I enjoyed reading about the building of the Panama Canal. This book gives a good overview about what life was like during this period. It helps you understand the disruption that it brought and the effects of Malaria.

I’m torn with how I felt about the structure of the book. There were a lot of characters to keep straight and each chapter delved into a different perspective. Some of the chapters felt distracting from the book but over I thought it was good for people that like historical fiction and want to read about a different part of history.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.

This historical masterpiece sent me back into time when I first heard of the Panama Canal in grade school. Over two decades later and this novel brought that fascination full circle. History made on the backs of the PGM population. Robin Miles narration engulfed me into the site sounds of smells within those lines. This was such a great entertaining audio-booking experience. #TheGreatDivide #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for an advanced listener copy of this book.

I DNF'ed The Great Divide at 20%. I primarily read fantasy, but I really liked the description of this book and knew about the author's past work.

Personally, I did not continue with this book for a few reasons. The audiobook narrator is very good at voicing distinct characters, but the accents for different characters made me uncomfortable. I'm sure it could help other listeners to engage with the story, but the "Island" accents put on for the Black characters soured my experience. I didn't get deep enough in to the book to comment on plot, but really did want to see how all the story lines ended up connecting.

If you like multi-generational, multi-character historical epics, I think you will like The Great Divide.

Interesting historical fiction about the building of the Panama Canal. Mostly highlighted how it affected peoples lives and how people were forced to move.

I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the characters and their stories and how it all came together. I found the history of the Panama Canal fascinating. I had never given much thought to the intricacies of what it took to build this canal. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in historical fiction.

Thank you Harper Audio and Netgalley for this ARC. #HarperAudio #NetGalley

As an avid reader, it's rare for me to come across a book that I genuinely struggle to enjoy, but unfortunately, The Great Divide falls into that category. From the very beginning, I found it difficult to connect with the characters or the storyline. The plot felt disjointed and lacked depth, leaving me feeling disconnected and uninterested in what happened next.

I found The Great Divide, by Cristina Henriquez, on a short list of most anticipated novels of 2024. I don’t like to get shut out when a book gets this much buzz; then there’s the added draw of an unusual setting. The U.S. doesn’t see a lot of fiction published that’s set primarily in Panama during the early 1900s, and so that sealed it. My thanks go to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the review copies, both audio and digital. This story lives up to the hype, and I recommend it to you.

I am not so sure about it at the outset. There is a robust quantity of characters that are important to the story, and each of them is given a brief chapter all to themselves. I wonder whether they will ever intersect, or if this will turn out to be a collection of short stories, but before much longer, characters are meeting other characters. They don’t all end up together in the end, but we can see the ties that have formed. There are a lot of people to keep track of, and for me, having both the print version and the audio is tremendously helpful. Robin Miles narrates in a way that is natural and fluid, and I don’t notice much of what is around me when I listen to her. But once in awhile a character is mentioned and I draw a blank; here is where the Kindle version is essential, because I highlight the names of each of the characters, and this enables me to instantly flip back to where they were introduced to us without having to stop listening. Eventually, of course, I no longer need to do so, but knowing that I can makes for stress-free reading.

I am engaged with these characters, each of whom feels real to me, and I groan when I see them get into trouble, and sigh with relief once they are in the clear again. The ones that I care about most are a father and son that are estranged from each other, neither wanting to stay that way, yet both of them incorrectly interpreting the silence of the other. As we reach the climax, I can tell there are three ways for this situation to resolve: they can reconcile; one of them can die; or the son can decide to follow another character back to the U.S.A. without reconnecting with his dad. It only now occurs to me that there was a fourth possibility, which was to leave them still estranged at the end; but by this time, Henriquez had shown herself to be a better writer than that, and while I won’t tell you how they wound up, I will say that she didn’t leave her readers dangling.

Because this is an intricately woven tale with a lot of equally important characters, I’m not including any quotes, but I will say that Henriquez is a talented writer, and anyone that loves good historical fiction should get this book and read it. This applies even more so to those interested in Latin American history and the building of the canal. I hadn’t read her work before, but she’s on my radar now, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez

Thank you so much NetGalley, Harper Audio, and ECCO Books for the advanced copies and the chance to review it honestly.

Blurb:
The Great Divide explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers… those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course.

