The opening chapters of The Divide had me thinking that this was going to be a crime story. Two skiers discover the body of a young woman encased in ice, and alert the police. The girl turns out to be Abbie Cooper, wanted by police all over America for murder and acts of terrorism.
I quickly realised that there was much more to The Divide. Most of the story is told in flashback, relating the history of the events that led up to Abbie's death. Strong focus is placed upon her parents, Ben and Sarah, whose relationship has now broken down. Ben has a new partner and has become estranged from most of his family, despite his obvious love for his children.
Nicholas Evans is a fine writer. His characters are well-developed and real. His descriptions of scenery and landscapes are rich and vivid in detail, with lovely use of language. And above all, he is a good storyteller. Although we know what is going to happen to Abbie, we find ourselves feeling sympathy for her as she is drawn into situations she never intended to be in, led astray by an older man. One realises just how easily this can happen to any young person with passionate feelings for a cause.
It could be said that some of the loose ends are tied up rather too neatly. On the other hand, this does give the story a sense of completeness which could be lacking if we did not know what would happen to the main characters. Overall, The Divide is a thoroughly enjoyable story and is to be recommended.