REVIEW: The Divide

The Divide
Author: Jolina Petersheim

The Divide is the conclusion to The Alliance series. The world is effectively sent back in time by an EMP attack. In the first book, The Alliance, the magnetic pulses destroy all technology, anything that uses computer chips such as newer vehicles, phones, watches....all gone in mere seconds. Leora Ebersole lives in an Old Order Mennonite Community. The community is forced to align with Englishers stranded by the destruction of technology. Modern society starts to fall apart once food begins to run short. Treachery, violence and panic ensue. The Mennonites are pacifists so they flee to the mountains to escape the danger, at least for awhile. In The Divide, the story reaches its climax. A dangerous group calling itself ARC is killing survivors and taking others to forced work camps. Leora kills one of their scouts. Now ARC is hunting for their community hidden in the mountains. Can the community, and the survivors who have helped them along the way, survive?

I enjoyed this series. Modern life has accustomed most people to being able to go to the grocery store and buy food. We all have at most a couple weeks worth of perishables and canned goods in our homes. What would happen if suddenly we couldn't just go buy food? There is a saying that society is 9 missed meals away from anarchy. Imagine that would happen if all modern conveniences were suddenly gone.....along with ready fuel supplies, food, most transportation and medical care. It wouldn't take long for things to degenerate into madness. The Mennonites usually keep their communities separate from others, but in this emergency they have to learn to work with others and they have to protect themselves. It makes for a wonderful story.

Both The Alliance and The Divide are well-written, engaging stories and the characters are believable.

Jolina Petersheim is also the author of The Midwife and The Outcast.