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sarahyjackson's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Made me want to learn more about the construction of the Panama Canal - and I appreciated having, even fictional, a different lens into this history.
Largely though, the characters and their journeys felt kind of meh and forgettable to me?
Largely though, the characters and their journeys felt kind of meh and forgettable to me?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Miscarriage, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Sexual content and Slavery
lyla's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The only fictional account about the Panama Canal and its construction that I've ever read - about the natives, the immigrant labor force, the white Americans, all coming to a head. I loved the characters, and the novel is heavily laced with characterization, very little dialogue, a lot of exposition. Henriquez's writing slides by, with such smoothness and wit, even when no action is really taking place. Depicts many complicated relationships and the way humans fall short.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Racism, and Slavery
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