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American Dirt
Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt, the #1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick that has sold over three million copies, is finally available in paperback.
Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the cartels, Lydia's life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. But after her husband's tell-all profile of the newest drug lord is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca find themselves joining the countless people trying to reach the United States. Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?Show more
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Community Reviews
An excellent page turner. It shows how adversity makes heros of us all. Lydia mustered up great courage to attempt the long trek north to the USA to escape the drug cartel and save her son, the most important person in her life.
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This book was recommended by one of my book clubs - I don't get to go and discuss the books anymore, but I like to see what's on the list. I added this to my library queue. My sister had also read it and gave it a good review. She mentioned the controversy, but did not get into details.
I preface my review with the warning that reading this book is anxiety-inducing. If you don't want to be on the edge of your seat, don't read it.
Story: 4 stars
This story is as old as time and could be written about/from any culture, including the US. It's a story of survival, with one challenge after another. Heck, Percy Jackson series is the same - except that there's no magic here to get the characters out of their situation. Only the magic of writing. I found it compelling and page turning.
Characters: 3 stars
The characters in this book are not the star of the show. Our main character, Lydia, is a conundrum. She's fierce momma bear in the present, but as we learn about her past, there are questionable actions - questions that don't get answered. The other characters to which we are introduced are memorable if they are meant to be. Cummins does a good job with giving you the back story without feeling staged. Lydia's son, Luca, is there to add the weight of significant loss to their gamble. He's also cute and smart, which endears him to the readers.
Learning: 4 stars?
Well, here's some controversy. This isn't historical fiction, it's plain fiction. Everyone needs to know that means the author MADE IT UP. It doesn't have to be true or right. That said, I found the story believable and well researched. When I finished the book, I was compelled to do my own internet research on Acapulco and La Beastia. As I mentioned in the beginning, this is a story that could have been written in many different locations and cultures. Do I take it as fact? No. Does it make me want to read a factual book about it or do research (that, BTW, I never would have done had I not read this book) - YES, and for that it get's 4 stars.
Writing: 4 stars
I thought that writing was good. It's not super literal, but it was the type of writing that didn't get in the way of your reading. I was incredibly anxious through the first ~100 pages of the book. I was contemplating not finishing the book because I just couldn't take the stress! I think that shows good writing. It's not that the book doesn't have it's plot holes, the biggest one being the fact that Lydia, Sebastian, and Luca aren't holed up in a hotel room instead of their niece's quinceanera. But, once you get by that one (it's not immediately obvious), I feel that that the others are bumps to just step over. Cummin's writing rises above many books that I've read. It still has flaws, which brings me to:
Ending: 2 stars
Not a fan of the way that the book ends. The epilogue leaves much to be desired, and I almost would have preferred not to have it.
Entertainment: 4 stars
This isn't what you would call an "entertaining" book - the subject matter is dark and gruesome. However, it gets 4 stars for the edge-of-your seat, page turning writing and plot. The book stays with you for many days after you finish reading it. I still find myself thinking about parts of it.
Overall:
I want to say that I feel like I have to defend liking this book - like I'm missing something or betraying Mexicans or those of Mexican descent. I read fiction to be entertained, sometimes learn something, and sometimes find something new about myself. I don't want to think about the motives of the author or if they were qualified to write the book - I let the writing and story do that for me. This is not the new American novel, and Cummins is no Steinbeck, but I liked reading this book more than I ever liked "Grapes of Wrath."
I preface my review with the warning that reading this book is anxiety-inducing. If you don't want to be on the edge of your seat, don't read it.
Story: 4 stars
This story is as old as time and could be written about/from any culture, including the US. It's a story of survival, with one challenge after another. Heck, Percy Jackson series is the same - except that there's no magic here to get the characters out of their situation. Only the magic of writing. I found it compelling and page turning.
Characters: 3 stars
The characters in this book are not the star of the show. Our main character, Lydia, is a conundrum. She's fierce momma bear in the present, but as we learn about her past, there are questionable actions - questions that don't get answered. The other characters to which we are introduced are memorable if they are meant to be. Cummins does a good job with giving you the back story without feeling staged. Lydia's son, Luca, is there to add the weight of significant loss to their gamble. He's also cute and smart, which endears him to the readers.
Learning: 4 stars?
Well, here's some controversy. This isn't historical fiction, it's plain fiction. Everyone needs to know that means the author MADE IT UP. It doesn't have to be true or right. That said, I found the story believable and well researched. When I finished the book, I was compelled to do my own internet research on Acapulco and La Beastia. As I mentioned in the beginning, this is a story that could have been written in many different locations and cultures. Do I take it as fact? No. Does it make me want to read a factual book about it or do research (that, BTW, I never would have done had I not read this book) - YES, and for that it get's 4 stars.
Writing: 4 stars
I thought that writing was good. It's not super literal, but it was the type of writing that didn't get in the way of your reading. I was incredibly anxious through the first ~100 pages of the book. I was contemplating not finishing the book because I just couldn't take the stress! I think that shows good writing. It's not that the book doesn't have it's plot holes, the biggest one being the fact that Lydia, Sebastian, and Luca aren't holed up in a hotel room instead of their niece's quinceanera. But, once you get by that one (it's not immediately obvious), I feel that that the others are bumps to just step over. Cummin's writing rises above many books that I've read. It still has flaws, which brings me to:
Ending: 2 stars
Not a fan of the way that the book ends. The epilogue leaves much to be desired, and I almost would have preferred not to have it.
Entertainment: 4 stars
This isn't what you would call an "entertaining" book - the subject matter is dark and gruesome. However, it gets 4 stars for the edge-of-your seat, page turning writing and plot. The book stays with you for many days after you finish reading it. I still find myself thinking about parts of it.
Overall:
I want to say that I feel like I have to defend liking this book - like I'm missing something or betraying Mexicans or those of Mexican descent. I read fiction to be entertained, sometimes learn something, and sometimes find something new about myself. I don't want to think about the motives of the author or if they were qualified to write the book - I let the writing and story do that for me. This is not the new American novel, and Cummins is no Steinbeck, but I liked reading this book more than I ever liked "Grapes of Wrath."
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I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. It is a very gripping story of migrants traveling through Mexico to America. In addition to the dangerous cartel the main characters are fleeing, there are so many other perils they face to reach the safety of the United States.
The news has desensitized us to the migrants and their plight. The author gives migrants a face, a story, a name. She makes you seem them as individuals.
This book is quick a page turner, the action starts with Chapter One and literally does not stop. I would definitely recommend this book!
More here: https://youtu.be/PUxPRnNISFo
The news has desensitized us to the migrants and their plight. The author gives migrants a face, a story, a name. She makes you seem them as individuals.
This book is quick a page turner, the action starts with Chapter One and literally does not stop. I would definitely recommend this book!
More here: https://youtu.be/PUxPRnNISFo
Show more
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