Stahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Jackson River Bridge: A Memoir by Noah Waters author Elliot Light takes the reader on a poignant exploration of memory and development. From the internal perspective of the main character, the reader can feel and see the daily struggles of someone who is trying to cope with a family and society that has little empathy for his position as a neuro-diverse child. Jeff Cutter tries to cope, to fit in, and simply to survive despite his unexpected and disconcerting responses to normal social cues. While society often demonstrates little tolerance for those who don’t meet normal expectations, Jeff Cutter doggedly pushes forward to learn strategies to fit in as well as to discover who he is. This book pushed all my buttons. I was angry about the abuse he received from family and strangers. I felt triumphant at his successes and disturbed by his confusion and despair. I laughed with him on the rare occasions when he experienced happiness. No child should have to struggle as he did to reach adulthood and discover his own goodness or his identity. For all of his difficulty in relating to people due to his autism, Jeff Cutter eventually discovered his humanity and ways to connect with people. He found himself and a new name.

The idea that Jeff wasn’t finished and that strangers committed to helping him find himself is powerful. That sort of kindness and investment of people in the well-being of others is special and so is The Jackson River Bridge: A Memoir by Noah Waters.

[Gin Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb Psychological Mystery - Highly Recommend

Elliott Light tells a story of Jeff Cutter, a young man who fights against the unknown and misunderstood condition of being neural non-normal. Part fiction, part memoire, and a whole lot of unsolved murder mystery, this story has nothing to do with gender issues. Through Jeff’s eyes, we see the world from an entirely new perspective, one that throws traditional emotional and intellectual thinking out the window. How easy it is for man to put people into slots when in reality, there isn’t one slot . Born a genius and a twin, Jeff is a square peg in a round hole. He is “unfinished”, as Ben (a monk-like man who takes Jeff under his wing) claims, and must find himself in the past in order to become complete. Give it a read. You may find that you are not as “finished” as you think. And like me, you will want to read more of Elliott Light’s stories.
– Gin Coleman, Author of Desert Brave

[Marc Cullison · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s difficult to find just the right words to describe my reaction to this book. I’;ve read other books about characters with mental conditions but none that delved into the main character’s mind as deeply as this one. The author has an astute talent for creating puzzling and fascinating characters. The story demands empathy from he reader a. d a great deal of passion for the story itself, a very clever arrangement of struggles for the main character. This is one of those books IO had to finish reading, even at the cost of the joy of reading it, but that joy seems to linger well after the book is finished.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the main character’s voice. I have a niece who has autism and I felt the author’s description was accurate although my niece is in a different place on the spectrum. This was a good mystery too. I’m glad my friend told me about this book. Good read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where did this come from? Perfect timing for me. Seems a departure from your other mysteries. Loved it.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a page turner for sure!! Such an interesting story and so well written. I highly recommend it!

[Roger Williamson]

Quite a head full

I do not know where Elliott gets his perspective to write this book. But I am glad that he has it. The jackson river bridge has given me insight to a world that I would have never known without it.