Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Great Divide

Arguably my favorite read of 2024 so far, The Great Divide falls within a genre that I usually find challenging: historical fiction. When reading historical fiction novels, I often find myself getting distracted by the factual elements in the stories (wanting to look up dates, events, settings, etc.), Cristina Henriquez adeptly weaves in important details about the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s and its impact on surrounding communities, while primarily focusing on individual characters' narratives during this time. I was able to get totally swept up in the story while still learning enough about the context to understand what was going on. The cast is *vast* (I cannot emphasize this enough), and while I initially had to devote a lot of mental energy to keeping track of all the different stories, I also felt that each story was treated with such careful attention to detail that by the end of the book, I was truly invested in all of their stories, particularly the ways in which they overlapped.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

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befthhh's review against another edition

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emotional informative 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

5.0

*I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Great Divide was an incredibly moving story. I knew very little about the tensions in Panama while the canal was being dug, and now I feel it is important to learn more. Learning about Panama through the eyes of multiple characters coming from different places and situations, and almost all of them suffering as a result of the canal being built, gave me a powerful emotional connection to the story. As a white American, I think it is vital to hear from the people and the descendants of people who were so brutally affected by U.S. colonialism and expansionism.

I won't even dare to try and determine which storyline was my favorite as all were so moving! Omar and his father, Ada and her mother and sister, Marian, they all touched my heart! And I loved how their lives intersected. It wasn't a perfect culmination where at the end they all found out they knew each other and fell in love and they lived happily ever after. It was the reality of sometimes a person is in your life for fleeting, but meaningful moments. I really enjoyed this book, and would absolutely read more of Henriquez's work, she is a beautiful storyteller.

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lyla's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The only fictional account about the Panama Canal and its construction that I've ever read - about the natives, the immigrant labor force, the white Americans, all coming to a head. I loved the characters, and the novel is heavily laced with characterization, very little dialogue, a lot of exposition. Henriquez's writing slides by, with such smoothness and wit, even when no action is really taking place. Depicts many complicated relationships and the way humans fall short.

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