THE DIVIDE by Nicholas Evans
Nicholas Evans first major novel was THE HORSE WHISPERER. His subsequent books THE LOOP and THE SMOKE JUMPER did not garner much attention. Now he has created THE DIVIDE which is his best yet. It is a beautifully written book that not only is a love story of sorts but also a tale of emotion and dedication to a cause carried to the worst extremes. Evans creates some rich characters in this story and makes the readers care about them even when we disagree with them.
The story starts off with the discovery of a young woman's body encased in ice on a mountainside. This is soon determined to be Abbie Cooper, an eco-terrorist who has been wanted for murder. Abbie is the daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Cooper, a divorced couple who used to spend a part of each summer at "the divide" in Montana.
Once Abbie's body has been discovered and identified the narrative of the story goes back in time to the last summer the Coopers spent at the divide. This was the year their marriage fell apart and Abbie's rebellious journey began.
Knowing the marriage of Benjamin and Sarah is going to fail, it is especially poignant to read about them when they were happy and devoted to each other. You see how cocooned the children, Abbie and Josh, were by their parents stability. When the marriage fails it is as if the floor has been pulled out from under them. Josh is younger and seemingly handles it all better than Abbie. She uses it as a reason to withdraw from her father completely which in turn sets her up to be influenced later in her life by irresponsible men.
All four of the main characters have a journey in this book. Ben, Sarah, Abbie and Josh travel a road that will ultimately take them to their destinations. Ben finds a new love in Eve, a woman who was at the divide during that fateful last summer. Abbie begins a life of protest and rebellion. Sarah struggles to find some purpose in her life, while Josh stumbles through college without a plan of achievement.
The human-ness of these characters draws us to them. They are all flawed and yet all have some semblance of merit. Benjamin really does love his wife and children but he is suffocating in the structure of his life. Sarah freezes Ben out at times but in her heart she truly doe love him. Abbie grows wild and reckless but the core of her heart is still the same. And Josh comes through in the times of trial as the person on whom they can depend.
Evans is an author who is at his best in creating his characters. His plot is solid but his characterizations excel. This makes THE DIVIDE a book to be enjoyed and remembered.
The beauty of our country is the backdrop to this story of emotion gone wrong. People love each other in this book but they fail each other at the same time. Erich Segal may have coined the phrase, "Love mans never having to say your sorry" but in this book apologies need to be made and made often.
THE DIVIDE is published by G P Putnam's Sons. It contains 403 pages and sells for $26.95.