American Dirt

DETAILS : 

• Author :Jeanine Cummins
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tinder Press
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 18 February 2021
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1472261402
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9781472261403
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 400 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is a high-stakes, controversial, and emotionally charged novel that follows the harrowing journey of Lydia Quixano Pérez and her eight-year-old son, Luca. After their entire family is murdered by a drug cartel in Acapulco, Mexico, they are forced to flee, transforming from middle-class bookstore owners into undocumented migrants traveling north toward the United States.

The book is paced like a thriller but aims to put a human face on the migrant experience, detailing the physical and psychological toll of the "migrant trail."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanine Cummins is an American author who spent years researching the border and the stories of migrants before publishing this novel in 2020.

• The Controversy: Upon release, the book became a lightning rod for debate regarding cultural appropriation. Critics questioned whether a non-Mexican author should be the one to tell this specific story, leading to a wider conversation in the publishing industry about "own voices" and authenticity.

• The Success: Despite the backlash, the book was an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a massive bestseller, praised by many (including Stephen King and Sandra Cisneros) for its visceral storytelling.