The World in Half
Cristina Henriquez
April 2009
320 pages
Book description:
Miraflores has never known her father, and until now, she’s never thought that he wanted to know her. She’s long been aware that her mother had an affair with him while she was stationed with her then husband in Panama, and she’s always assumed that her pregnant mother came back to the United States alone with his consent. But when Miraflores returns to the Chicago suburb where she grew up, to care for her mother at a time of illness, she discovers that her mother and father had a greater love than she ever thought possible, and that her father had wanted her more than she could have imagined.
In secret, Miraflores plots a trip to Panama, in search of the man whose love she hopes can heal her mother—and whose presence she believes can help her find the pieces of her own identity that she thought were irretrievably lost. What she finds is unexpected, exhilarating, and holds the power to change the course of her life completely.
In gorgeous, shimmering prose, Cristina Henríquez delivers a triumphant and heartbreaking first novel: the story of a young woman reconciling an existence between two cultures and confronting a life of hardship with an endless capacity to learn, love, and forgive.
Dawn has written a beautiful review of this book. Go read it. I’ll wait.
Nice, huh? Think I can top that? Pfft…I’m not even going to try. This book really is all that. The only itty, bitty complaint that I had was that I didn’t get much of a feel for Panama, other than the canal and the crazy bus system. But that’s okay. The book is really focused on Miraflores and her exploration of her parents’ lives and her acceptance of her own life.
Dawn sent me her ARC of The World in Half (along with a bag of Twinkies…don’t think I’ve forgotten!). If you would like to be the next person to read this (keeping in mind that it is an ARC and also, that Twinkies are not included), leave the secret code word in the comments (anything that rhymes with Twinkie). I’ll pick a winner tomorrow.
Don't you hate that, when someone does a review that's so good that you know you might as well just not even try? (although you did a lovely job here, I must say!) I'm trying to write a review of "Sacred Hearts" but I feel like saying, "Just go over and read the one at Boston Bibliophile."
In any event, I would like to say that when I was little, I do not recall having a binkie. If I did though, I would need it now, on account of being afraid (from Dawn's review) that the earth might sinky. That would be stinky.
Anyway, I hope the man in Panama and the mom didn't do anything kinky.
Please pick me! And since I'm not very slinky, if I win, you can omit the twinkie!
This sounds like a good story.
Do you know I almost hurt my "pinky". LOL
I remember Dawn's review. The book sounds wonderful and the cover is just gorgeous. I'm glad the book's not kinky!
I like Pass the Book. It's not just one of those dinky little contests you see at blogs….
It probably doesn't matter anyway. I never win. And, besides, even if it wasn't too late, rhapsodyinbooks ought to win the book….She's out there, rhyming her little heart out. Darn it. It's stinky.
I can't read the review, because I am just about to dive into this one!! I am sure her review is great, but I never like to know much before I read the book, I like to know after
I am glad you enjoyed it though, and can't wait to read it myself!
I haven't had a Twinkie in FOREVER! Now I want one!
Did you happen to catch my blog post this week about the MINKE whales?
I also wrote in my Sunday Salon post this week about how I broke my PINKY toe. One DINKY little toe… but, now it's broke! Shucks!
I think I'm going to show some LINKY love and mention your post in my blog!
Sheri
A Novel Menagerie
I did post a DINKY LINKY!
Sheri
Well after all the others have already commented all I can do is come up with this "stinky" comment.
You're so funny. I've done that, though — go read this review because I can't top it!
I used to eat Twinkies, but now I'm too big.
I think that it's stinky to look like a pig.
I'm probably too late, but I hurt my pinky and so couldn't thinky to write a comment that rhymed with twinkie.
BFish (dot) Reads (at) gmail.
Great review. I need to read books about events that change lives.
Ha! You are so clever (as are the many readers who left rhyming responses!)
Thanks for the link to my review – I'm glad you liked THE WORLD IN HALF as much as I did (I agree – the canal was almost a character as much as a setting; I wasn't transported to Panama, but loved the way the canal and all it represented … and the names of the locks, etc. … came together in Mira's story)
p.s. whatever happened to those Twinkies!?
I loved loved the cover of the book! That would have made me pick it up even if the story line wasn't interesting enough.. I want to read this book now!:)
This was so fun … too bad I missed the chance to win!!!! Argh.