Flores-Villalobos turns Panama Canal history on its head, focusing not on the design or construction of the canal itself but rather the massive workforce that supported the whole enterprise - namely Black West Indian women. This is an impressive piece of scholarship, combining a wide variety of sources to provide a personal view of the essential work of these women, the draconian conditions that the US and more powerful Canal Zone residents imposed on them, and how they exercised agency throughout the construction period. I would have liked a bit more context on the canal work that was taking place at the time of some of the events covered in the book though. Highly recommend