THE GREAT DIVIDE

Golden Voice narrator Robin Miles's evocative performance of Cristina Henríquez's novel about the building of the Panama Canal takes its time, which feels right for a book with many threads. Set midway through the canal's multi year construction, the plot follows several central characters as they navigate personal dramas and canal-related crises. Miles's lovely, warm voice illuminates the action by adopting varied accents and wildly different personalities. Sixteen-year-old Asa from Barbados wants to earn money for a sister's operation; local fisherman Francisco hates the foreign-owned canal, where his son Omar wields a pickax; Tennessee scientist John is intent on eradicating malaria while his neglected wife battles the illness. These and many other stories intertwine in this moving and deeply researched tale. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]