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The Divided
Katie Waitman's award-winning first novel, "The Merro Tree," heralded the arrival of an exciting new science fiction talent. Now the exceptional promise of that acclaimed debut is more than met in a powerfully original story of love, loss, and transformation. Set on a war-torn world of stark contrasts and fragile balances, of plenitude and poverty, romance and betrayal, Sa'har will stir the heart and haunt the mind long after the last page is turned. . . .
Sekmé is a rarity -- a female Maurheti soldier risen to the rank of Commander at the tender age of twenty-four. Daughter of a pilot killed in a gel-bombing raid on godless Tel-mari civilians, Sekmé is determined to crush resistance once and for all. But the merciless efficiency that has made her a hero to her soldiers and a demon to the enemy has also earned Sekmé the enmity of dangerous men closer to home. Men with interests other than victory.
Merkus is a freedom fighter leading the resistance against the despoilers of Tel-mari wealth and honor. Sickened by the endless slaughter, he longs for a peace he has never known -- a peace he has only read about in an ancient poem that sings of a mythical place called Sa'har. But to the Maurheti, Markus is a hated terrorist to be hunted down.
Wepanu has spent his life wandering the inhospitable deserts of Maurhet, his only companions the mysterious entities known as jo. Visible to a chosen few, the jo remember what humans have forgotten--a prophecy passed on to Wepanu that will bring Sekmé and Merkus into a violent collision fated to shake the beliefs of Maurheti and Tel-mari to the core. A prophecy that will point the way to the peace of Sa'har--orignite an all-consuming holocaust . . .
Sekmé is a rarity -- a female Maurheti soldier risen to the rank of Commander at the tender age of twenty-four. Daughter of a pilot killed in a gel-bombing raid on godless Tel-mari civilians, Sekmé is determined to crush resistance once and for all. But the merciless efficiency that has made her a hero to her soldiers and a demon to the enemy has also earned Sekmé the enmity of dangerous men closer to home. Men with interests other than victory.
Merkus is a freedom fighter leading the resistance against the despoilers of Tel-mari wealth and honor. Sickened by the endless slaughter, he longs for a peace he has never known -- a peace he has only read about in an ancient poem that sings of a mythical place called Sa'har. But to the Maurheti, Markus is a hated terrorist to be hunted down.
Wepanu has spent his life wandering the inhospitable deserts of Maurhet, his only companions the mysterious entities known as jo. Visible to a chosen few, the jo remember what humans have forgotten--a prophecy passed on to Wepanu that will bring Sekmé and Merkus into a violent collision fated to shake the beliefs of Maurheti and Tel-mari to the core. A prophecy that will point the way to the peace of Sa'har--orignite an all-consuming holocaust . . .
358 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2015
Katie Waitman's only other book besides the exquisite The Merro Tree. The Divided is a much different novel, Sci-Fi only in the sense it occurs on another world from Terra (subtle clues) and besides humans (or humanoids) seems to have native, if obscure, sentients. The story involves the effect of religion and minor differences in beliefs on cultures and societies. It also touches on the difference between religion and spirituality. It is very timely! My only complaint is that it leaves many threads unresolved on completion. OTOH, this does leave the future to the imagination of the reader, perhaps for the best.
The about the author page says she is working on a sequel to The Merro Tree which is yet to appear 16 years later.
7 of 10 Stars
PS: I got a used paperback for 1¢ plus shipping and surprise, it was inscribed and signed by the author! If you'd like to contact the author and beg for more, there is a Katie Waitman on Facebook who seems to be her and at USC. Maybe some encouragement can help get her writing again.
The about the author page says she is working on a sequel to The Merro Tree which is yet to appear 16 years later.
7 of 10 Stars
PS: I got a used paperback for 1¢ plus shipping and surprise, it was inscribed and signed by the author! If you'd like to contact the author and beg for more, there is a Katie Waitman on Facebook who seems to be her and at USC. Maybe some encouragement can help get her writing again.
February 1, 2012
Ordered this plot summary unseen as soon as Goodreads told me Waitman had another novel, besides The Merro Tree, which I have read over and over and love. This was an entirely different book but excellent. It reminded me both of Ricardo Pinto's Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy (albeit much shorter) and Storm Constantine's fantasy masterpiece (IMO) Calenture. The entire story is a parable with huge similarity to the Arab - Israeli conflict, yet at the same time it is original and at times startlingly beautiful. I will need to reread bits of it to get a better grasp of it, but I liked the way the book started in on corner, on environment, and by the end way someplace totally, totally different.
June 7, 2007
Not even close to as good as the Merro Tree.
April 7, 2018
It's really too bad that this book will never be reprinted. It was a formative work for me as a young teen. However, revisiting it as an adult, I feel that the religious messages were heavy-handedly conservative and I probably didn't get the intended moral from it as a kid. I just thought that the setting was fascinating and that the main character was a badass, and I couldn't understand some of her choices, which I won't spoil in case anyone can actually find this book today.
July 22, 2012
If not quite as magical as her prior novel The Merro Tree, The Divided is still a very good book. It tells the story of a planet with two warring peoples whose provenance and historical relationship is unclear. Sekme is a talented, seemingly charmed soldier, but needs the emotional support of her poet brother Set. Avhrym is a religious scholar who has been pushed by the war to a darker, more violent path. Both represent insular, intolerant cultures. Wepanu is the gifted prophet behind the scenes.
Waitman does a good job of representing all sides, and of keeping us interested. The prose is always smooth and easy to read. There are some plot flourishes that are never quite resolved, but for the most part, The Divided is a fun, satisfying novel.
Waitman does a good job of representing all sides, and of keeping us interested. The prose is always smooth and easy to read. There are some plot flourishes that are never quite resolved, but for the most part, The Divided is a fun, satisfying novel.
January 2, 2010
The writing quality was fine, but the author inserted way too much of her politically correct religious agenda for my taste. This was thinly veiled propaganda for the claim that wars arise from religious differences, and that we should sacrifice our beliefs in order to all get along. As I buy into neither view, I found the book frustrating and overbearing.
June 6, 2013
Another thanks to Elizabeth for pointing me in the direction of this book 13 years ago. It was one of my favorites. Although it doesn't quite hold up the way it did when I was 12 years old, it's still a great story with poignant characters and a great storyline.
January 31, 2008
Though not as good as her first I still liked this one and wish she'd write another
August 9, 2012
Is your religion faith or dogma? This sci fi book explores both forms of worship.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews