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Panama
At fifteen, a girl moves from a small town in Ohio to Panama while her father takes part in building the Panama Canal. This trip comes just at the right time for her. She yearns to see more of the world than her small mid-western town has to offer. She wants to meet new people. Visit exciting places. Panama with its lush rainforests and myriad of people is the perfect place for her desires to be fulfilled. Then she meets Frederico, a Spanish aristocrat who is working as a digger, one of the masses who toils daily in the heat and the dust and the danger of the canal. He embodies everything she's looking for: he's exotic, exciting, intelligent and pushes her beyond the limits her sequestered life has set for her.
Shelby Hiatt got the idea to write about the Panama Canal after visiting it and getting to know many Zoners, descendants of the people who lived and worked on the canal.
Shelby Hiatt got the idea to write about the Panama Canal after visiting it and getting to know many Zoners, descendants of the people who lived and worked on the canal.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
4 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Shelby Hiatt
2 books1 followerShelby Hiatt was born in Evansville, Indiana, at 16 went to school at Brillantmont in Lausanne, Switzerland, and from there to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where she received a BA degree in Political Science. She spent a summer studying Spanish at Mexico City College and a summer at Harvard University on a Political Science scholarship. She did graduate work at the Universtiy of Geneva's Ecole d'Interpretes in Switzerland.
After that:
New York
United Nations, Office of Public Information
Member of The Actors Studio
Broadway Production "Sign of Affection"
Off-Broadway adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' "The Sweet Enemy"
Paris
UNESCO Conference coordinator assistant
Los Angeles
Shelby wrote on set between run-throughs while playing Jane dawson on General Hospital. A first novel, "Hector's Tapes," sold to Oliver Stone.
She worked as a sketch writer for KTWV radio, The Wave and wrote screenplays for a local independent producer.
Was a staff writer on "Santa Barbara" at NBC-TV.
Shelby now lives and writes in Santa Monica, CA.
http://www.shelbyhiatt.net/biography.htm
After that:
New York
United Nations, Office of Public Information
Member of The Actors Studio
Broadway Production "Sign of Affection"
Off-Broadway adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' "The Sweet Enemy"
Paris
UNESCO Conference coordinator assistant
Los Angeles
Shelby wrote on set between run-throughs while playing Jane dawson on General Hospital. A first novel, "Hector's Tapes," sold to Oliver Stone.
She worked as a sketch writer for KTWV radio, The Wave and wrote screenplays for a local independent producer.
Was a staff writer on "Santa Barbara" at NBC-TV.
Shelby now lives and writes in Santa Monica, CA.
http://www.shelbyhiatt.net/biography.htm
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 10, 2009
I received a review copy of this book from Amazon Vine. It is labeled as young adult. Essentially, this novel is a bodice ripper aimed at pre-teens and teens. It is highly inappropriate for the young adult, audience in my opinion. While the novel is not graphic, it is far too sensual for young girls.
Aside from the moral issues, the novel is just ok. The main character is a teenager from Dayton, Ohio who is transplanted by her parents to the Panama Canal Zone after her father accepts a position with the Panama Canal Commission to build the canal. While in Panama the narrator enters into an illicit, passionate affair with a Spanish exile working as a laborer. The narrator is completely selfish, scheming and spoiled. She is very unlikeable, reminding me of Amber St. Clair in Forever Amber.
However, unlike Forever Amber, Hiatt does not create a realistic sense of place, using anachronistic phrases like "Main Street U.S.A.," "breaking out," teenage angst, among others. Her Spanish is also awful - I hope some of the errors have been corrected in the final version of this book.
On the positive side, the story of the construction of the Canal was very interesting. However, I had a hard time getting past the anachronisms and the fact that this bodice-ripper was intended for young girls.
Aside from the moral issues, the novel is just ok. The main character is a teenager from Dayton, Ohio who is transplanted by her parents to the Panama Canal Zone after her father accepts a position with the Panama Canal Commission to build the canal. While in Panama the narrator enters into an illicit, passionate affair with a Spanish exile working as a laborer. The narrator is completely selfish, scheming and spoiled. She is very unlikeable, reminding me of Amber St. Clair in Forever Amber.
However, unlike Forever Amber, Hiatt does not create a realistic sense of place, using anachronistic phrases like "Main Street U.S.A.," "breaking out," teenage angst, among others. Her Spanish is also awful - I hope some of the errors have been corrected in the final version of this book.
On the positive side, the story of the construction of the Canal was very interesting. However, I had a hard time getting past the anachronisms and the fact that this bodice-ripper was intended for young girls.
August 4, 2010
This four-star book gets an extra star from me as a thumbed nose at all the haters.
Yes, the "let's all be terrified of our own bodies" haters. Honest examination of human sexuality? No thank you, sir, scrubbed off my bits last Wednesday with a wire brush, don'chaknow.
One commenter here on goodreads wrote: "I don't think there are many teens who will be able to relate to the intense sexual desire described in the book." Really, lady? Is that your real opinion? Or are you intentionally trolling the ever-loving hell out of me? Or maybe you wrote "teens" by accident when you meant something like "igneous rocks" or "chunks of drywall" or anything else that, between the ages of like 13 and 18, isn't constantly preoccupied by the thought of GETTING LAID RIGHT NOW.
LIKE A TEEN. (And then that commenter turns around and basically says, 'Oh well I'm sure they think about sex, but like in a really STUPID way.' If you're not going to respect teenagers, lady, don't expect them to respect your reviews. K? :P ;)
But if you didn't experience that kind of desire as a teen, that's fine. Something like 4% of the adult population is actually asexual -- no erotic desires at all. And I'm not gonna make fun of that. You are who you are. But to pretend like everybody else experiences the world the same way you do isn't simply foolish. It proves you didn't read this book with anything but the most shallow and inattentive effort possible.
