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Jane, Divided
Just before Christmas, Jane Sperling is headed from Montana to Texas, to the hometown she once abandoned, in a car she doesn’t fully trust, for a job that’s a leap of faith and the only line she has on a better life for herself and her eleven-year-old daughter, Claire.
In Texas, Jane puts a long-dormant teaching credential to use at the middle school she once attended. She navigates a fraught relationship with her widower father and the growing pains of her daughter. In an old place that’s new again, there are kids to get to know (including a temperamental and brilliant young man named Roderick); colleagues to fit in with, among them a young, popular teacher who takes an interest in Jane; and Claire’s yearning to go back to Montana.
Jane fights against her memories and her circumstances as she tries to find her footing. Through her current challenges and the letters she wrote to her daughter as her marriage was failing, Jane takes the measure of the lives she’s trying to imbue with That she really can go home again and find something, that she can keep Claire close and still let her grow, that she can forgive her father as he fades away, and perhaps that she can even open herself to love she has never believed in.
In Texas, Jane puts a long-dormant teaching credential to use at the middle school she once attended. She navigates a fraught relationship with her widower father and the growing pains of her daughter. In an old place that’s new again, there are kids to get to know (including a temperamental and brilliant young man named Roderick); colleagues to fit in with, among them a young, popular teacher who takes an interest in Jane; and Claire’s yearning to go back to Montana.
Jane fights against her memories and her circumstances as she tries to find her footing. Through her current challenges and the letters she wrote to her daughter as her marriage was failing, Jane takes the measure of the lives she’s trying to imbue with That she really can go home again and find something, that she can keep Claire close and still let her grow, that she can forgive her father as he fades away, and perhaps that she can even open herself to love she has never believed in.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2025
8 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Craig Lancaster
29 books427 followersWhen Craig Lancaster moved to Montana in 2006, at the age of 36, it was the realization of a dream he’d harbored since childhood, one that he figured had been overtaken by events, as so many dreams are.
“I have these incredibly vivid memories of visiting Montana with my folks on family vacations, and following my dad, an itinerant laborer who worked in the oil and gas fields of the West when I was a kid,” Lancaster says. “It was such a vast, beautiful, overwhelming place. From the first time I saw Montana, I wanted to be a part of it.”
Craig was born on February 9th, 1970, in Lakewood, Washington. Adopted at birth, he grew up in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, with his mother and stepfather and siblings. His stepfather, Charles Clines, was a longtime sportswriter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a connection that led to Craig’s career as a journalist, a profession he followed to a series of newspaper jobs across the country — Texas, Alaska, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington, California and, finally, Montana.
A couple of years after Craig’s arrival in the Big Sky State, he began chasing another long-held dream: that of writing novels. His first completed novel, 600 Hours of Edward, was born in the crucible of National Novel Writing Month, that every-November free-for-all of furious writing. He completed an entire first draft, nearly 80,000 words, in November 2008. In October 2009, it was published by Riverbend Publishing of Helena, Montana, and has since gone on to be selected as a Montana Honor Book and a High Plains Book Award winner.
His follow-up, The Summer Son, was released in January 2011 by AmazonEncore, to similar acclaim. Booklist called the new novel “a classic western tale of rough lives and gruff, dangerous men, of innocence betrayed and long, stumbling journeys to love.”
Lancaster’s work delves deeply below the surface of its characters, teasing out the desires and motivations that lead us through our lives.
“It’s all too easy to turn people into caricatures, but the truth is, we humans are pretty damned fascinating,” he says. “For me, fiction is a way at getting at truth. I use it to examine the world around me, the things that disturb me, the questions I have about life — whether my own or someone else’s. My hope is that someone reading my work will have their own emotional experience and bring their own thoughts to what they read on the page. When I’m asked what my stories mean, my inclination is turn the question around: What do they mean to you?”
“I have these incredibly vivid memories of visiting Montana with my folks on family vacations, and following my dad, an itinerant laborer who worked in the oil and gas fields of the West when I was a kid,” Lancaster says. “It was such a vast, beautiful, overwhelming place. From the first time I saw Montana, I wanted to be a part of it.”
