'Bridge To Terabithia' Is Based On A True Story, And It's Even Sadder Than The Book
Bridge to Terabithia is one of the most beloved coming-of-age stories of all time, with the ability to shock, sadden, and anger innocent young readers. Whether you're referencing the film adaptation or the original book written by Katherine Paterson, the story's honest depiction of death and grief is so famous that a spoiler alert is barely necessary.
The real Bridge to Terabithia story began back in 1974, when something that happened to Paterson and her family inspired her to write the book. Sometimes the truth is more depressing than its fictional counterpart.
- Photo: Buena Vista Pictures
Author Katherine Paterson's Son Struggled In School
For years, Katherine Paterson lived in Takoma Park, MD, raising her four kids and writing books for children and adults. Her third child, David, ended up feeling isolated, lonely, and saddened by his family's occasional financial issues.
Jess, the main character in Bridge to Terabithia, also shares many of these traits, including David's love of running and drawing. Both Jess and David also have an estranged father and a crush on a music teacher.
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David Found A Best Friend In Lisa Hill
A new family, which included Lisa Hill, later moved to Takoma Park. Lisa changed David's life, as she quickly became the boy's best friend and confidante, always comforting him when he had a problem. The two spent hours together every week, laughing at one another's jokes and playing T-ball together.
They especially enjoyed using their imaginations and playing fantasy games in the woods behind Lisa's house, which became the inspiration for the book's setting, Terabithia.
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Lightning Tragically Struck Lisa Dead
One day in the summer of 1974, Katherine Paterson got a call informing her that her son's friend Lisa had died. Lisa was at a beach in Delaware with her family when lightning struck and killed her instantly.
A storm had been visible on the horizon, but the sky appeared clear and Lisa was only at the water's edge, not deep in the ocean. It was a random act of nature.
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Katherine And David Felt Devastated
When David found out about Lisa's death, he became depressed and angry. He didn't understand why the world suddenly had to take Lisa away from him so soon. Katherine also felt traumatized by the senselessness of Lisa's death.
She was not always sure how to help her son deal with this terrible loss.
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Paterson Wrote 'Bridge To Terabithia' To Help Make Sense Of Lisa's Death
As summer turned to autumn, Katherine and David continued to struggle with their grief. To make emotional sense of Lisa's death, Katherine began to turn the experience into a story. This wasn't unusual - she had dedicated a special book to each of her four children.
The book's first draft was a personal story, but eventually Katherine decided to submit it for publication. She did so only after asking her son for permission, and David agreed with one request: that she name Lisa in the dedication. Published in 1977, Bridge to Terabithia garnered great success and acclaim.
Paterson Had A Cancer Scare
The same year Lisa died, Katherine Paterson had also survived a cancer diagnosis. Paterson said in an interview that while writing the book, she felt as if she were exploring her own mortality as well:
And of course my children thought I was going to die. I didn't know if I would or not. So it was really a very difficult year, and I started writing the book to try to make sense of the death and stopped when I knew if I wrote the next chapter, Leslie would die... When I realized it was my own death I was going to have to look square in the face, I went back and finished the book.
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Paterson Doesn't Think The Book Is Appropriate For Grieving Kids
Paterson has said she feels surprised that people still remember Bridge to Terabithia. She had not expected anyone to publish her book or connect with the story because of its dark and personal subject matter.
She's deeply touched by how the story has affected others, but she doesn't think Bridge to Terabithia is appropriate for kids who have suffered a recent loss. She believes the story serves better as "emotional practice" for children to prepare for the losses they will experience as they grow older.
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Lisa's Book Counterpart Meets A Different Fate
For the most part, Paterson's original story about Jess and Leslie - the Lisa-inspired character in the book - remained unchanged on its way to publication. But editors urged her to alter the way Leslie dies because they felt no one would believe the true story about the random lightning strike.
So Paterson changed Leslie's tragic death to a drowning that occurs after a fall from a broken rope swing. The story's location also switched from suburban Maryland to rural Virginia. Paterson decided these adjustments were necessary because she felt the new environment would better demonstrate the isolation felt by Jess and Leslie.
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David Initially Didn't Like The Story
As David Paterson grew up, he initially struggled with his personal connection to such a famous book. While the story was therapeutic for his mother to write, he didn't feel relieved by it - instead, he had a sense of guilt about gaining notoriety from such a painful and scarring experience.
David eventually came to terms with Bridge to Terabithia changing his life, but he still finds the book difficult to read, especially since he is now a father.
'Bridge To Terabithia' Is One Of The Most Commonly Banned Books In The US
Institutions have consistently challenged and censored Bridge to Terabithia over the years. From 1990 to 1999, it ranked No. 8 on the American Library Association's list of most banned and challenged books, and in the 2000s, it cracked the top 30.
Reasons for challenging the book include its use of profanity, as well as the alleged promotion of occultism and atheism. Some believe the real reason for the censorship is the frank, uncompromising way Bridge to Terabithia discusses death and grief.
Narnia Inspired The Book's Title
Paterson's inspiration for the book didn't come wholly from real-life experiences. An avid reader of C.S. Lewis, she said a location in his famous Chronicles of Narnia books may have subconsciously inspired the name of Terabithia: an island in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader called Terebinthia.
In Paterson's book, Leslie lends Jess her collection of Narnia books as inspiration for their own fantasy realm. The character is surprised to learn about C.S. Lewis's Christian convictions, but in real life, Paterson was aware due to her own strong faith.
The Local School Dedicated A Tree To Lisa
David and Lisa attended Takoma Park Elementary School. To celebrate Lisa's life and the impact Bridge to Terabithia has had on readers worldwide, the school created a tribute. In 1979, the school planted a cherry tree outside the main entrance and hung a plaque in the hallway to honor Lisa's memory.
Unfortunately, by the mid-2000s, the tree died and landscapers cut it down. The plaque disappeared in the intervening years as well. But a campaign by local parent Ann Riley, in combination with renewed interest in the book, led to a new tree being planted in 2005. The school also erected a new plaque, and Katherine Paterson, David, and Lisa's mother attended the dedication.
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David Paterson Wrote The Movie Adaptation
Over the years, David became a successful playwright and screenwriter. Around 1990, he turned to the idea of creating a movie version of Bridge to Terabithia. He promised to do the book justice and asked for his mother's blessing to write the script.
He was so determined for the movie to stay true to the book that it took him nearly 17 years to get an adaptation made that matched his vision.
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Movie Executives Fought To Change The Ending
Part of the reason the movie took so long to debut: Hollywood executives opposed Leslie's death in the story. More than one production company asked David to change the story by having Leslie sustain an injury or end up in a coma, which she would have to awaken from by the end of the movie. David remained insistent on staying true to the original story.
Co-screenwriter Jeff Stockwell helped create the imaginary world of Terabithia for the big screen. Katherine worried special effects might overwhelm the book's very human story, but joked that the relatively low budget would prevent it.
- Photo: Buena Vista Pictures
AnnaSophia Robb Really Wanted The Part Of Leslie
By the time David Paterson got his version of the story into production with Disney and Walden Media, Bridge to Terabithia was already a respected classic for generations of kids. Actress AnnaSophia Robb, fresh from starring in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, discovered that Rugrats co-creator Gábor Csupó was directing the movie adaptation.
Robb sent Csupó a long, emotional letter explaining her profound connection with Leslie and how important the story was to her. Impressed, Csupó gave Robb the part.