The protagonist is herself a late bloomer: disdainful of her peers' preoccupation with romance, passion and pleasures of the flesh. She describes herself as a tomboy, much more enamored of the worlds of knowledge and discovery -- embodied in this novel by the Wright brothers. These older men aren't father figures, have nothing to do with her latent sexuality. (This protagonist reads Freud later in the novel -- not a mere name-drop from this novelist!)
Sexual liberation is at the forefront of this novel not because it sells books, but because it's thematically related to the novel's other liberation: political revolution by peasants. Sexual repression and capitalism, both represented here by Dayton and its traditional Midwestern values, are ways in which the powerful maintain their control over the weak. The fact that this protagonist has been taught to ignore and control the yearnings of her body is directly connected with the strict political control over the indigenous peoples of Panama and the Spanish peasants.
It is from a revolutionary that the protagonist learns about both sexual and political liberation. Both characters are being oppressed.
The fusion of politics and sexuality is intentional. People who write this book off as a bodice-ripper are themselves participating in the very kind of oppression this novel is meant to address.
My favorite parts of the novel are those moments where the protagonist's awakening lead her to startling realizations about the humans around her. She realizes her parents too are sexual beings, and wonders if they're happy in their marriage. At one family dinner, she suddenly sees that her mother is capable of seducing her father.
As the novel progresses, their daughter gains a new understanding of and appreciation for the lives they've lead and the values they've held. She comes to respect her father as a good man, a man who treats those who work for him as equals. She comes to respect her mother as a person of profound inner strength.
Though she chooses to discard a few of those Midwestern values, she does so consciously and methodically. This novel gives us a vision of a girl becoming a woman -- something which seems to make many reviewers uncomfortable! Americans want women to stay little girls as long as possible, which is perverse. (In this country, everything's shrinkwrapped.)
This novel's good, folks. It's a lot better than you think it is.
Yes, the "let's all be terrified of our own bodies" haters. Honest examination of human sexuality? No thank you, sir, scrubbed off my bits last Wednesday with a wire brush, don'chaknow.
One commenter here on goodreads wrote: "I don't think there are many teens who will be able to relate to the intense sexual desire described in the book." Really, lady? Is that your real opinion? Or are you intentionally trolling the ever-loving hell out of me? Or maybe you wrote "teens" by accident when you meant something like "igneous rocks" or "chunks of drywall" or anything else that, between the ages of like 13 and 18, isn't constantly preoccupied by the thought of GETTING LAID RIGHT NOW.
LIKE A TEEN. (And then that commenter turns around and basically says, 'Oh well I'm sure they think about sex, but like in a really STUPID way.' If you're not going to respect teenagers, lady, don't expect them to respect your reviews. K? :P ;)
But if you didn't experience that kind of desire as a teen, that's fine. Something like 4% of the adult population is actually asexual -- no erotic desires at all. And I'm not gonna make fun of that. You are who you are. But to pretend like everybody else experiences the world the same way you do isn't simply foolish. It proves you didn't read this book with anything but the most shallow and inattentive effort possible.
The protagonist is herself a late bloomer: disdainful of her peers' preoccupation with romance, passion and pleasures of the flesh. She describes herself as a tomboy, much more enamored of the worlds of knowledge and discovery -- embodied in this novel by the Wright brothers. These older men aren't father figures, have nothing to do with her latent sexuality. (This protagonist reads Freud later in the novel -- not a mere name-drop from this novelist!)
Sexual liberation is at the forefront of this novel not because it sells books, but because it's thematically related to the novel's other liberation: political revolution by peasants. Sexual repression and capitalism, both represented here by Dayton and its traditional Midwestern values, are ways in which the powerful maintain their control over the weak. The fact that this protagonist has been taught to ignore and control the yearnings of her body is directly connected with the strict political control over the indigenous peoples of Panama and the Spanish peasants.
It is from a revolutionary that the protagonist learns about both sexual and political liberation. Both characters are being oppressed.
The fusion of politics and sexuality is intentional. People who write this book off as a bodice-ripper are themselves participating in the very kind of oppression this novel is meant to address.
My favorite parts of the novel are those moments where the protagonist's awakening lead her to startling realizations about the humans around her. She realizes her parents too are sexual beings, and wonders if they're happy in their marriage. At one family dinner, she suddenly sees that her mother is capable of seducing her father.
As the novel progresses, their daughter gains a new understanding of and appreciation for the lives they've lead and the values they've held. She comes to respect her father as a good man, a man who treats those who work for him as equals. She comes to respect her mother as a person of profound inner strength.
Though she chooses to discard a few of those Midwestern values, she does so consciously and methodically. This novel gives us a vision of a girl becoming a woman -- something which seems to make many reviewers uncomfortable! Americans want women to stay little girls as long as possible, which is perverse. (In this country, everything's shrinkwrapped.)
This novel's good, folks. It's a lot better than you think it is.
September 14, 2009
This "Houghton Mifflin Book for Children" is absolutely NOT a book for children. While the subject matter is interesting, the subject matter is absolutely not appropriate for the intended audience and the lack of research for this book is just ... sad. These things bring down my rating for this book dramatically.
In the novel, A 16-year-old girl from Ohio moves to Panama with her family where her father is overseeing work on the creation of the Panama Canal. The girl is hoping for adventure and an authentic cultural experience, but, unfortunately, the area they live in is extremely Americanized. Since the girl had grown up next door to the Wright brothers and even helped them with their flying machines, she longs for sophisticated company like she's known back home. Her parents agree to allow her tag along with a census taker so that she can see the real lives of the canal workers. It's during her treks with the census taker that she meets Francisco whom she instantly falls in love with because he has a bookshelf full of sophisticated books and seems "aristocratic". Eventually, the girl instigates a relationship with Francisco (who's in his mid-20s) by bringing him more books to read.
I can relate to traveling to other countries with Americans who want only to mingle with Americans and eat American food and do American things rather than get to immerse themselves in another culture. I certainly can understand falling in love with a man who likes sophisticated books and wooing him with great books.
However, I want to know when underage sex with older men became an appropriate subject for a book labeled as a children's book? At the very least, it should be labeled as a young adult book. Frankly, there is more sex here in this book than in any adult book I've read all year.
Also, the book wasn't well researched. The very little Spanish the author attempts is rather bad. For example, she assumes that the infinitive form of the irregular verb "voy" is "vayer". The author also has the characters listening to a radio broadcast in Ohio 18 years before radio came to Ohio. Characters also receive telephoned news between Ohio and Panama in 1913, 2 years before the first transcontinental telephone call between New York and San Francisco was even made. This historic call (placed by Alexander Graham Bell himself) was actually made to mark the completion of the Panama Canal, but there certainly were no lines between the US and Panama yet and certainly not 2 years earlier. I'm not going to even bother looking up other historical inaccuracies.
Even without the historical inaccuracies and the age inappropriateness, I'd really only be able to give the book 3 stars. Luckily, I was able to read the book in an afternoon and didn't waste a whole week with it. So much for thinking I was going to learn a bit of history and culture within its pages.
Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.
In the novel, A 16-year-old girl from Ohio moves to Panama with her family where her father is overseeing work on the creation of the Panama Canal. The girl is hoping for adventure and an authentic cultural experience, but, unfortunately, the area they live in is extremely Americanized. Since the girl had grown up next door to the Wright brothers and even helped them with their flying machines, she longs for sophisticated company like she's known back home. Her parents agree to allow her tag along with a census taker so that she can see the real lives of the canal workers. It's during her treks with the census taker that she meets Francisco whom she instantly falls in love with because he has a bookshelf full of sophisticated books and seems "aristocratic". Eventually, the girl instigates a relationship with Francisco (who's in his mid-20s) by bringing him more books to read.
I can relate to traveling to other countries with Americans who want only to mingle with Americans and eat American food and do American things rather than get to immerse themselves in another culture. I certainly can understand falling in love with a man who likes sophisticated books and wooing him with great books.
However, I want to know when underage sex with older men became an appropriate subject for a book labeled as a children's book? At the very least, it should be labeled as a young adult book. Frankly, there is more sex here in this book than in any adult book I've read all year.
Also, the book wasn't well researched. The very little Spanish the author attempts is rather bad. For example, she assumes that the infinitive form of the irregular verb "voy" is "vayer". The author also has the characters listening to a radio broadcast in Ohio 18 years before radio came to Ohio. Characters also receive telephoned news between Ohio and Panama in 1913, 2 years before the first transcontinental telephone call between New York and San Francisco was even made. This historic call (placed by Alexander Graham Bell himself) was actually made to mark the completion of the Panama Canal, but there certainly were no lines between the US and Panama yet and certainly not 2 years earlier. I'm not going to even bother looking up other historical inaccuracies.
Even without the historical inaccuracies and the age inappropriateness, I'd really only be able to give the book 3 stars. Luckily, I was able to read the book in an afternoon and didn't waste a whole week with it. So much for thinking I was going to learn a bit of history and culture within its pages.
Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.
November 15, 2009
Panama was a very well-written, intriguing story about an American girl (whose name is never revealed, and though I expected this to bother me, it didn't) living in the early 1900s, and her life in Panama where her father is working on the building of the Panama Canal. Before moving to Panama, she lives in Dayton, Ohio next door to the Wright brothers, and I found that early part of the story especially interesting. The heroine of Panama is different from other kids her age, and seeks adventure - through this she meets Federico, who she quickly becomes infatuated with. The jungle of Panama makes a great backdrop to the story.
I didn't like Federico, purely because he's in his mid-twenties when his affair with the heroine of Panama occurs, and she's seventeen. Twenty shades of wrong, that is. Honestly it didn't seem as if they had any kind of intellectual bond (he's intelligent and troubled, she just wants to please him) which I think may have excused at least part of the wrongness. The female protagonist of this novel has a crush on him, which is perfectly fine. I'd've preferred she transition into being an adult without having to have sex with a Spaniard far older than her, but that's just my personal preference.
That aside, it was actually a really well-written novel, and one which I think should be marketed more as an historical romance, suitable more for adult readers than teenagers. Though the heroine's infatuation with Federico seems somewhat childish, a lot of her other thought-processes make her seem more mature (she seemed to think more about things that would concern adults, rather than things that would have concerned a teenage girl, though that might have been just to make her sound more like a girl living in the early 1900s).
Very evocatively written descriptions of Panama and the jungle, as well as a lot of interesting dialogue about class and society in America, Panama and Spain in the early 1900s, Panama will certainly appeal to readers of historical romance of all ages.
I didn't like Federico, purely because he's in his mid-twenties when his affair with the heroine of Panama occurs, and she's seventeen. Twenty shades of wrong, that is. Honestly it didn't seem as if they had any kind of intellectual bond (he's intelligent and troubled, she just wants to please him) which I think may have excused at least part of the wrongness. The female protagonist of this novel has a crush on him, which is perfectly fine. I'd've preferred she transition into being an adult without having to have sex with a Spaniard far older than her, but that's just my personal preference.
That aside, it was actually a really well-written novel, and one which I think should be marketed more as an historical romance, suitable more for adult readers than teenagers. Though the heroine's infatuation with Federico seems somewhat childish, a lot of her other thought-processes make her seem more mature (she seemed to think more about things that would concern adults, rather than things that would have concerned a teenage girl, though that might have been just to make her sound more like a girl living in the early 1900s).
Very evocatively written descriptions of Panama and the jungle, as well as a lot of interesting dialogue about class and society in America, Panama and Spain in the early 1900s, Panama will certainly appeal to readers of historical romance of all ages.
December 8, 2009
Panama by Shelby Hiatt
Let me start by saying I’m not a prude; I’m an open-minded librarian. However, there were parts of this book that made me cringe. This book reads more like a cheap romance paperback than a young adult title. It starts slow and is hard to read even before the ‘romance’ part of the book. The background stories were more interesting than the main story line.
I liked the author’s portrayal of the main character’s excitement and disappointment when she arrived in Panama. The author did not scrimp on details of the conditions of the workers and their living quarters, which was one of Panama’s best parts. The turmoil that takes place in that setting is shown realistically through the eyes of a teen. Having the Wright brothers as neighbors was a nice twist. However, the flood and earthquake seemed thrown in to lengthen the book, unless the author was trying to include actual events that occurred in those areas at that time.
The plot jumped around quite a bit, especially toward the end. The book mentioned that one of the Wright brothers was dead while the main character is home, but doesn’t mention how or why he died. As close as the main character was to the Wright brothers, there should have been some mention of the incident. The author did a good job of capturing the excitement of the people as the Canal was finally completed. I liked that natives were the first to use the canal. I also liked how she ended the book, with the entry in the Diary. I believe this is a 2 star book, at best. If it was marketed toward an older audience, I would probably give it a little better rating, but as is, I didn’t care for this book very much at all. The author should write for some other audience instead of teens.
Let me start by saying I’m not a prude; I’m an open-minded librarian. However, there were parts of this book that made me cringe. This book reads more like a cheap romance paperback than a young adult title. It starts slow and is hard to read even before the ‘romance’ part of the book. The background stories were more interesting than the main story line.
I liked the author’s portrayal of the main character’s excitement and disappointment when she arrived in Panama. The author did not scrimp on details of the conditions of the workers and their living quarters, which was one of Panama’s best parts. The turmoil that takes place in that setting is shown realistically through the eyes of a teen. Having the Wright brothers as neighbors was a nice twist. However, the flood and earthquake seemed thrown in to lengthen the book, unless the author was trying to include actual events that occurred in those areas at that time.
The plot jumped around quite a bit, especially toward the end. The book mentioned that one of the Wright brothers was dead while the main character is home, but doesn’t mention how or why he died. As close as the main character was to the Wright brothers, there should have been some mention of the incident. The author did a good job of capturing the excitement of the people as the Canal was finally completed. I liked that natives were the first to use the canal. I also liked how she ended the book, with the entry in the Diary. I believe this is a 2 star book, at best. If it was marketed toward an older audience, I would probably give it a little better rating, but as is, I didn’t care for this book very much at all. The author should write for some other audience instead of teens.
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by hoopsielv for TeensReadToo.com
This novel begins in Ohio. A young girl lives next door to the Wright brothers as they are experimenting with airplanes. She watches the world go by, content, yet longing inside for more.
The announcement of a canal being built in Panama comes around her ninth birthday. Her father starts to get letters trying to persuade him to join as an engineer. He dismisses it as life goes on.
Finally, when she is fifteen, they decide to join the canal project and commit to living in Panama for three years. She's disappointed at first when the Zone is filled with families just like hers. Where is the excitement that was promised to her?
Harry, a friend of her father's, allows her to tag along as he visits the workers for the census. It beats going to school and gives her a glimpse into the Panama that's bound of offer more.
She knows Federico is different from the moment that she lays eyes on him. He's well-educated, orderly, smooth, and handsome. He's a pick-and-shovel man on the canal, which surprises her. He seems to be cut out for so much more than dirt-digging.
They become secret lovers from different worlds yet are united as one. What will become of them once the canal is finished?
I adored this novel for both the love story and the history of the Panama Canal. The author intertwined the two stories together smoothly and created a great piece of work.
This novel begins in Ohio. A young girl lives next door to the Wright brothers as they are experimenting with airplanes. She watches the world go by, content, yet longing inside for more.
The announcement of a canal being built in Panama comes around her ninth birthday. Her father starts to get letters trying to persuade him to join as an engineer. He dismisses it as life goes on.
Finally, when she is fifteen, they decide to join the canal project and commit to living in Panama for three years. She's disappointed at first when the Zone is filled with families just like hers. Where is the excitement that was promised to her?
Harry, a friend of her father's, allows her to tag along as he visits the workers for the census. It beats going to school and gives her a glimpse into the Panama that's bound of offer more.
She knows Federico is different from the moment that she lays eyes on him. He's well-educated, orderly, smooth, and handsome. He's a pick-and-shovel man on the canal, which surprises her. He seems to be cut out for so much more than dirt-digging.
They become secret lovers from different worlds yet are united as one. What will become of them once the canal is finished?
I adored this novel for both the love story and the history of the Panama Canal. The author intertwined the two stories together smoothly and created a great piece of work.
June 29, 2010
Maybe more like 2 1/2 stars? 3? I liked the writing style but thought the story was just ok. A steamy cross cultural love affair set against the building of the panama canal created a story that should have been intense but through most of it I felt disengaged.
I don't think there are many teens who will be able to relate to the intense sexual desire described in the book. While I have no doubt teens engage in, explore, and think constantly about sex, the sophistication of the relationship described in the book is far from typical. Passages like the following are typical:
"One of my geography reports is called "The Pacific Sunrise Seen in Panama" It's the only country in the Americas where the Pacific coastline hooks around and for a short distance faces east. Mrs. Ewing thinks its wonderful, original, and well written. Should I tell her why? That I'm inspired by afternoons with Federico, lying on his cot, lazy , mind numbed? The "warmth" she reads in my essay is carnal."
Teens who enjoy harlequin style romance may find they like Panama, but those who typically read Sarah Dessen for their romance best look elsewhere.
I don't think there are many teens who will be able to relate to the intense sexual desire described in the book. While I have no doubt teens engage in, explore, and think constantly about sex, the sophistication of the relationship described in the book is far from typical. Passages like the following are typical:
"One of my geography reports is called "The Pacific Sunrise Seen in Panama" It's the only country in the Americas where the Pacific coastline hooks around and for a short distance faces east. Mrs. Ewing thinks its wonderful, original, and well written. Should I tell her why? That I'm inspired by afternoons with Federico, lying on his cot, lazy , mind numbed? The "warmth" she reads in my essay is carnal."
Teens who enjoy harlequin style romance may find they like Panama, but those who typically read Sarah Dessen for their romance best look elsewhere.
October 9, 2015
I liked this so much better when it was set in Cuba and called “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” I read this only because I am intrigued by any fiction written about my husband’s country.
The plot surrounds a teenage girl’s obsession with a Castillian Canal worker. She comes to Panama with her family hoping for an exotic tropical experience (i.e., sex on the beach). She considers herself above her “moron” schoolmates for their immature (i.e., less pedophilic) romantic tastes. She finds an aristocratic young Spanish man among the miserable canal workers (because that’s what Spanish royalty does for fun, dig gringo ditches to fund revolutions -- as if Canal workers made a living wage!). She decides this non-Panamanian guy is exactly The Panamanian Experience she has been looking for.
They have a steamy relationship based on her pretending to like his intellectual books and him having all these sexy revolutionary ideas. I'm sorry, but there is nothing sexy about teenage sex (unless you are a teenager or a pedophile). I had to skim this training-bra ripper.
Honestly, repressed girl coming into womanhood with a sexy foreign guy – it could have been so much better!
The plot surrounds a teenage girl’s obsession with a Castillian Canal worker. She comes to Panama with her family hoping for an exotic tropical experience (i.e., sex on the beach). She considers herself above her “moron” schoolmates for their immature (i.e., less pedophilic) romantic tastes. She finds an aristocratic young Spanish man among the miserable canal workers (because that’s what Spanish royalty does for fun, dig gringo ditches to fund revolutions -- as if Canal workers made a living wage!). She decides this non-Panamanian guy is exactly The Panamanian Experience she has been looking for.
They have a steamy relationship based on her pretending to like his intellectual books and him having all these sexy revolutionary ideas. I'm sorry, but there is nothing sexy about teenage sex (unless you are a teenager or a pedophile). I had to skim this training-bra ripper.
Honestly, repressed girl coming into womanhood with a sexy foreign guy – it could have been so much better!
May 6, 2010
Living next door to Orville & Wilbur Wright can be fun and exciting, but when this 15 year old narrator’s father is sent to Panama to work on the canal, she is suddenly bored. Seeking some excitement, she begins lying to her mother and starts an affair with a Spanish canal worker. Although I had high hope for an interesting historical fiction story set in such an unusual time and place, what I found was just a teenage romance heavy on the sex and lies that ends abruptly when the canal opens and the girl goes home. Another reviewer called it a “bodice ripper for teens” and another said “Harlequin romance” – that about covers it. There is some discussion of working and living conditions of the workers and some discussion of the politics in Spain in the 1910s, but there’s no resolution or even hint of what happened after. And I really didn’t get the point in including the Wright Brothers. All in all just not that good.
October 1, 2010
Summary: A 15-year-old girl is eager to leave her boring life in Dayton, Ohio for one of exoticism and intrigue in Panama. There, she discovers that, unfortunately, life in “the Zone” area of the Canal is pretty much the same as life in Dayton. That is, until she meets Federico, a Spanish canal worker with a secret political agenda. Her obsession with him leads to the start of a friendship then, suddenly, much, much more. She spends the remainder of the book romancing (and sleeping with) Federico. She grows up and learns much about herself as the construction of the canal (and the book) comes to an end.
Opinions: To start off, I actually read a lot of reviews of this book because, for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the girl (none of the other reviewers could either, apparently). While reading these reviews, I couldn't help but notice a definite trend among the reviews: most thought it was inappropriate for the intended audience (some even calling it no more than a bodice-ripper) and that it was poorly researched. On the first point, I kind of see their point of view, but at the same time I've read books for teens that were a lot more graphic about sex, even if there was less sex in the story. On the second point, I have no comment. I honestly didn't notice any of the inaccuracies that were pointed out. The only thing that struck me was the fact that the book took place in the early 1900s, and this girl was going and having sex like it wasn't a big deal. Now I'm not naive; I know that teens had sex then, it just came across as odd to me that the whole book was based around that when it took place in such a, well, conservative period.
Other than that, I'll be honest: I enjoyed the book. It was not the best I've read by any means, but it was a nice, light-hearted romance that took my mind off the stresses of school and life. The only thing I can say I didn't like was my issue with the sex that I explained above. Other than that I thought it was an enjoyable read.
Now for the ratings: If this was a movie, it would be a pretty hard PG-13, if they kept the sex like it was in the book. Any more graphic than that and it would definitely be rated R. And I gave it 3 stars because the sex part really bothered me, not in a prude sort of way, just in a no-suspension-of-disbelief way. Still, the book was, overall, enjoyable.
(reviewed on my blog: http://lovelyreader.blogspot.com/)
Opinions: To start off, I actually read a lot of reviews of this book because, for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the girl (none of the other reviewers could either, apparently). While reading these reviews, I couldn't help but notice a definite trend among the reviews: most thought it was inappropriate for the intended audience (some even calling it no more than a bodice-ripper) and that it was poorly researched. On the first point, I kind of see their point of view, but at the same time I've read books for teens that were a lot more graphic about sex, even if there was less sex in the story. On the second point, I have no comment. I honestly didn't notice any of the inaccuracies that were pointed out. The only thing that struck me was the fact that the book took place in the early 1900s, and this girl was going and having sex like it wasn't a big deal. Now I'm not naive; I know that teens had sex then, it just came across as odd to me that the whole book was based around that when it took place in such a, well, conservative period.
Other than that, I'll be honest: I enjoyed the book. It was not the best I've read by any means, but it was a nice, light-hearted romance that took my mind off the stresses of school and life. The only thing I can say I didn't like was my issue with the sex that I explained above. Other than that I thought it was an enjoyable read.
Now for the ratings: If this was a movie, it would be a pretty hard PG-13, if they kept the sex like it was in the book. Any more graphic than that and it would definitely be rated R. And I gave it 3 stars because the sex part really bothered me, not in a prude sort of way, just in a no-suspension-of-disbelief way. Still, the book was, overall, enjoyable.
(reviewed on my blog: http://lovelyreader.blogspot.com/)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2014
This summer I have been working through my shelves; uncovering a lot of books that have been hidden for years. I was beyond excited when I found Panama-- I had just returned from a trip to Panama myself a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to read this. While this one definitely had promise, the negatives outweighed the positives and I ended up not enjoying this one as much as I had hoped to.
Historical fiction has long been one of my favorite genres of YA because I love watching history come alive. I have been fascinated with the history of the Panama Canal ever since I visited it myself earlier this summer. In Shelby Wiatt's debut, the main character and her family move from Dayton, Ohio to Panama because her father has gotten a good job working on the canal. It was fascinating to read about the whole process of the canal work and to see it from the perspective of a young girl.
The weirdest part of this book for me, and what makes writing this review particularly challenging, is that we never learn the name of our narrator. I'm not sure why the author chose to do this, but it left me feeling very disconnected from her. Anyway, the main character is an only child who enjoys exploring and the outdoors. I was looking forward to seeing the canal work and surrounding Panama area from her eyes. Unfortunately, she soon becomes distracted by a young man and that becomes the sole focus of the plot.
I'm all for romance, especially in a historical setting, but this one was just strange. She meets Frederico one time and immediately becomes obsessed with him and once they start hanging out more often her obsession only grows. I didn't really see what was that great about him. He was smart and passionate about doing what was right, but it also seems like he only cared about himself and bragging about how smart he was. Also, he never asked the narrator anything about herself and seemed to only want her for her access to books and for sex.
I enjoyed reading about the work on the canal and seeing what life was like for all the different workers involved with the project, but the fact that the main character and romantic interest were so unlikable and the novel revolved more around her planning ways to sneak off and see him rather than on the fascinating world they were living in, I just ended up not enjoying this one as much as I had hoped to. I liked the author's writing style and would love to see what aspects of history she wrote about next, though.
Historical fiction has long been one of my favorite genres of YA because I love watching history come alive. I have been fascinated with the history of the Panama Canal ever since I visited it myself earlier this summer. In Shelby Wiatt's debut, the main character and her family move from Dayton, Ohio to Panama because her father has gotten a good job working on the canal. It was fascinating to read about the whole process of the canal work and to see it from the perspective of a young girl.
The weirdest part of this book for me, and what makes writing this review particularly challenging, is that we never learn the name of our narrator. I'm not sure why the author chose to do this, but it left me feeling very disconnected from her. Anyway, the main character is an only child who enjoys exploring and the outdoors. I was looking forward to seeing the canal work and surrounding Panama area from her eyes. Unfortunately, she soon becomes distracted by a young man and that becomes the sole focus of the plot.
I'm all for romance, especially in a historical setting, but this one was just strange. She meets Frederico one time and immediately becomes obsessed with him and once they start hanging out more often her obsession only grows. I didn't really see what was that great about him. He was smart and passionate about doing what was right, but it also seems like he only cared about himself and bragging about how smart he was. Also, he never asked the narrator anything about herself and seemed to only want her for her access to books and for sex.
I enjoyed reading about the work on the canal and seeing what life was like for all the different workers involved with the project, but the fact that the main character and romantic interest were so unlikable and the novel revolved more around her planning ways to sneak off and see him rather than on the fascinating world they were living in, I just ended up not enjoying this one as much as I had hoped to. I liked the author's writing style and would love to see what aspects of history she wrote about next, though.
May 1, 2013
This book was very well written and I loved the descriptions of the main character's surroundings, people and environment. However, it took me a long time to read because it took me awhile to appreciate the meanings I found in the story. At times I felt like I was there in Panama with the characters, which is a good thing but I would have liked some issues to have been elaborated on. Some of the political and ethical issues were just touched on and I think it would have brought the story more alive if the author had done that. It's a love story, set in a beautiful setting. Life brings two people together and it also tears them apart. It's not a dramatic love, but a passionate one that teaches the main character a lot about herself and life. There were so many interesting elements to this story that I wanted to keep learning about. The story made me want to learn more about the journey of the Panamian people during the construction of the Panama Canal. The love wasn't lacking in any way but I think the author did a good job of showing that love for our world is sometimes more important that the love for a lover. That side of the story was touching. Federico's, the love interest, true love was his country. A side character's true love was his exploration of people by traveling the world. This story wove together different kinds of love in a subtle way. I wouldn't go into this book expecting a love story between two lovers but expect to be shown different ways to love. The author expressed that very well I thought. Great underlining story.
I don't understand the problems people are having with this book, personally. I think it's wonderful that a young women who is trying to blossom into herself, listens to her body and seeks out what she wants. There is nothing with her having an older love interest. That played a huge role in her growing up. He taught her so much about the world, he fed her curiosity in many ways. He was her mentor and a step she needed to take into adulthood.
I don't understand the problems people are having with this book, personally. I think it's wonderful that a young women who is trying to blossom into herself, listens to her body and seeks out what she wants. There is nothing with her having an older love interest. That played a huge role in her growing up. He taught her so much about the world, he fed her curiosity in many ways. He was her mentor and a step she needed to take into adulthood.
April 28, 2010
Panama is a dramatic novel about a girl who witnesses the building of the Panama Canal. The construction scenery and the Panamanian towns are vividly descried and-wouldn’t you know it?-the Wright brothers even play an important part in this story. I think the Panama Cannel is a exciting setting and the Zone (an American “town” in the Cannel area) made it even more interesting. Hiatt has a very elegant and philosophical voice, making the narration feel very Victorian.
The girl (who’s name is never mentioned) participates in quite a bit of romance with a Spaniard called Frederico toward the middle of the novel. I personally think it got too carried away with the love affair and it is talked about so boldly throughout the story, I felt the subject change drastically from the Panama Canal to someone’s love life. I like romantic stories, but this went overboard for my taste, especially with it being a young adult novel. Most YA romance novels have some sort of “message” intertwined with the story, but Panama does not follow this pattern. It's more of a memoir or diary recounting what happened to "the girl" during her stay in Panama.
Overall, Hiatt’s debut novel flowed with great detail and history giving Panama an unique setting, but because of Panama’s references and sexual scenes, I cannot recommend to anyone younger than 17 years. I just felt like Panama isn't very suitable for the age of fourteen as the book suggests.
Shelby Hiatt got the idea to write about the Panama Canal after visiting it and getting to know many Zoners, descendents of the people who lived and worked on the canal. She lives in California. This is her first novel.
|Age Group: Ages 17+|Content: Sexual references & scenes|
Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
The girl (who’s name is never mentioned) participates in quite a bit of romance with a Spaniard called Frederico toward the middle of the novel. I personally think it got too carried away with the love affair and it is talked about so boldly throughout the story, I felt the subject change drastically from the Panama Canal to someone’s love life. I like romantic stories, but this went overboard for my taste, especially with it being a young adult novel. Most YA romance novels have some sort of “message” intertwined with the story, but Panama does not follow this pattern. It's more of a memoir or diary recounting what happened to "the girl" during her stay in Panama.
Overall, Hiatt’s debut novel flowed with great detail and history giving Panama an unique setting, but because of Panama’s references and sexual scenes, I cannot recommend to anyone younger than 17 years. I just felt like Panama isn't very suitable for the age of fourteen as the book suggests.
Shelby Hiatt got the idea to write about the Panama Canal after visiting it and getting to know many Zoners, descendents of the people who lived and worked on the canal. She lives in California. This is her first novel.
|Age Group: Ages 17+|Content: Sexual references & scenes|
Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
February 4, 2011
A fifteen-year-old girl living in Ohio in the early twentieth century is excited when she learns her family will move to Panama, where her father will have a job helping to build the Panama Canal. She hopes for an exotic and exciting adventure, but is disappointed when she finds that her new home is the Zone, which the Americans have made into a town just like those back home.
While visiting a building site for the canal, she meets the intriguing Federico, a young man who seems far too cultured to be an ordinary canal worker. He is sophisticated and loves books - just what she has been looking for. She begins a love affair with him which transitions her from childhood to adulthood, although in the end she finds herself more emotionally invested and heartbroken then she intended.
I was intrigued by the description of this book because I had never read a book about the building of the Panama Canal and I am always on the lookout for unusual historical fiction. But ultimately I was rather disappointed by this book. There were some historical errors, and I was rather unsettled by the sexual relationship between the fifteen-year-old narrator and the much older Federico. Also, and this is more of a personal pet peeve, I was really annoyed that the narrator’s name is never revealed. Overall I wouldn’t really recommend this book, although it might have some appeal to readers particularly interested in the historical setting.
While visiting a building site for the canal, she meets the intriguing Federico, a young man who seems far too cultured to be an ordinary canal worker. He is sophisticated and loves books - just what she has been looking for. She begins a love affair with him which transitions her from childhood to adulthood, although in the end she finds herself more emotionally invested and heartbroken then she intended.
I was intrigued by the description of this book because I had never read a book about the building of the Panama Canal and I am always on the lookout for unusual historical fiction. But ultimately I was rather disappointed by this book. There were some historical errors, and I was rather unsettled by the sexual relationship between the fifteen-year-old narrator and the much older Federico. Also, and this is more of a personal pet peeve, I was really annoyed that the narrator’s name is never revealed. Overall I wouldn’t really recommend this book, although it might have some appeal to readers particularly interested in the historical setting.
March 6, 2010
the word this book brings to mind most is "steamy." i think i used it four or five times when describing panama to my book club. the climate in panama and the romance element definitely match.
the nameless narrator (that was weird. what's wrong with just naming her??) moves to panama with her family at age 14. her father has been hired to help engineer the canal project, and hiatt flawlessly works in the fascinating historical details of the building.(although other reviewers have pointed out some other historical inaccuracies, as far as i know everything about the canal itself was correct. let me know if i'm wrong.) the nameless narrator (NN) is disappointed to find that their new life in panama has been orchestrated to be almost exactly like their life in ohio, and longs for adventure. she begins accompanying a census worker on his rounds to all the workers and residents. this is how she meets federico, a hot spanish revolutionary with soulful eyes and a penchant for books. enter steaminess.
it's hard to read this and not become intrigued by the panama canal. the romance makes it all the more enticing, and it's a quick read to boot(it only took me so long because i forgot to bring it on vacation). because of all the sexy sex, i would recommend it for older teens.
the nameless narrator (that was weird. what's wrong with just naming her??) moves to panama with her family at age 14. her father has been hired to help engineer the canal project, and hiatt flawlessly works in the fascinating historical details of the building.(although other reviewers have pointed out some other historical inaccuracies, as far as i know everything about the canal itself was correct. let me know if i'm wrong.) the nameless narrator (NN) is disappointed to find that their new life in panama has been orchestrated to be almost exactly like their life in ohio, and longs for adventure. she begins accompanying a census worker on his rounds to all the workers and residents. this is how she meets federico, a hot spanish revolutionary with soulful eyes and a penchant for books. enter steaminess.
it's hard to read this and not become intrigued by the panama canal. the romance makes it all the more enticing, and it's a quick read to boot(it only took me so long because i forgot to bring it on vacation). because of all the sexy sex, i would recommend it for older teens.
