{"product_id":"9780008608026","title":"The Great Divide","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: Henriquez, Cristina\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAutobiography: general\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublished on 13 March 2025 by HarperCollins Publishers (Fourth Estate Ltd) in the United Kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback \/ softback | 336 pages\u003cbr\u003e198 x 129 x 26 | 294g\u003cp\u003e?‘A gorgeous, sweeping epic’ ANN NAPOLITANO\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'A master of prose'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWASHINGTON POST\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘One of my favourite writers' ROXANE GAY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘Spectacular’ JOANNE SEFTON\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘I didn’t want it to end’ SARA SHERIDAN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A breathtaking historical novel following the incredible construction of the Panama Canal and casting light on the unsung people who lived and laboured in its shadow – by acclaimed author Cristina Henríquez.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  It is said that the Canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'Henríquez writes gorgeously, creating indelible characters whom you’ll never want to leave' Justin Torres, author of Blackouts\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘A masterful weaving together of different lives… I can't stop thinking about it’ Hester Musson, author of The Beholders\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘Henríquez writes beautifully … Stunning’ Haleh Agar, author of Out of Touch\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Henriquez, Cristina","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51840099811512,"sku":"9780008608026","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0509\/1953\/8872\/files\/9780008608026.jpg?v=1759325937","url":"https:\/\/octoberbooks.org\/products\/9780008608026","provider":"October Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}