{"product_id":"9780008608002_the-great-divide","title":"The Great Divide","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A gorgeous, sweeping epic’ \u003c\/strong\u003eANN NAPOLITANO\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'A master of prose'\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eWASHINGTON POST\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cstrong\u003eOne of my favourite writers' \u003c\/strong\u003eROXANE GAY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Spectacular’ \u003c\/strong\u003eJOANNE SEFTON\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘I didn’t want it to end’\u003c\/strong\u003e SARA SHERIDAN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA 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\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is said that the Canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAda 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\u003eWhen 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\u003eBreathtaking and impossible to put down, \u003cem\u003eThe Great Divide\u003c\/em\u003e 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\u003cstrong\u003e'Henríquez writes gorgeously, creating indelible characters whom you’ll never want to leave\u003c\/strong\u003e' Justin Torres, author of \u003cem\u003eBlackouts\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A masterful weaving together of different lives… I can't stop thinking about it’\u003c\/strong\u003e Hester Musson, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Beholders\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cstrong\u003eHenríquez writes beautifully … Stunning\u003c\/strong\u003e’ Haleh Agar, author of \u003cem\u003eOut of Touch\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cristina Henriquez","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47285737324693,"sku":"9780008608002","price":12.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780008608002.jpg?v=1776992221","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780008608002_the-great-divide","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}