Craig was born on February 9th, 1970, in Lakewood, Washington. Adopted at birth, he grew up in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, with his mother and stepfather and siblings. His stepfather, Charles Clines, was a longtime sportswriter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a connection that led to Craig’s career as a journalist, a profession he followed to a series of newspaper jobs across the country — Texas, Alaska, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington, California and, finally, Montana.
A couple of years after Craig’s arrival in the Big Sky State, he began chasing another long-held dream: that of writing novels. His first completed novel, 600 Hours of Edward, was born in the crucible of National Novel Writing Month, that every-November free-for-all of furious writing. He completed an entire first draft, nearly 80,000 words, in November 2008. In October 2009, it was published by Riverbend Publishing of Helena, Montana, and has since gone on to be selected as a Montana Honor Book and a High Plains Book Award winner.
His follow-up, The Summer Son, was released in January 2011 by AmazonEncore, to similar acclaim. Booklist called the new novel “a classic western tale of rough lives and gruff, dangerous men, of innocence betrayed and long, stumbling journeys to love.”
Lancaster’s work delves deeply below the surface of its characters, teasing out the desires and motivations that lead us through our lives.
“It’s all too easy to turn people into caricatures, but the truth is, we humans are pretty damned fascinating,” he says. “For me, fiction is a way at getting at truth. I use it to examine the world around me, the things that disturb me, the questions I have about life — whether my own or someone else’s. My hope is that someone reading my work will have their own emotional experience and bring their own thoughts to what they read on the page. When I’m asked what my stories mean, my inclination is turn the question around: What do they mean to you?”
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 28, 2025
I did enjoy this book though it took me a while to get into it. A story of how one woman handles everything that is thrown at her.
The relationships Jane had seemed very real, from her 11 year old daughter, to her father, to her ex-husband. All very relatable and Jane handled them all as best she could.
I liked Jane as a character and was rooting for her and feeling so sorry for her in equal measure.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but will definitely read more by him.
The relationships Jane had seemed very real, from her 11 year old daughter, to her father, to her ex-husband. All very relatable and Jane handled them all as best she could.
I liked Jane as a character and was rooting for her and feeling so sorry for her in equal measure.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but will definitely read more by him.
September 24, 2025
When I was given the chance to read a new Craig Lancaster novel, I accepted with alacrity. His previous books have always stayed with me—beautifully written, emotionally resonant, and full of characters who feel achingly real. Jane, Divided is no exception. With quiet brilliance, Lancaster brings his female protagonist to life, capturing her complexities, vulnerabilities, and strength in a way that feels both authentic and deeply moving.
When Jane leaves Montana behind, she’s not just walking away from a failed marriage—she’s trying to outrun the emotional weight of her past. Returning to Texas, a place she swore she’d never revisit, means confronting old wounds and stepping into roles she thought she’d left behind: daughter, teacher, single mother. Living under her father’s roof and re-entering the classroom after years away is no easy feat, but Lancaster handles these transitions with quiet grace. The question lingers throughout: can Jane rebuild a life in the very place she once fled, and find connection not just with her daughter, but with the father she’s kept at arm’s length?
This is a story that lingers. Craig Lancaster writes with such empathy and insight that you feel every step of Jane’s journey—her doubts, her quiet courage, her longing for connection. Jane, Divided is a tender, beautifully observed novel about second chances and the strength it takes to rebuild. I finished it feeling grateful to have spent time in Jane’s world, and reminded of how powerful a well-told story can be.
When Jane leaves Montana behind, she’s not just walking away from a failed marriage—she’s trying to outrun the emotional weight of her past. Returning to Texas, a place she swore she’d never revisit, means confronting old wounds and stepping into roles she thought she’d left behind: daughter, teacher, single mother. Living under her father’s roof and re-entering the classroom after years away is no easy feat, but Lancaster handles these transitions with quiet grace. The question lingers throughout: can Jane rebuild a life in the very place she once fled, and find connection not just with her daughter, but with the father she’s kept at arm’s length?
This is a story that lingers. Craig Lancaster writes with such empathy and insight that you feel every step of Jane’s journey—her doubts, her quiet courage, her longing for connection. Jane, Divided is a tender, beautifully observed novel about second chances and the strength it takes to rebuild. I finished it feeling grateful to have spent time in Jane’s world, and reminded of how powerful a well-told story can be.
