Summary
American Dirt is a crime thriller and #1 New York Times bestselling novel by Jeanine Cummins. The book has been featured on Oprah’s Book Club and has received a lot of backlash, making it one of the most controversial books since then. The story revolves around Lydia and Luca, a mother and son whose 16 members of their family were shot dead by a cartel. They have been on the run ever since, surviving dangerous encounters throughout their long journey from Mexico to America, where they want to start a new life.
Review
The negative reviews that this book has been receiving are very good examples of crab mentality. Instead of celebrating the success of a well-written Hispanic American literary piece, haters are blinded by the fact that a white author got recognized instead of the many Mexican authors who are struggling to get their books out into the world. What a sad world it is, that the effort and success of a person can be someone’s excuse to voice out their frustrations in life. It’s okay to have frustrations, nobody’s life is perfect. But to blame it on an American author and her book because she wrote something of Hispanic theme is utterly ridiculous. That’s like telling fantasy writers never to write about wolves, banshees, or mythical creatures because there’s not an ounce of folklore in their blood.
For me, this book is one of my ultimate favorites. Not because of the controversy surrounding it, but because it has all the qualities of a great book. It was gripping, easy to read, has great world building, well-developed and relatable characters, and a satisfying ending. Hence, I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it to open-minded readers who can truly identify what a great book is, not based from who wrote it, but rather, how it was written.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Dirt-Novel-Jeanine-Cummins-ebook/dp/B07QQLCZY1/ref
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