The House at Ottowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner and Los Alamos
by Peggy Pond Church
Published 1959
Reviewed by Elizabeth H. Cottrell, Heartspoken.com
This book is a gem, especially for those whose interest in Los Alamos has been piqued by the movie “Oppenheimer,” as well as those who love New Mexico and are fascinated by the natural and Native American influences there.
The author is a native New Mexican who lived in Los Alamos before WWII when her husband ran a boys’ school there. Her lyrical descriptions of the physical and spiritual beauty of the place—laced with her own affection and the deep regret over the government’s takeover and ultimate use of Los Alamos—are worth the price of the book and deserve five stars.
Primarily this is a book about Edith Warner, a woman who left home and family to come to the Los Alamos area and live for more than 20 years as a neighbor and friend to the natives of the San Ildefonso Pueblo. Her own journals—used liberally in this book—reflect the heart of a child, the eyes of a naturalist, the wisdom of an ancient medicine woman, and the soul of a poet.
Edith ran a tearoom with such warmth and grace that it became a cultural crossroads, where natives, locals, and scientists from around the world came and lingered and talked—drawn as much by Edith’s simple love for them as by her renowned chocolate cake.
If you’re looking for a history of Los Alamos and its occupants during the war years, read 109 East Palace Street by Jennet Conant, and if you want more about the life of Oppenheimer, read American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherman (which inspired the movie). But for a beautiful and moving glimpse into the life of a special woman in a particular time and place, you can do no better than this book. Your only regret will be that you didn’t know Edith Warner in person and sit with her, drinking her tea, nibbling on her homemade cake, and nourishing your heart and soul with her beloved Pajarito Plateau country and the mesa she could see east of the Rio Grande, where a bridge crossed near the Ottowi Switch. The appendix with Edith Warner’s Christmas letters is marvelous too.
This book speaks to at least two of the Heartspoken Life’s essential connections: with Nature because of the exquisite descriptions of the New Mexico landscape and with Others because of the gift Edith Warner clearly had for nourishing her friendships and appreciating others of all walks of life.
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- My Heartspoken Bookshop — supports my writing and independent bookstores
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I’m delighted to find out about this book. This will make a great gift. New Mexico is special to our family too. Thank you for the recommendation!
With a family connection to “The Land of Enchantment,” Jan, I really do think you’ll enjoy this book. It was written a long time ago, so its glimpse into that era is quite stunning and accurate.
You’ve piqued my interest too. I love the landscapes of New Mexico. My father lived there many years and before his death, he and his wife and built a straw bale house in the Jemez Mountains, not far from Los Alamos. Putting this on my reading list. Thank you, Elizabeth.
Ooooh, with that connection, I think you’ll really enjoy this book, Denise. Thanks for reading the review and commenting.
I am so happy to know of this author, and her book that is worthy of reading! Your own beautiful review here makes me want to dig into it soon, and I will help spread the news.
Thanks so much, Judy — I was so glad that a friend heading to New Mexico for a visit asked me to recommend any books, and I thought of this one that I read several years ago. I was glad to be reminded!