“The Singer’s Needle is a stunning achievement: Imagine if Foucault had studied Panamá and written as clearly and compellingly as Camus. Immersing himself in the social, political, economic, and cultural history of twentieth-century Panamá, Vierba combines careful and creative archival research, sophisticated theory, and compelling storytelling. His book is an extraordinary work of history, about both what happened in the past and what it means to think and write about it today. Historians of other places and times will marvel at, and learn from, Vierba’s bold and brilliant blend of scholarship and art.”

James Goodman, Rutgers University

“The Singer’s Needle is a real page-turner—in fact, it’s a path-breaker. Reading Vierba’s unusual book is like playing hopscotch as you skid between its heterogeneous elements. The skill and artistry involved in sliding the different forms of writing and different voices on top of one another, and the intimate tone achieved, is astonishingly refreshing.”

Michael Taussig, Columbia University

"The Singer’s Needle is required reading for anybody interested in the history of Panama and the role that places like Panama have played in the history of Latin America and the world."

Hispanic American Historical Review

"Vierba employs a palimpsest of fiction and nonfiction writing to create a 'polyphonic history.'. . . The intricate weaving of voices, theoretical debates, and archival evidence forms a dazzling experience that immerses the reader in multiple interpretations alongside historical facts without devolving into a postmodern navel-gazing or trite observations on relativism and subjectivity. . . . it is a must read for any historian working on narrative forms as method. It is also worth picking up for no other reason than being a superbly written page-turner."

Historical Geography