A review by serendipitysbooks
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective 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

4.25

 The Great Divide is a literary character based novel which tells the interconnected stories of a largish cast of characters and is set against the backdrop of the construction of the Panama Canal. While I enjoyed the stories of the many and varied characters (different nationalities, classes, genders, races and perspectives) equally and loved the mosaic effect which their combination created it is true that the breadth meant there was not always a lot of depth. This didn’t bother me and I felt each character’s story arc was complete and satisfactory in its own right. I really enjoyed learning more about the construction of the canal, especially the socio-political issues surrounding it - things like worker’s pay, conditions and mortality, the strong connections between the construction and US imperialism, loss of land rights for indigenous peoples, and the blatant segregation highlighted by stores being classed as gold or silver according to who could shop there. 
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