My Review:
I really enjoyed this book and got through it quickly. At first I was nervous about all of the different characters and stories because it felt like a lot but the author really tied them all together seamlessly. I was fortunate enough to receive and experience this as an ARC and an ALC and I really enjoyed them both equally. I felt like the narrator did a fantastic job telling this story and keeping me engaged. This is a book I’ll want to revisit because I’m sure there’s so much more to take from this story that could have been missed the first time around. I ended up getting a copy in my BOTM box so I would be able to reread it in the future. Overall it was intriguing in a way I didn’t expect and you can see that the author did a lot of research that is much appreciated for those of us who aren’t as knowledgeable when it comes to the building of the Panama Canal. Oh!! And the cover is absolutely stunning! This book is going to be a hit for many readers and years to come.

Happy reading!

Rating: 4⭐
Diversity: a well diverse group of characters
Narration: 4⭐

Henríquez weaves several stories to reflect what life was like in Panama when the canal was being built. At first it was a little overwhelming with so many stories, the author does a great job of weaving all these individual characters' stories into each other, as we see these strangers touch each other's lives during the upheaval and opportunities that building the canal brings to Panama.

Vivid storytelling, and narration was great at creating each character as their own. It felt like a movie playing out in my mind. I could absolutely see this adapted to a movie. I highly recommend for anyone who loves historical fiction, rich stories, multiple POVs.

I loved that this book shed light on a historical topic that isn’t commonly written about. The Great Divide was informative and enjoyable. The sheer number of characters meant that none of them had very much depth. While the book captured many sides of the story, it was lacking the emotion that creates standout historical fiction for me. I’m glad that I read it and would recommend.

Thank You to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Great Divide was a pleasure to listen to. In this engrossing tale, we learn about how the lives of many characters changed because of the construction of the Panama Canal.

We have Ada who left Barbados in search of a job to be able to help pay for her sister’s operation. Then there is Francisco who is not keen about the construction of the Panama Canal. His son, Omar on the other hand is working to construct it. Theh we have John, who is seeking a cure for Malaria and his wife, Marian, who has fallen ill to it. There’s people who are for the construction of it and others who will be affected by it. It’s a tale of how this great engineering, themes of classism, racism, displacement, and divide.

The audiobook narration is engaging and easy to follow even with multiple characters and storylines. It was easy to get swept up and invested in these characters. I encourage everyone to pick this book up, especially if you love historical fiction.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @harperaudio for the ALC.
out 3/5/24 TheGreatDivide #NetGalley

THE GREAT DIVIDE review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🇵🇦I looooove a good historical fiction read, especially when it’s not war related (don’t get me wrong I love war themed historical fiction too). I’ve never read anything related to the Panama Canal so I was excited to find w historical fiction book set during that time. I went into this one with hiiiiigh expectations, and while I definitely enjoyed it didn’t really knock my socks off.

🇵🇦Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
The Panama Canal will revolutionize the way goods and people move about for the entire world, but first it must be built. A cast of characters have manyyyy different experiences with the construction of the canal. From locals protesting it being built on their property, to workers who are facing horrible working conditions, to the doctors tasked with treating the ill and injured workers. So many sides of the story are interwoven in THE GREAT DIVIDE.

🇵🇦There are soooooo many character and sideplots in this book. I kept hoping one storyline or character would emerge as the “main one,” but none ever did. It was overwhelming to keep up with everything happening at times. The stories all merge together eventually, but because it was constantly changing POVs I had a hard time feeling truly invested in any one storyline. I enjoyed this one overall and would definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of historical fiction! Also how perfect is this cover for spring?!

🇵🇦THE GREAT DIVIDE publishes Tuesday, March 5th. Thanks @harperaudio for my advanced copy!

"The Great Divide" by Christina Henriquez is a poignant exploration of the complexities of immigration and family dynamics. Henriquez's masterful storytelling skillfully weaves together multiple perspectives, offering readers a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences. The characters are vividly drawn, and their struggles feel authentic and compelling. While the pacing may lag at points, the novel's powerful themes and thought-provoking commentary make it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in understanding the human side of immigration issues.

✨ Review ✨ The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez; Narrated by Robin Miles

Thanks to Ecco Books, Harper Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is one of my favorite sorts of historical fiction books because:

1. It features a time and place I've never read historical fiction about -- the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s

2. It has a few central VERY DIFFERENT characters that we come to fall in love with, including Ada, a teenager from Barbados who's come to Panama to find work so her sister can get surgery; Omar, a local working to dig the canal and his dad Francisco, a fisherman; and the Oswalds who've come from the Great Smoky Mountains to head up an anti-malaria campaign.

