Thursdays @ 10 am in the Library
Coffee Talk • Thursdays @ 10 am (in library)
January 16 – The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez
A powerful novel about the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved, and labored there
It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. For Francisco, a local fisherman who resents the foreign powers clamoring for a slice of his country, nothing is more upsetting than the decision of his son, Omar, to work as a digger in the excavation zone. But for Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection.
Ada Bunting is a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados who arrives in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work. Alone and with no resources, she is determined to find a job that will earn enough money for her ailing sister’s surgery. When she sees a young man—Omar—who has collapsed after a grueling shift, she is the only one who rushes to his aid.
John Oswald has dedicated his life to scientific research and has journeyed to Panama in single-minded pursuit of one goal: eliminating malaria. But now, his wife, Marian, has fallen ill herself, and when he witnesses Ada’s bravery and compassion, he hires her on the spot as a caregiver. This fateful decision sets in motion a sweeping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Searing and empathetic, The Great Divide explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers—those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course. ~ Good Reads
The book club meets once a month, Thursdays at 10 am in the Library. Pick up the next month’s selection at the circ. desk. Drop-ins are welcome!
2024-2025 List
- September 19 – The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
- October 17 – The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
- November 21 – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
- December 12 – Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
- January 16 – The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez
- February 13 – What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
- March 13 – The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
- April 17 – Redwood Court by DeLana R.A. Dameron
- May 15 – The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
- June 19 – Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Books will be available at the Circulation desk.
ebook/audiobook available on the Libby app and on the hoopla® app.
Download the apps and read library books on your device–they’re free with your USR Library card!
For more info contact 201-327-2583.
