Nicholas Evans's new book, THE DIVIDE, may turn out to be one of my
favorite books of the year. The story is that of the Cooper family
--- Ben, Sarah, Abbie and Josh --- who start out as a typically
happy middle class family, until a series of events tears them
apart.

The title has a dual meaning. In addition to being the name of the
ranch where the Coopers visited for two weeks each summer, the
book's title also represents the divide between men and women,
which is portrayed in the unraveling of the Cooper family's
marriage. The lives of their loved ones are torn apart by this
separation, which in turn leads to the more devastating destruction
of their daughter, Abbie.

At the start of the novel, two skiers find the body of a young
woman embedded in the ice of a remote mountain creek. The police
work throughout the night to dig her out. She is later identified
as Abbie Cooper, who was wanted by the FBI for murder and acts of
eco-terrorism.

The book then proceeds to tell the story of Abbie's family,
beginning with Ben and Sarah, their courtship and eventual union.
Ben, who has been unhappy for a long time, knows his love for Sarah
is not enough to keep the marriage going and therefore announces
his decision to leave the family. The "catalyst," as Ben tells
Sarah, is Eve, a lovely woman whom they had met at the Divide the
last year they vacationed there. While at first Eve was sought out
as a friend, she is now the enemy.

Ben's wife and children react a lot more unfavorably than he had
anticipated, and each handles his or her grief in slightly
different ways. Sarah grows angry and resentful, while son Josh
becomes distant. Abbie, who was Ben's favorite, turns her anger
toward her father into something destructive and exhibits behavior
that is out of control.

The year of her parents' separation, Abbie begins her freshman year
at a college in Montana (against their wishes) and finds her
interests focused on groups that lead radical protests at major
political events. But when she meets a man introduced to her as
Rolf, Abbie's life takes an even more dangerous turn as she becomes
involved in his treacherous attempts to bring attention to his
causes, burning down buildings for the sake of his beliefs.

THE DIVIDE tells two stories --- the breakdown of a marriage, and
the destruction of a young girl full of promise. Abbie's story is
heartbreaking and tragic, which will prompt readers to ask
themselves, "Whose fault is this?" While the bulk of the novel is
told in flashbacks, Evans does allow his characters to resolve
their issues, giving closure to the mystery of Abbie's death, as
well as resolution to Ben and Sarah's relationship.

Like the authors' previous work --- THE HORSE WHISPERER, THE SMOKE
JUMPER and THE LOOP --- much of the story is set in Montana, which
Evans describes beautifully. In the opening pages readers can see,
and feel, the setting. This continues throughout the pages and
there are times where the landscape almost becomes a character as
much as a place.

Nicholas Evans writes emotion with extraordinary candor. Woven in
the story is a stark look at what marriage means and the
differences between men and women. Beyond this, Evans is a great
storyteller. You will close this book wanting to talk about it. If
this book doesn't pick up new fans for Evans's work, I would be
greatly surprised. Highly recommended.