The Great Divide

Cristina Henríquez is a Panamanian American author whose work engages with Latin American history, identity, and immigration patterns in the Americas. Her first collection, Come Together, Fall Apart (2006), jumps back and forth between a post-Noriega Panama and the United States, detailing both the changing nature of life in a country newly freed from its dictatorial leader and the difficulties faced by Panamanians who chose to emigrate. It shares with The Great Divide an interest in the way that outside players and western imperialism impacted Panama and a dedication to uncovering the stories of ordinary Panamanians and Panamanian Americans. The World in Half (2009) focuses on a Chicago-based family of Panamanian Americans and delves into the nature of dual identity. Through it, Henríquez interrogates what it means to be both Panamanian and north American and paints a portrait of a multi-layered and multi-faceted group of relatives. The Book of Unknown Americans (2014) continues to engage with the way that immigration shapes the lives of individuals all over the Americas, using the US-Mexico border as a lens. As in her previous texts, the family in this novel is spread across multiple nations and cultures, and its identity is a complex tapestry.