September 2, 2025
In this book we follow Jane as she relocates from Montana to Texas. Leaving her ex-husband, and taking daughter Claire with her, she is moving back to her hometown. Initially to her father's house. It is just before Christmas and she has a teaching job lined up for the New Year.
But moving home isn't the breath of fresh air she thought (hoped) it would be. But she has made her bed and, well, now has to walk the talk. There are things there that are hugely positive, a younger colleague who she gets close to, a young student who she can really help. But on the flip side, there's her strained relationship with her father and her daughter is missing her father and friends and wants to go back to Montana.
I have read a few books by this author now and am always blown away by his ability to write so much about normal people doing normal things and making it all so special. His characters feel so real and are all so easy to get on with, both positively negatively, and also somewhere in between. They are all flawed which brings them to life all the more easily and allows them to make the mistakes which in turn allows them to move forward in their lives.
It's a great story played out by some of the riches characters. Whilst not the paciest book, it sucked me in from the off and held my attention nicely all the way through, spitting me out at the end wholly satisfied, leaving me with characters who will stay with me for a wee while longer.
But moving home isn't the breath of fresh air she thought (hoped) it would be. But she has made her bed and, well, now has to walk the talk. There are things there that are hugely positive, a younger colleague who she gets close to, a young student who she can really help. But on the flip side, there's her strained relationship with her father and her daughter is missing her father and friends and wants to go back to Montana.
I have read a few books by this author now and am always blown away by his ability to write so much about normal people doing normal things and making it all so special. His characters feel so real and are all so easy to get on with, both positively negatively, and also somewhere in between. They are all flawed which brings them to life all the more easily and allows them to make the mistakes which in turn allows them to move forward in their lives.
It's a great story played out by some of the riches characters. Whilst not the paciest book, it sucked me in from the off and held my attention nicely all the way through, spitting me out at the end wholly satisfied, leaving me with characters who will stay with me for a wee while longer.
September 12, 2025
This was my first time reading Craig Lancaster, and I found Jane Divided to be both tender and powerful. The novel follows Jane Sperling, newly divorced and returning from Montana to Texas with her 11-year-old daughter Claire. Back in her childhood home with her estranged father, Jane is forced to confront old wounds, while also trying to give her daughter stability and a future.
At its heart, this is a story about relationships
-fractured, fragile, and sometimes unexpectedly healing. I was especially moved by Jane's relationship with her father, whose dementia is gradually revealed in heartbreaking ways. Having a parent experiencing dementia myself, those moments felt very real and poignant.
But the character who stayed with me the most was Roderick, a troubled, misunderstood boy at the middle school where Jane takes a teaching job. Few people can reach him, but Jane does, and their connection became one of the most important and hopeful parts of the book for me. It showed Jane's resilience and compassion in such a moving way.
While there is sadness and loss, there's also a sense of renewal by the end. Each character finds some measure of a fresh start, which made the novel feel both realistic and uplifting. A beautiful, heartfelt read that makes me want to seek out more of Lancaster's work. Thanks to TBC reviewer group and author for the opportunity to read. This did not disappoint.
At its heart, this is a story about relationships
-fractured, fragile, and sometimes unexpectedly healing. I was especially moved by Jane's relationship with her father, whose dementia is gradually revealed in heartbreaking ways. Having a parent experiencing dementia myself, those moments felt very real and poignant.
But the character who stayed with me the most was Roderick, a troubled, misunderstood boy at the middle school where Jane takes a teaching job. Few people can reach him, but Jane does, and their connection became one of the most important and hopeful parts of the book for me. It showed Jane's resilience and compassion in such a moving way.
While there is sadness and loss, there's also a sense of renewal by the end. Each character finds some measure of a fresh start, which made the novel feel both realistic and uplifting. A beautiful, heartfelt read that makes me want to seek out more of Lancaster's work. Thanks to TBC reviewer group and author for the opportunity to read. This did not disappoint.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2025
I've said this before in reviews I've posted for this authors books and I'll say it again - Craig Lancaster has an extraordinary gift of making you feel you're sitting on the porch with him on a warm summer night, shooting the breeze, having a beer and he's telling you the story. It's an amazing gift to have.
Jane Sperling has separated from her husband and is headed from Montana to Texas with her eleven year old daughter, Claire, back to the town she grew up and back to living in her childhood home with her dad.
