The Great Divide - Discussion Board Thoughts
BOARD: The Great Divide by Christina Henríquez
▽TOPIC: Discussion Question 1: The title obviously refers to the Panama Canal itself, since the novel takes place during the canal’s creation. Do we think it references more than just the canal?
GRANT: I just want to say from the outset that I really dug this time and setting for this novel.
CHESTER: I see what you did there with “dug.”
GRANT: blushes I didn’t even realize I did that, but also, as much as the author did to describe what digging out so much land to create a canal would look like, I still have a hard time fathoming it, especially back in 1907.
MAXINE: Me too! I just keep wondering, “HOW?” Do you remember when we were kids and used to build sand castles and tried making moats and stuff?
SUSETTE: Yes! That was hard enough then with small amounts of slippery sand. Imagine what it was like with mountains of it! I loved Omar’s co-workers in the big pit, btw. So optimistic and so much camradery. Wait, cameradery? No. Camaraderie! (Thank you spell-check.)
NAOMI: I loved the inclusion of Omar, too, because did you know that hardly any Panamanians participated in the construction of the canal?
GRANT: And there’s an answer to our discussion question, right? The divide between the U.S., who led the whole thing and the people who actually lived there.
LISA: I really appreciated reading about the multiple perspectives we got from people that history hasn’t given much thought. That whole canal enterprise was a really f*cked up situation, if you ask me.
CHESTER: for real
NAOMI: But also? Henríquez also showed us so much hope, too. I love how she gives us both the lows and the highs.