Panama: Crossroads of the World--Reflections of Childhood

by Carmen Buelvas Critchlow

In the pages of Crossroads of the World, Carmen reflects on her childhood in an exotic homeland, which molded her early life and lined her memories with tales of survival, reliance on the land and resilience in the face of adversity. Those unforgettable experiences prepared her in unique ways for citizenship in the United States. Panama was her first crossroads, but there have been many others since. Transported alone to the U.S. as a young student of 13, Carmen has made southwest Michigan her home for more than three decades. The remarkable journey of this Hispanic-American has been filled with the ordinary wonders of marriage, raising children, working and owning a home. However, having lived with advanced kidney disease for nearly 25 years has added extraordinary challenges and unimagined dimensions to daily life. On dialysis for much of her adult life, Carmen has received two kidney transplants and now awaits a third. Her first book, The Courage to My Personal Journey with God, A Kidney Patient's Story, chronicles the physical, emotional, financial and spiritual barriers that have been Carmen and her family's test by fire. Crossroads of the World takes us back to Carmen's roots in Panama in the shadow of the Panama Canal. It also takes us forward in her crisp reflections on what it is to be a naturalized citizen---what it is to be a citizen at all---at this point in U.S. history, when the world is so threatened by volatile conflict and competing values. While her memories take her to what seem like simpler times in a far-away culture, her life and writing challenge us all to think about our own crossroads and what a potent force each individual can be in securing a future of peace for our children and grandchildren. Citizenship, diversity, cross-cultural bridges, memories, and the importance of family are all important themes in this auto-biography of a naturalized citizen from Panama.

126 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Vicktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book makes me so happy, I remember being told some of these stories from my mother and grandmother (Since my grandmother had been the author) but reading it fully for the first time was a truly eye opening experience.I will always want to recommend this book to people t so they can understand other ways of life in different parts of the world!