The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez Published by 4th Estate on 5 March 2024
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
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It is said that the Canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built.
Ada Bunting, a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados, arrives alone in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work in the grand building project of the Canal. Francisco, a local fisherman, resents the foreign nations clamouring for a slice of his country, but nothing is more upsetting for him than his son Omar’s decision to work as a digger. For Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection and independence. Scientist John Oswald has come from further afield. He has journeyed to Panama in pursuit of one goal: eliminating malaria. But everything hangs in the balance as his wife Marian falls ill herself.
When John witnesses an act of bravery and compassion from Ada one day, he hires her on the spot as a caregiver for his wife. This fateful decision sets in motion a sweeping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Breathtaking and impossible to put down, The Great Divide explores the lives of the labourers, fishmongers, journalists, protesters, doctors and soothsayers who lived alongside the construction of the Canal – those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course.
The Great Divide wasn’t exactly the sweeping saga about the lives lost in the construction of the Canal that I expected, but it was still a very enjoyable story about multiple people from different backgrounds traveling to Panama to benefit from the amount of work there.
I thought the beginning of the book was a little slow as it introduced us to a huge cast of characters. The cast was a little too big for me, as we didn’t get to spend as much time with each person as I would have liked. I enjoyed reading about all different backgrounds, but I feel like one or two could have been cut loose because they offered similar things. Better yet, the author could have written two books instead and really honed her focus with this one.
Out of the large cast, I felt for Marian, Ada, and Lucille the most. I was finding myself becoming really invested in their stories. Unfortunately, due to the fact that there were too many characters, Marian was pushed to the side in favour of others.
It was very interesting to see how all the storylines collided towards the end and it was rewarding after what had been building.
I went into this book wanting to learn more about the history of Panama and people’s lives there around the time that the Canal was being built. I did learn some things, but nothing too in depth, as this book is too short to really go into much detail. The Great Divide is more of a snapshot of people’s lives in a small period of time. It has inspired me to read more about this time in history, though!
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