James Edwards was born in the post construction era, 14 years after the Panama Canal was built. In the book, we see him as he goes through different stages of life in a town that also changes with events and time. We follow him as he transitions from childhood to adolescence to adulthood and we get to experience the personal challenges, setbacks, and, as a young adult, the consequence of a choice he makes due to circumstances at the time. His life is affected, and, in many ways, shaped by that choice; and though it cleared a pathway for him, nevertheless, it caused him to pay a very high price.