The World in Half

Rating: 4.5 stars The World in Half is about Mira (Miraflores), a geophysics major who has recently discovered old letters written to her mother from her father. Although Mira's mother had always told her that her father never wanted a child and abandoned them, the letters told a completely different story. Her father wrote about his love and devotion to her mother and it was revealed that once he found out she was pregnant, he was excited to be a father. Mira is confused by this contradiction and wonders why her mother had lied to her. Mira is unable to confront her mother about it because she has early-onset Alzheimer's and besides, she knew her mother would never tell her the truth. Mira hires a nurse to care for her mother and heads off to Panama City to find the father she never knew. Once there, Mira questions her impulsive decision, which went against her usual rational behavior. One morning she encounters a young man who piques her interest and after hearing her story, volunteers to help her find her father. What starts off as a trip to meet her father ends up turning into a journey of self-exploration and self-discovery. Mira learns a lot about herself and struggles to come to terms with her own identity. The World in Half is a beautifully written story that has a certain underlying magic to it. The characters are first introduced as one-dimensional, with simple thoughts and emotions. However, once the novel progresses, their depth and complexity become apparent and there is more to them than meets the eye. The plot itself it interesting, but I think the most compelling thing about the book is its quiet hold over the reader. I kept reading on further and further, not because of thrilling plot twists, but because I genuinely felt a connection to the characters and to the story. I loved how Mira's search for her father turned out to be a search for herself. Her father represented all of the parts of herself and her identity that she was missing in order to feel whole. Exploring Panama City and learning about love helped open up her eyes. By the end, I really sensed her character's evolution and development. This book has positive messages embedded throughout the narrative and Mira was the perfect vehicle for conveying them. Although it is possible to go through life without discovering who you are as a person, that is not living life but merely existing. The way things turned out for Mira was unexpected but it wasn't the ending that mattered, rather the journey it took to get there. The World in Half is a well-written story about characters you will care about and possesses a certain subtle power that will inevitably take hold of you. http://bookopolis.blogspot.com

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

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.

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.

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.