A sweeping, deeply human historical novel about redemption, family, and the search for meaning on the American frontier.
 
In 1886, Ulysses Pope leaves his Minnesota home without explanation, abandoning his wife and two sons. As the family struggles to survive in his absence, his eldest son sets out to find him, driven by love and anger in equal measure. What unfolds is a powerful story of discovery and forgiveness set against the rugged beauty and brutality of the American West.
 
The High Divide by Lin Enger is an elegantly written exploration of loss, loyalty, and the complicated truths that lie beneath family secrets. As Ulysses’s family tries to piece together his disappearance, they uncover a history tied to the Plains Indian Wars and the ghosts of America’s violent expansion.
Enger’s prose is rich and contemplative, echoing the spirit of authors like Kent Haruf and Wallace Stegner. Through vivid landscapes and intimate character studies, the novel portrays not only the physical distances that divide families but also the emotional and moral gulfs we struggle to bridge.
 
Poignant, atmospheric, and deeply empathetic, The High Divide is both a historical journey and a meditation on atonement and grace.
 
💖 Why You’ll Love It
A beautifully written story of family, secrets, and redemption.
Evokes the spirit of Cormac McCarthy and Kent Haruf.
Blends historical realism with emotional depth and literary elegance.
Vivid sense of time and place in the late 19th-century American West.
Perfect for readers who enjoy reflective, character-driven storytelling.
 
🌟 Perfect For
Fans of Plainsong and All the Light We Cannot See.
Readers who love historical fiction with heart and moral complexity.
Book clubs seeking literary, discussion-worthy fiction.
Those drawn to stories of fathers, sons, and second chances.
 
❤️ Fans Also Liked
If you enjoyed The High Divide, you might also like:
Plainsong by Kent Haruf — quiet beauty and moral clarity in the American heartland.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger — lyrical family story by Lin Enger’s brother.
The Son by Philipp Meyer — sweeping multigenerational American epic.