Andover Reads: The Great Divide

The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez

Recommended by Nancy Hitchcock, an editor in the Communications Office

The Great Divide takes readers to Panama in the early 20th century during the construction of the Panama Canal, one of the most ambitious engineering projects in history. The novel brings the event to life not through the grand-scale perspectives of engineers or politicians, but through the eyes of ordinary people—both locals and outsiders—whose lives are intricately shaped by the project.

At the heart of the story are two compelling characters: Ada, a 16-year-old girl from Barbados, and Omar, a 17-year-old Panamanian boy. Ada arrives in Panama with the hope of earning enough money to send home for her sister’s critical surgery; she finds work as a caregiver to the wife of an American researcher battling malaria in the region. Meanwhile, Omar decides to join the canal’s workforce, digging trenches through unforgiving terrain. Both characters offer deeply human perspectives on the challenges and complexities of the canal's construction.

The novel’s strength lies in its portrayal of the local community. When one town, Gatún, is slated for destruction to make way for the canal, its residents—asked to vacate their homes—organize a protest. One character, Valentina, conjures fond memories of the land: “Justo had a tree farm with orange trees and lime trees, caimito and calabash. Every year at Christmas, he welcomed the children of Gatún to the farm to pick as many oranges as they could carry, no bags or buckets allowed.” It was a tradition that Valentina had loved as a child. This poignant recollection encapsulates the emotional loss that the people of Gatún experience, making their protest against the canal all the more powerful.

The Great Divide is a beautifully written novel that humanizes a pivotal moment in history.