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hedyd's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
history from the perspective of Panamanians and those who worked on the Panama Canal was interesting. The characters felt flat.
the_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
Christina has a wonderfull way of bringing characters to life on a page.
Being a West Indian myself, I was delighted to see the representation of our food, history and local speach being presented in a clear and descriptive way.
The plot moves at a crawl, I realized at midway in the book I was still reading about the backstory of the characters. Things pickup considerably in the last quater of the book. If your a fan of historical fiction, then this is the book for you.
Being a West Indian myself, I was delighted to see the representation of our food, history and local speach being presented in a clear and descriptive way.
The plot moves at a crawl, I realized at midway in the book I was still reading about the backstory of the characters. Things pickup considerably in the last quater of the book. If your a fan of historical fiction, then this is the book for you.
mhkennadixon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
dreamer626's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mdcrabbyreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
juliaclare32's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
rspinniken's review against another edition
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I kind of couldn’t wait for this to end. I had high hopes and loved the historical context. But there were far too many character perspectives. I found it very disorienting and it kept taking me out of the story trying to place who someone was and if I had heard of them before. It also made it so I didn’t really form a bond with any of the characters because it stayed so shallow as it hopped around. Maybe it would have been better as a short story collection?
marissa_beeeeee's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
autumn_alwaysreadingseason's review against another edition
4.0
Set around the construction of the Panama Canal, The Great Divide follows several characters whose lives are affected by the project.
Ada is a teenager that has run away from Barbados in the hopes of finding a job and sending money to her mother and sick sister. When she is the only one who will come close to a man who is suffering from illness, John Oswald, a doctor who is hoping to cure malaria, notices. He hires her on to take care of his wife.
Meanwhile, Omar has defied his father and signed up to work on the Canal. His father, a fisherman, completely stops speaking to him.
These characters circle each other, becoming involved in the others' orbits. The interactions between characters come about in interesting ways. There are situations that become risky because of segregation. Disease is rampant. Families are torn apart and find their way back to each other.
Their experiences paint a general picture of what life was like during the canal construction. There isn't as much on page about the particulars of the construction. Omar is working with a crew on the job site and we see a little of how he is treated and how the men there build community, even though most of them are not from Panama. We also see how the Canal is displacing towns and the residents are attempting to fight back. There is some comment on the politics of the Canal and how it came to be. But overall, this is a character focused story.
Ada is a teenager that has run away from Barbados in the hopes of finding a job and sending money to her mother and sick sister. When she is the only one who will come close to a man who is suffering from illness, John Oswald, a doctor who is hoping to cure malaria, notices. He hires her on to take care of his wife.
Meanwhile, Omar has defied his father and signed up to work on the Canal. His father, a fisherman, completely stops speaking to him.
These characters circle each other, becoming involved in the others' orbits. The interactions between characters come about in interesting ways. There are situations that become risky because of segregation. Disease is rampant. Families are torn apart and find their way back to each other.
Their experiences paint a general picture of what life was like during the canal construction. There isn't as much on page about the particulars of the construction. Omar is working with a crew on the job site and we see a little of how he is treated and how the men there build community, even though most of them are not from Panama. We also see how the Canal is displacing towns and the residents are attempting to fight back. There is some comment on the politics of the Canal and how it came to be. But overall, this is a character focused story.