All Books by Under the Bridge Author Rebecca Godfrey
Dive into the work of the late, great writer depicted on the Hulu series.
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The late, great Rebecca Godfrey made a name for herself as a writer. And not just any writer—a talented wordsmith who could weave sentences together in a way that showed deep empathy for her subjects. Godfrey’s work is poetic and thoughtful, often shining a light in even the darkest situations, from a small-town murder to the tragic loss of a husband.
Godfrey died in 2022 from lung cancer, but her work lives on. Her best-known book, Under the Bridge, was recently turned into a miniseries on Hulu, starring Riley Keough as Godfrey herself, who teams up with a detective (played by Lily Gladstone) to investigate a murder. If you’ve been keeping up with Esquire’s coverage of the series, you know how much we enjoyed the heartbreaking yet enlightening tale. Aside from Under the Bridge, Godfrey penned two more compelling, essential stories. You can brush up on her collection below.
Released eight years after Reena Virk’s tragic death, Under the Bridge explores the events leading up to her demise. Godfrey spent six years researching the case, conducting numerous interviews with the accused to create a thought-provoking story. Under the Bridge taps into the psyche of eight teenagers (seven girls and one boy) to unpack the dangers of mob mentality and highlight how bullying can have fatal consequences. Rather than remaining objective, Godfrey tried to empathize with everyone involved, resulting in a refreshingly humane true-crime story.
In an interview with Leslie Jamison for The Paris Review, Godfrey opened up about her writing process for Under the Bridge. “I wanted to very carefully portray the lives of the teenagers, and the victim Reena, before the crime so the reader could see them not as studies but as people, with lives that were once so innocent and normal,” she said. “I hoped if I could be as observant and detailed as possible about the tensions and characters involved, the reader would be able to understand without relying on the authorial voice for a simple explanation.”
The Torn Skirt is similar to Under the Bridge in that it examines the secret lives of teenagers—only this time the narrative is pure fiction. Godfrey’s debut follows Sara Shaw, a sheltered girl desperate for an adventure. Her pursuit leads her to Justine, a mysterious teenager who wears a torn skirt. Sara’s connection to Justine puts her in the path of thieves, runaways, skater boys, and dangerous adults. It’s all fun and games—until tragedy strikes.
Godfrey died while working on Peggy, but Leslie Jamison—her friend and fellow writer—completed the novel. The story is inspired by the real life of Peggy Guggenheim, a Jewish woman whose world is upended when her father becomes a victim of the Titanic sinking. His sudden death inspires her to make the most of her life. Her family is wealthy, prim, and proper, so she subverts expectations by pursuing an art career. Peggy is entranced by the glamorous art communities in New York and Europe but gets discouraged by the rampant sexism and antisemitism that she encounters. While trying to find her footing, she’s tasked with a balancing act: Can she appease her family while honoring herself? Peggy will be available for purchase on August 13.
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