Can she start a new life back home? She's sure going to give it a go. She puts her teaching credential to use at the middle school she attended as a child. This is where we meet Roderick (I adore this kid) as well as other pupils and teachers.
We are taken on a journey as Jane tries to navigate her new life, trying her best to get along with her dad and worrying if her daughter is happy with the move. I was with her every step of the way.
I love this authors ability to write about real life with characters who are real and many of us can relate to them.
Another outstanding and beautifully written story by this very talented writer.
Jane Sperling has separated from her husband and is headed from Montana to Texas with her eleven year old daughter, Claire, back to the town she grew up and back to living in her childhood home with her dad.
Can she start a new life back home? She's sure going to give it a go. She puts her teaching credential to use at the middle school she attended as a child. This is where we meet Roderick (I adore this kid) as well as other pupils and teachers.
We are taken on a journey as Jane tries to navigate her new life, trying her best to get along with her dad and worrying if her daughter is happy with the move. I was with her every step of the way.
I love this authors ability to write about real life with characters who are real and many of us can relate to them.
Another outstanding and beautifully written story by this very talented writer.
August 22, 2025
I’ve loved the previous books I’ve read by Craig Lancaster and Jane Divided was no exception. It’s such a lovely, gentle story and I really enjoyed it.
The book follows Jane, who returns to her Texas hometown with her daughter Claire after leaving a difficult marriage. She takes a job at her old middle school and slowly begins to rebuild her life. It’s a tender, honest look at starting over and what it means to come home - not just physically, but emotionally too.
Jane felt so real to me and was a very relatable character - flawed, warm and doing her best. Her relationship with her young daughter Claire was beautifully done, full of love but also some raw, painful edges that made it feel very true to life. I also really liked the way her relationship with her dad was written. There’s a quiet complexity there and you feel the weight of their history without it ever being over-explained.
One of the parts that stood out most was the letters Jane had written to Claire during her marriage. They added so much emotional depth and made Jane’s journey feel even more personal.
Another beautiful book from Craig Lancaster and I highly recommend ☺️
The book follows Jane, who returns to her Texas hometown with her daughter Claire after leaving a difficult marriage. She takes a job at her old middle school and slowly begins to rebuild her life. It’s a tender, honest look at starting over and what it means to come home - not just physically, but emotionally too.
Jane felt so real to me and was a very relatable character - flawed, warm and doing her best. Her relationship with her young daughter Claire was beautifully done, full of love but also some raw, painful edges that made it feel very true to life. I also really liked the way her relationship with her dad was written. There’s a quiet complexity there and you feel the weight of their history without it ever being over-explained.
One of the parts that stood out most was the letters Jane had written to Claire during her marriage. They added so much emotional depth and made Jane’s journey feel even more personal.
Another beautiful book from Craig Lancaster and I highly recommend ☺️
August 29, 2025
After her divorce Jane travels from Montana to her childhood home in Texas to live with her father. Accompanying her is her eleven year old daughter, Claire. She’s hoping to make a fresh start by, firstly, taking a teaching job at her old school. As Jane begins to navigate her new life, we meet a whole load of interesting characters along the way. Will the move be successful and will it be the life she is hoping for?
I enjoyed this thoughtful story about families and finding your place in the world. It’s an emotional tale at times and it takes the reader on quite a rollercoaster of a journey, very much an adventure. Life isn’t always easy as Jane finds out. It’s easy to empathise with Jane as she deals with her pre-teen daughter and her errant father. Her relationship with Claire is particularly well observed and very perceptive. Jane is very relatable in this respect. I didn’t always agree with her attitude towards her dad but that’s my opinion! No-one is perfect. I also thought the ending was maybe a little rushed, but all in all I found it an engaging, well paced and engrossing page turner. It’s sure to appeal to many readers.
I enjoyed this thoughtful story about families and finding your place in the world. It’s an emotional tale at times and it takes the reader on quite a rollercoaster of a journey, very much an adventure. Life isn’t always easy as Jane finds out. It’s easy to empathise with Jane as she deals with her pre-teen daughter and her errant father. Her relationship with Claire is particularly well observed and very perceptive. Jane is very relatable in this respect. I didn’t always agree with her attitude towards her dad but that’s my opinion! No-one is perfect. I also thought the ending was maybe a little rushed, but all in all I found it an engaging, well paced and engrossing page turner. It’s sure to appeal to many readers.
