Like all walls it was ambiguous, two-faced.  What was inside it and what was outside it depended upon which side of it you were on. ~Ursula K. LeGuin

In The Continental Divide: Wildlife, People, and the Border Wall Krista Schyler begins by bringing the reader’s attention to a single moment with meticulous detail, as bison bulls cross a barbed wire fence at the U.S.-Mexico border.  Beyond national politics and policies, Continental Divide offers a compassionate, intelligent analysis of all that remains at stake in constructing this wall.

“History is filled with admonitions for the folly of walls” ~Krista Schyler

Despite the historical lessons applauding the removal of walls (think the “Berlin Wall”), debates continue to flare surrounding the political projects along this 2,000 mile border.  Following Schyler’s vibrant images and powerful narrative on this path, readers will find a rich, three dimensional story of the landscapes, delicate ecosystem, and numerous residents of the region.  One of the continent’s “richest and rarest ecological and cultural regions,” Schyler carefully considers families with generational roots and claims to land that predate the existence of the U.S.; a desert filled with delicate habitats and diverse species like the bison, who find their main food and water supplies on opposite sides of a constructed wall.   The Continental Divide is an important resource for wildlife advocates and anyone dedicated to conservation of the region’s numerous  threatened habitats and species.

Barriers takes a toll on delicate ecosystems, habitats, migratory paths, and create serious challenges for all the region’s residents.  With unflinching purpose, The Continental Divide delivers a stunning perspective on these impacts.  With breathtaking photographs and strong critical narrative, the author creates room amidst the tense political debates to examine the interwoven reality of life at the border and reveals with striking certainty how tightly interconnected the threads of life remain.