Entre dos aguas

They say the construction of the canal will be the greatest feat in the history of engineering. But who will build it? For Francisco, a local fisherman who cannot abide foreign powers tearing his country apart, nothing is more distasteful than his son Omar’s decision to work as an excavator in the drilling zone. Yet for Omar—raised a quiet, solitary life—this job offers a chance to finally forge a connection. Ada Bunting, a spirited sixteen-year-old from Barbados, arrives in Panama as a stowaway, joining thousands of West Indians in search of work. Alone and penniless, she is determined to find a job that will allow her to earn enough money for her sick sister’s surgery. When she sees a young man—Omar—collapse after an exhausting shift, she is the only one who rushes to his aid. John Oswald has dedicated his life to scientific research and has traveled to Panama with a single goal in mind: to eradicate malaria. But when his wife, Marian, falls ill, he witnesses Ada’s courage and compassion and hires her to care for Marian. This decision—which proves disastrous—sets in motion a moving story of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice.