Wonderful story filled with many interesting and believable characters with the backdrop of the digging of the Panama Canal.

The novel is told by many characters who intersect often in rather minor ways. Ada is a young woman who hides in a ship from Barbados who is looking for work to help her sister at home get an operation. Omar, is the son of a fisherman who is very opposed to the Canal. Omar, not wanting to be a fisherman, goes off to join the digging drew much to the displeasure of his father and don't speak to each other for months. Their is an American man working on the canal whose wife is dying; Ada becomes a maid in the house. There are other characters who fill out the scene: the doctor caring for the ill wife, the other diggers who form a sort of friendship with Omar, the cruel overseer of the diggers, the jealous cook in the American's home.

The book is not so much plot driven but driven by the experiences of these individuals all caused and connected somehow by the digging of the canal. Very good read. ( )

*well-written book with a captivating storyline
*easy to read and kept my interest from cover to cover
*great character development
*highly recommend ( )

In The Great Divide, author Cristina Henriquez tries to capture all of the political and human drama surrounding the construction of the Panama Canal by exploring the lives of a variety of characters in and around the event. From local Panamanian Omar who participates in the actual drudgery of digging to an American doctor brought to battle malaria, Henriquez attempts to explore such a large number of people that at times their stories muddle. Solid writing and engaging narratives keep the book moving, and as the stories clarify, Henriquez manages to bring them all to a satisfying conclusion. Readers who enjoy historical fiction with a revolving cast of voices will not want to miss The Great Divide. ( )