3. But then it spotlights the POVs and backstories of a cast of side characters including Ada's mom in Barbados, a doctor and overseer for the canal, the man who Francisco sells fish to and his wife who starts a fight to protect her family's village from the path of the canal, etc. etc. Some people will not like all of these "side-quest" style digressions but I thought it made such a rich narrative of what different people would have experienced in Panama at the time.

4. It has such a deep critique of colonialism in showing the ways that Americans and other foreigners literally dug up their country for American benefit. Some of the impacts included efforts to tame mosquito-borne illnesses (but often in invasive ways), dislocation of people and homes, literally digging up the land, creating a two-tiered system of labor and class circumstances (like was common in mining towns), setting up import taxes (and absurd imports like importing papayas even though they were already grown locally), the futility of Panamanian resistance, and so much more.

5. The historical research was stunning in creating a rich picture of life in this place and this time where tons of people of all sorts of backgrounds were coming together in this place.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction
Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
Setting: approx. 1907 Panama and Barbados
Pub Date: March 5, 2024

“What he saw as he stared across that vast chasm was not simply a canal, but a great divide that would sever Panamá in two.”

Extraordinary blending of stories that come together in a historical fiction focused on the digging of the Panama Canal. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! This book is vibrant (with a gorgeous cover to match!)… it shows not just the physical GREAT DIVIDE of the country to accommodate this engineering wonder, but DIVISIONS of social class, race, language, thought, families, and relationships. The author does a brilliant job taking disparate stories and weaving them together. I loved the imagery, the characters, the connections, the humor. Fans of Backman’s Anxious People will appreciate the humanity and interconnections. BRILLIANT!

And if you get a chance to listen to the audiobook, you will be treated to the FANTASTIC narration of the great Robin Miles… she is a master of dialect and switches between different accents effortlessly!

“Six years later the spine of the mountains was severed at last.”

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.

This story takes place in 1907 and is centered around the construction of the Panama Canal. It focuses on three families from three very different backgrounds. As the story progresses, the families will connect as they are all on their own journey looking for wealth and new opportunities as the Canal is being built.

There are many characters in this beautifully written story. Henríquez does a great job bringing these characters and the time period to life for us. You can feel the pride of the Panamanians as well as the frustration as the American’s try to displace them.

We are present while they discover the diseases of mosquitos, we learn about the lives of the fishermen, the devastating effects of the strong heat, heavy rain, mud, frogs, and bats. We also learn about the strength of the activists who do not want to be relocated, the day to day lives of everyone who came to Panama from all around the world, and the hard work of those who worked, dug and did various jobs for the canal.

This is not a fast-paced book, but I appreciated the slow pace and stimulating read. It is gripping and definitely transports you to another time. This is not a subject I had a lot of knowledge about, so I really enjoyed being transported to another place and time. My only complaint- the book just kind of ended. The canal was completed, but as far as everyone we followed for so long, there was a very anticlimactic ending to the story.

Thank you @NetGalley and @HarperAudio for an advanced audio copy of this book. This book publishes next week, 3/5/2024.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the audiobook ARC of The Great Divide. This is a book that I had been anticipating for months to read. I'm a history teacher and this area and time period fascinates me.

The Great Divide takes place during the construction of the Panama Canal. It follows a cast of characters that either go and work on the canal, protest against the building of the canal, or deal with the effects the canal has on their towns and lives.

I want to start off by saying that this book is beautifully written. The descriptions are gorgeous and I loved how immersive it felt. Robin Miles is an excellent narrator and I enjoyed listening to her.

I really struggled with the amount of characters in this book. I think listening to this on audio made it especially hard because there was only one narrator. I had a hard time connecting story lines and realizing who was "speaking." I wonder if it would have been easier for me to follow if I'd have had a physical copy to follow along with.

I was so excited about the premise of the book, historical fiction about the building of the Panama Canal sounds like a story that would take me out of my usual setting and be fascinating, I was so excited. Unfortunately, I found myself having a hard time following the different characters. I really wanted to love this story but because I wasn't able to connect to the characters, it didn't hit the mark for me.

I loved The Book of Unknown Americans by this same author. Unfortunately this book didn't work as well for me, and I take responsibility that I may have had too high of expectations. This book had many characters and I found myself getting lost with so many different stories. I did love the title and how it represents more than just the Panama Canal that will "divide" Panama, but the divide between the different cultures and people in the country, especially at the time it was being built. Robin Miles is an amazing narrator for this audiobook!