Canal Zone Brats Forever

Incredible writing. Amazing. Creative, uplifting, funny, relatable. Perfect!

First-hand accounts of living in the Panama Canal Zone have been very few and far between, but thankfully, more are starting to surface. There have been plenty of books written about the Panama Canal and its construction, including McCullough's epic "The Path Between The Seas". Once this wonder of the world was up and running, a residential "Canal Zone" existed for a good 65 years. What was it like to grow up in this place?I myself was stationed there in the 1970s, and I would see the "Brats" driving around in their jeeps and think, "what a fantastic place to grow up in". It sure was fantastic to be stationed there! Kathleen Cox Richardson throws her hat into the ring with her latest work, "Canal Zone Brats Forever".She takes us back to how her parents met and became "Zonians" themselves. Autobiographical in nature, we get the perspective of her life growing up in the Zone, from early childhood to high school graduation. Included are her family's vacation trips to the States - and ultimately, making her new life there. This became a forgone conclusion as a result of the Torrijos-Carter treaties which ceded control of the Canal and Canal Zone to Panama. Regardless of how you feel about said treaties, the Canal Zone is an important part of world history and the memories should not be lost.

The Panama Canal Zone was(is) a special place. All who lived there know that.I enjoyed reading the authors story of growing up there.

This is an enjoyable read about the Panama Canal Zone for anyone who enjoys a little history and a story about a family with children who grew up there. Kathleen shares about everyday experiences such as going to school, playing with friends, being a Girl Scout, and attending high school that all took place in the Canal Zone. She had a typical childhood in an atypical place during the 1940’s and 50’s. She explains what the Canal Zone was and why it is no longer the same as it was back then. There were trips to the jungle and also along the Trans-isthmian Highway which connected both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. Her family also took trips to the US so that the children would experience the USA including long road trips that crisscrossed the country several times. Kathleen lived in the Canal Zone until she graduated from high school and started college. She has a fun writing style that makes all the childhood and teen escapades with her siblings a joy to read.

I was a Navy Brat from Coco Solo. I lived on base and attended Cristobal High School from 1953 to 1955We had many of the same teachers and if it had been pointed out to me I am sure I bought many green mangos 'n salt packets from man on the corner near your house.Panama came alive again through your words...Girl Scout Camporees, the train on game nights, the Chagres, ant trails in the grass, spider webs on the trees, iguanas, rose Apple's, mamones, the rain...and my fishing pole and I spending hours dream fishing in Manzanillo Bay. My Panama....

I too, am a CZ Brat. Unlike the author, I was born and raised on the Pacific side so this book gave me insight to things I never knew existed. I only went to “the other side” for athletic functions. It was neat to step back in my memories for many of the things she wrote about. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Kathleen, so enjoyed the book.

As a former Canal Zone Brat myself, I enjoyed this book very much! The descriptions of the places and people in our Canal Zone are real and nostalgic for me. Kathleen has done a terrific job of writing about our “old Canal Zone Home”— a Paradise that “once was!”

As a Canal Zone Brat, this book brings back a lot of fond memories.We lived in paradise and took it for granted until we got stateside.bummer