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Split
In the aftermath of the 1960s, tensions simmer beneath the surface of a small town in rural Massachusetts. Watergate and the war in Vietnam have shaken Americans' faith in their government, the energy crisis clouds the future, and the civil rights movement has given way to uneasy race relations. But identical twin sisters April and Pilgrim live happily on their parents' farm, sharing a secret language and uncanny closeness. The twins shelter each other from the wider world, until adolescence and the hard realities of adult life catch up to them.
In 1975, when the girls are sixteen years old, their father single handedly recruits a young Bahamian doctor to minister to the town's residents. While racial prejudice keeps patients away from his door, the idle "Dr. Panama," as April and Pilgrim refer to him, spends much of his time with the family. When the relationship between the girls and the young doctor begins to strain the bounds of propriety and comes to light, the family is torn apart.
Years later, on the eve of the 2008 election that would sweep Barack Obama into the White House, the adult Pilgrim, long estranged from her family, learns her father has died and her mother, now suffering the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, is living in homecare. When she returns to Massachusetts to see her mother, Pilgrim discovers a country in financial crisis and her bucolic childhood home in shambles. It is in the midst of this decay that Pilgrim picks up the threads of her past and finds herself finishing what was begun three decades earlier.
In 1975, when the girls are sixteen years old, their father single handedly recruits a young Bahamian doctor to minister to the town's residents. While racial prejudice keeps patients away from his door, the idle "Dr. Panama," as April and Pilgrim refer to him, spends much of his time with the family. When the relationship between the girls and the young doctor begins to strain the bounds of propriety and comes to light, the family is torn apart.
Years later, on the eve of the 2008 election that would sweep Barack Obama into the White House, the adult Pilgrim, long estranged from her family, learns her father has died and her mother, now suffering the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, is living in homecare. When she returns to Massachusetts to see her mother, Pilgrim discovers a country in financial crisis and her bucolic childhood home in shambles. It is in the midst of this decay that Pilgrim picks up the threads of her past and finds herself finishing what was begun three decades earlier.
370 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
354 people want to read
About the author
Libby Creelman
4 books6 followersLibby Creelman is the author of Walking in Paradise, a collection of short stories, and two novels: The Darren Effect and Split. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Canadian Stories and two editions of the Journey Prize Anthology.
Libby has a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and an M.Sc. and B.Ed. from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She lives and works in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Libby has a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and an M.Sc. and B.Ed. from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She lives and works in St. John's, Newfoundland.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 10, 2022
I liked the first part of this book much better than the second part.
December 18, 2015
I received a copy of Split as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Things I liked: The author opened the story about twins Pilgrim and April by introducing just enough of the climax of the story to hook the reader. I don't generally like this type of opening, but the author really made it work. I was hooked on the story from the second or third page, simply because I wanted to know what precipitated the opening. I also enjoy the way that the author partitioned out information throughout the story, never giving away too much at once.
Things I did not like: First of all, the discussion of American politics seemed trite and lacking. As an American, it was noticeable that someone not from this country, but from a country familiar with our politics was writing it. I also felt the story would have been much more effective if the last chapter occurred about 70 pages sooner and the entire Bahamian scenes with Jean and Pilgrim alone would have been cut out. They just seemed to be there for drama, but I didn't feel they really added anything to the overall story.
Things I liked: The author opened the story about twins Pilgrim and April by introducing just enough of the climax of the story to hook the reader. I don't generally like this type of opening, but the author really made it work. I was hooked on the story from the second or third page, simply because I wanted to know what precipitated the opening. I also enjoy the way that the author partitioned out information throughout the story, never giving away too much at once.
Things I did not like: First of all, the discussion of American politics seemed trite and lacking. As an American, it was noticeable that someone not from this country, but from a country familiar with our politics was writing it. I also felt the story would have been much more effective if the last chapter occurred about 70 pages sooner and the entire Bahamian scenes with Jean and Pilgrim alone would have been cut out. They just seemed to be there for drama, but I didn't feel they really added anything to the overall story.
July 17, 2024
I listened to the authour read a an excerpt from this book at the Sparks Literary Festival about ten years ago and it’s been on my to-read list for a while and but I’m so glad I finally did. The story is so compelling and the tension and mystery is built up so well. I kept wanting to find out what happened after the shocking turn of events in the prologue and how the relationship Pilgrim and April changed. Creelman’s depict of the eerie and borderline supernatural connection between a pair of identical twins was so believable and I liked her use of present and past tense to separate flashbacks from the present narrative. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending but overall, I really enjoyed this novel.
December 17, 2019
I gave it longer than I've given the other books on the 'tbr' shelf that I'm trying to triage (50 pages). It was my second attempt to read this book. I have to admit, it showed promise and to be fair the writing is good. The question for me became, this, or Margaret Atwood's The Testaments (which I'm also reading at the moment). In the end Atwood won by a distance.
September 8, 2015
It was a wonderful read.
It explores a type of sibling experience, a sort of symbiosis I cannot begin to imagine, and how that relationship is affected by time and change and individual perceptions.
It is a reminder of the trials that adolescence can bring, and an illustration of the long-term impact those trials can have.
It is an examination of ties that bind, and those that slip away.
It was done in 2 days.
It left me curious to read more by Libby Creelman.
It explores a type of sibling experience, a sort of symbiosis I cannot begin to imagine, and how that relationship is affected by time and change and individual perceptions.
It is a reminder of the trials that adolescence can bring, and an illustration of the long-term impact those trials can have.
It is an examination of ties that bind, and those that slip away.
It was done in 2 days.
It left me curious to read more by Libby Creelman.
October 26, 2015
Split is a compelling book. The relationship between the twin sisters is fascinating: what binds them and what tears them apart. Creelman's writing is sharp and she creates tension and suspense throughout. The book also gives a strong sense of America during the 1970s, post Civil Rights,and the racial tensions of the day. Each character in this book is intriguing. Whether you're interested in twins, or even just sisters, this book will give you a great read.
May 17, 2016
From the description on the back of the book, I thought this was going to be a mystery /thriller. Not the case at all. I'm not sure what this book was going for racial tensions from the 70s that still carry over today or the bond between twins? Whatever it was, it didn't quite work for me.
April 20, 2016
I didn't finish this book because it was too repetitious. To me it seemed to be telling the same thing over and over, and after a while I simply no longer cared.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews