The High Divide: A Novel

The High Divide: A Novel

<DIV><B>€œLin Enger sets out from the conventions of the traditional Western and brings the reader into new emotional territory, that of the soul of an exquisitely drawn American family. <I>The High Divide</I> is a novel to get lost in.€ €"James Scott, author of <I>The Kept</I></B><BR /><BR /> In 1886, Gretta Pope wakes up one morning to discover that her husband is gone. Ulysses Pope has left his family behind on the far edge of Minnesota€s western prairie, with only the briefest of notes and no explanation for why he left or where he€s heading. It doesn€t take long for Gretta€s young sons, Eli and Danny, to set off after him, leaving Gretta no choice but to search for the boys and their father in hopes of bringing them all home.<BR /><BR /> Enger€s breathtaking portrait of the vast plains landscape is matched by the rich expanse of his characters€ emotional terrain, as pivotal historical events--the bloody turmoil of expansionism, the near total demise of the bison herds, and the subjugation of the Plains Indians--blend seamlessly with the intimate story of a family€s sacrifice and devotion.<BR /><BR /> €œ[A] masterfully told Western reinvention of Homer€s <I>Odyssey </I>. . . set against a backdrop of beauty and danger . . . In its narrative simplicity and emotional directness, it is reminiscent of John Ford€s classic <I>The Searchers.</I>€ €"<I>Publishers Weekly,</I> starred review<BR /><BR /> €œEnger€s novel is told in beautifully exact, liquid language that wastes no time, just as one cannot afford to waste time when making a journey such as the Pope family€s. Highly recommended.€ €"<I>Library Journal,</I> starred review<BR /><BR /> €œA deeply moving, gripping novel . . . Layered with meaning, this remarkable novel deserves to be read more than once. <I>The High Divide</I> proves Enger€s chops as a masterful storyteller.€ €"Ann Weisgarber, author of <I>The Promise</I><BR /><BR /> €œA gripping story with well-portrayed, complex, and sympathetic main characters and a complement of believable secondary figures in a vividly described region nearing the close of an era. Enger is an author worth watching.€ €"<I>Booklist</I><BR /><BR /> €œ<I>The High Divide, </I>a novel about a family in peril, is haunting and tense but leavened by considerable warmth and humanity. Enger writes with durable grace about a man€s quest for redemption and the human capacity for forgiveness.€ €"Benjamin Percy, author of <I>Red Moon</I></DIV>