The Diviners

All you need to know about this beautiful novel is that it takes place in New York of the 1920’s (the industrial age of change and wealth), has a diverse set of beautifully written and rounded up characters and is a suspenseful and creepy story that will haunt your dreams. What else could you possibly want? Now let me get into a little more detail: What astounded and surprised me most about this novel is that the author obviously invested a great deal of time and effort in historical research. The sentiment and zeitgeist of the golden era is captured vividly and is indeed historically accurate. Before going into this novel I’ve heard that it has a diverse set of characters, portraying different cultures, religions and sexualities but still was astounded as to how brilliantly the cultural melting pot - that is New York - was depicted. Thinking about the 20’s you think about The Great Gatsby, the era of jazz, the buzzing Wall Street and of the flapper girls with their short skirts, bobbed hair who flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behaviour. What I didn’t get to see in other works that take place in the 1920’s though, was the variety of cultures, religious beliefs and people that were living in America even a hundred years ago. America didn’t suddenly turn into a cultural melting pot but was one from the very beginning and The Diviners portrayed this beautifully. The novel explores racism, discrimination and religious fanatism while also showing the bright side of the industrial age with its new inventions and political changes. The Diviners is, all in all, a beautifully crafted work with a captivating story that keeps you at the edge of your seat.