April 16, 2011
This book was great. Now, if you're a parent and you want to recommend it to your teenage daughter, it's not so great. But if you're the teenage daughter who spots it in B&N, it's great.
I bought this book very hesitantly because I'm half Panamanian and I felt somehow compelled to purchase it. I DID have my doubts about it, though. The title just seemed so.... je ne sais pas.
The only thing that people seem to speak up about in this book is the appropriateness of it. That's total crap, putting it bluntly. The truth is there ARE sultry scenes in the book (as every other review mentions) but it doesn't get out of hand, it just is. And if the spectators think teenyboppers won't be able to "bare" it, pun intended, they've been out of touch with society for too long.
This book was nicely written, and towards the end I couldn't sleep well without finishing it.
I bought this book very hesitantly because I'm half Panamanian and I felt somehow compelled to purchase it. I DID have my doubts about it, though. The title just seemed so.... je ne sais pas.
The only thing that people seem to speak up about in this book is the appropriateness of it. That's total crap, putting it bluntly. The truth is there ARE sultry scenes in the book (as every other review mentions) but it doesn't get out of hand, it just is. And if the spectators think teenyboppers won't be able to "bare" it, pun intended, they've been out of touch with society for too long.
This book was nicely written, and towards the end I couldn't sleep well without finishing it.
January 4, 2014
I'm at a loss of words really to explain why I disliked this book so much. I think it's a mixture of the historical inaccuracies, the random history thrown in that didn't seem to fit together (living next to the Wright brothers, Spanish politics, Canal issues), the fact that I never knew the narrator's name and her relationship with Federico. I thought it was interesting and a new twist for the author to focus on a girl's sexuality in the early 1900s, the way she candidly answered questions about sexual life back then was eye-opening and did actually teach me things (if what she said was accurate). However since I've visited the Canal and my father is from Panama, the simplicity of the history of the book and Panama drove me crazy and the writing was not strong. A no for me.
February 22, 2010
Other reviewers have noted that this story is not appropriate for teen readers, and I concur with that opinion.
This is the story of a young girl who moves with her family from Dayton, Ohio to Panama as the canal is being built. This story seems innocent enough until we are introduced to Federico. He is handsome, well educated and mysterious and what starts out as a young girl's infatuation quickly escalates into a steamy tale of romance and sexual encounters.
I know nothing of the history surrounding the building of the Panama canal, which underlies this story. I can only hope that the history is accurate as a backdrop to this story.
This is the story of a young girl who moves with her family from Dayton, Ohio to Panama as the canal is being built. This story seems innocent enough until we are introduced to Federico. He is handsome, well educated and mysterious and what starts out as a young girl's infatuation quickly escalates into a steamy tale of romance and sexual encounters.
I know nothing of the history surrounding the building of the Panama canal, which underlies this story. I can only hope that the history is accurate as a backdrop to this story.
September 18, 2016
Americans being Americans, can't get enough of that, but this was interesting nonetheless. I gave it 2 stars only because of the jerky, abrupt and fairly bland writing -- but I felt as though I was there, part of an undertaking that was so ground breaking and now so very important to a country's economy. The ending was far too realistic, but I suppose that's to be expected, but still unfortunate. Interesting book set in a very compelling and industrious time. It's worth a read if you want to learn more about the construction of the canal. The love story was good but lacking, greatly.
December 29, 2009
A teenage girl moves to Panama with her parents since her father is involved in building the canal. Although her parents are strict, she manages to slip away and discovers sex with a Spanish worker. All is not as it seems!
While the reader gets a vivid picture of Panama during the building of the canal, this was a book that I was easily able to put down in between readings.
While the reader gets a vivid picture of Panama during the building of the canal, this was a book that I was easily able to put down in between readings.
May 30, 2010
This was a quick read.
Love the historical aspect of the book. Gives some perspective from the early 1900's and Americans going out and doing what they want. Never really knew much about the Panama Canal and how it came about, and not that I would take this book as a history of it, it is an interesting account of the people.
Love the historical aspect of the book. Gives some perspective from the early 1900's and Americans going out and doing what they want. Never really knew much about the Panama Canal and how it came about, and not that I would take this book as a history of it, it is an interesting account of the people.
June 7, 2010
I expected so much from this book and received so little. There is so little character development. It should have been written as an adult book with much more time spent building characters and motivations. Instead, the fast pacing seems unbelievable. It's also not a setting most teens are interested in.
June 6, 2012
A look at the building of the Panama Canal thru a 15 yr old girls eyes as her family from Ohio and former neighbors of the Wright brothers family, move there for her fathers job. Side story is the romance between the girl and a worker, who is actually a aristocrat from Spain working to earn money to over through his king. Good
August 11, 2016
Well, if all the romance was taken out of it, it had the potential to be a good book. Panama canal, political climate, and the caste system of the workers. Why it had to be full of sex and deception towards her parents was just strange to me. That and the randomness of throwing the Wright brothers in. Would definitely NOT recommend this book to young or old readers.
Want to read
July 11, 2010I just found this galley at the bookstore today and got so excited! A book about Panama :D
December 27, 2011
Read in preparation for a trip to the Panama Canal. Provides some historical and sultry mood.
November 13, 2010
I wished I knew what her name was.
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