September 13, 2025
Craig Lancaster is one of those unbeatable authors who enter your life and never leave. Ever since I picked up 100 Hours of Edward, I knew this man and his brilliant mind would forever hold a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf.
Jane, Divided is a beautiful book. Leaving a failed marriage and heading back to her hometown with daughter, Claire, is only the start for Jane. The relationship between the two of them is stunning. The relationships Jane has with other people who come into the story are powerful, meaningful, difficult, impactful.
The whole book is just a delight.
I’m so pleased Craig has given us the gift of this book. Please do read all his work. It’s incredible.
Jane, Divided is a beautiful book. Leaving a failed marriage and heading back to her hometown with daughter, Claire, is only the start for Jane. The relationship between the two of them is stunning. The relationships Jane has with other people who come into the story are powerful, meaningful, difficult, impactful.
The whole book is just a delight.
I’m so pleased Craig has given us the gift of this book. Please do read all his work. It’s incredible.
August 21, 2025
Jane has split with her husband and is moving back to her hometown with her young daughter. But as we get to see it is not without its difficulties. The characterisation is outstanding and makes you feel like you are right there with them in the story. The plot is masterful storytelling and although this is my first book by this author I will definitely be reading more. There is not much to say because you need to read it for yourself but although it's lengthy I was enthralled all the way.
September 5, 2025
Jane and her 11yr old daughter Claire go to live with her dad in Texas after Jane's marriage ends. It's not going to be easy moving back into her childhood home especially with her dad who is set in his ways and rather grumpy but needs must. She gets a job in the local school and things start to settle down. This is a lovely read about family life and how everyone has to adapt when marriages break down. A beautifully written book.
September 24, 2025
Jane Divided is multi-layered and character-driven. In true Craig Lancaster style, this wonderful author draws us into each of his main character’s strengths, frailties and foibles.
I really enjoyed this, although I can’t say I really warmed to Jane or her daughter as they set off back to live with Jane’s father in her hometown. The larger-than-life characters, Jane’s father – Eric - in particular, will stay with me. Eric’s journey - his health and his heart – was captivating.
Lancaster shows us that life doesn’t follow predictable trajectories, nor is it black or white. Instead there are huge amounts of grey – unpredictable, surprising and often there for a reason. Ultimately hopeful, Jane Divided took me on an emotional roller coaster which is just what a great novel should do.
If you haven’t read any of Lancaster’s previous brilliant works, 100 Hours of Edward is a good place to start.
I really enjoyed this, although I can’t say I really warmed to Jane or her daughter as they set off back to live with Jane’s father in her hometown. The larger-than-life characters, Jane’s father – Eric - in particular, will stay with me. Eric’s journey - his health and his heart – was captivating.
Lancaster shows us that life doesn’t follow predictable trajectories, nor is it black or white. Instead there are huge amounts of grey – unpredictable, surprising and often there for a reason. Ultimately hopeful, Jane Divided took me on an emotional roller coaster which is just what a great novel should do.
If you haven’t read any of Lancaster’s previous brilliant works, 100 Hours of Edward is a good place to start.
August 18, 2025
Good book about Jane that try’s to rebuild her life with her daughter after travelling from different states in America in a car that’s not very road worthy . I really related to the characters and felt I was there with them . A really good read worth a read.
September 14, 2025
I started skimming through bits of this book so that I could do justice to this review. I couldn't stop and I am sitting here shattered and whole with tears running down my face. All the feels and so much of the mixed up complicated truths of families and life. That's all. Read it.
August 15, 2025
What a fabulous book. I couldn’t put it down. It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Craig Lancaster and this has just reminded me why I’m a fan.
August 18, 2025
I loved this book for its beautiful rich writing and characterful storytelling. You could really empathise with Jane’s experiences as anyone with children and parents will agree. Highly recommend.
September 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this book.
It was a great book i couldn't put it down.
Recommended.
It was a great book i couldn't put it down.
Recommended.
December 20, 2025
I enjoyed this one. What a good book. My first time reading a book by this author, but not my last
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews