Issue 157

Book Review: The Divide

08th October 2007

Nicholas Evans is most widely known for his debut novel, The Horse Whisperer, later turned into a film starring Robert Redford and Kristen Scott Thomas. However, it is here, in his fourth novel, that his talent and maturity as a writer seems most evident.

The Divide centres on the Cooper family. The narrative begins, similar to The Horse Whisperer, with a heart-stopping event set in the desolate snowy mountains of Montana, rich in pathetic fallacy, where two skiers discover the frozen body of a girl, who is later identified as Abbie Cooper.

Evans' sensitive use of language and evocation of atmosphere and place make this a compelling thriller at the same time as being an intimate portrayal of a broken family dealing with divorce and their loss of innocence. His characters are carefully crafted and densely fleshed. Evans seems to have an instinctive understanding of people of all ages and from all walks of life, the way their minds work and how they deal with desire, suffering and injustice.

It is difficult not to sympathise even with Benjamin Cooper, who walks out on his family, to be with a woman who makes him feel 'alive'. However, it is the devastation of his abandoned wife, Sarah, who remains unwaveringly composed and courageous throughout coping with his departure, the hurt and betrayal of his two children, and his daughter Abbie's subsequent journey of rebellion, which reduced me to tears at the end.

The Divide is an immensely powerful, starkly honest, and skilfully written novel, invoking overwhelming sadness and tentative hope. It is a warning against bearing grudges, for you won't have forever to forgive those you love who have betrayed you. The ending was especially moving and I couldn't get it out of my head for days.

Kate Fletcher