The World in Half

By Cristina Henríquez

Book Overview

The "beautiful" (Chicago Sun-Times) novel from the prizewinning author of Come Together, Fall Apart and The Great Divide.

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 Henr quez 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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594484392
• ISBN13: 9781594484391
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Exquisite

Since reading Come Together, Fall Apart, I have been chomping at the bit for more work by Cristina Henriquez. The World in Half has exceeded my wildest expectations. It's so rare for such a young writer to get it right two books in a row, but The World in Half, like Come Together, Fall Apart, is beautiful, unique, poignant, and heart-breaking. I couldn't put it down, and I was so dazzled by the language, I often re-read sentences, and then read them aloud to myself. This is an amazing story about grief, about family, and about how we lose ourselves, find ourselves, and grow. Henriquez is a rare talent, an unforgettable voice.

The World in Half

Wonderfully real, surprisingly entertaining fine literature. Very mature portrayal of life's greatest need, but with a fresh, gentle voice. Best read in months.

Wonderful Debut Novel

After reading and loving Come Together, Fall Apart I started reading The World In Half with high expectations and put it down some hours later feeling more satisfied than I have after reading a book in years. The World In Half weaves a wonderfully intricate story of a woman who goes on a journey to discover more about the father she never knew and in the process unveils a foreign world that feels oddly familiar to her. Throughout the entire book the characters feel as real as if they were sitting next to me and the attention to detail would make anyone who reads it feel as if they'd already been to Panama. I honestly can't remember the last time I read a whole book in one sitting, but I just couldn't put this one down. Something about the story keep pulling me in and making me want to learn more about the characters lives. It's exactly the sort of book I want to read. I loved it.

A wonderful surprise

I found myself transported to Chicago and Panama, in turn, and entranced by the beauty that I found in this author's first novel. Miraflores is a geology student at the University of Chicago - I was immediately drawn to the setting since I used to work at the hospital there. She was raised by a single mother who has been becoming ill, and while going through some of her mother's papers, Mira discovers letters from her Panamanian father. Letters that reveal a great love and a different story than the one she has heard all her life and that nearly brought me to tears. Hoping to find something in Panama for herself and for her mother, Mira plans a trip to Panama, without the knowledge of her mother. Mira is quickly befriended by the doorman at her hotel, Hernan, and his nephew Danilo, close in age to Mira. Mira explores Panama with Danilo, searching for her father, and finding herself in Panama. Mira returns home, changed on the inside, and moving forward with a new external life as well and all the struggles that come with it. The way she handles herself is beautiful, she has so much strength of character and the sense that she must do what must be done. There is suspense in this book, wondering whether or not her search will be successful, but at its heart this book is a story of characters, and a beautiful relationship that didn't turn out as I thought it would, but in actuality was more touching than I could have imagined. Peppered with tidbits about geology and the building of the Panama canal, the setting varying from tropical and steamy, to blustery and cold, this is a quiet book in many ways but one that celebrates humanity and love. I just enjoyed the experience of reading it so much, it transported me, and I recommend it highly.