- My Rating: 5/5
- Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
- Year Published: 2020
- Page Count: 459
“From now on, when we board, each time we board, I will remind you to be terrified,” she says. “And you remind me, too: this is not normal.”
Synopsis
Lydia lives a vibrant life in Acapulco, Mexico. She has a large, happy family, a journalist husband who loves her deeply, and a son, Luca, who is the light of her life. The presence of the cartels cause some small issues in her and her loved ones lives, but it doesn’t directly affect them–until Lydia’s husband writes a revealing profile of a cartel leader, and her life turns upside down.
Finding herself and Luca unable to stay in Acapulco, Lydia quickly decides for them to flee to the United States, joining thousands of others who have a similar idea. In this action-packed, gut-wrenching novel, Lydia and Luca desperately seek salvation–but it soon becomes clear to them that this elusive land of promise may not be what they thought it was.
The Quick Review (Spoiler-free)
This book was jaw-droppingly amazing. I actually could not put it down. I made breakfast with it in one hand and ran errands thinking about it. There wasn’t a single dull moment, nor a single moment that wasn’t heartbreakingly resonant for so many people in the world. Sitting in Arizona, knowing that people are dying in the desert that sits so nearby… it’s irreconcilable. Luca made me want to laugh and cry, Soledad and Rebeca made my heart ache, Lydia made me sob multiple times.
This is a work of art. It explores faith, personhood, and what it means to be someone living in an imperfect world. I lost faith in the goodness of humanity then regained it, then lost it all over again. And isn’t that what it means to be human?
“He wants to plead not guilty by reason of grief. She knows grief is a kind of insanity. She knows.”
The Long Review (Spoiler-free)
Likes
Every character, place, and moment in this novel was so vibrant. Even characters we only caught a brief glimpse of stayed in my memory. The plot was fast-paced and easily held my attention. The mother-child relationship between Lydia and Luca can make anyone understand what it means to be a mother and to put your child’s life first. American Dirt was informative yet gripping, a story that both enlightens you and pulls you in deep. It yanks at your heartstrings and forces you to reconcile with the harsh truth of the world around you.
One other note: never judge a book by its cover (and I rarely notice covers), but I loved this cover art! It’s simple yet eye-catching and ties well with the message of the novel.
“For every wickedness, there is an equal and opposite possibility of redemption.”
Dislikes
There is a lot of controversy surrounding American Dirt and Jeanine Cummins; namely, she isn’t Mexican. I’m personally of the opinion that anyone can write any story, so long as research is done adequately. This isn’t so much a dislike as it is something to note–if you prefer stories written by people of their culture, this may not be for you. I do think from an outsider’s perspective, Cummins did a spectacular job of bringing Acapulco and Mexican culture to life.
Themes
Who gets to live in peace and who must struggle through strife? What does it mean to be a person, to be a citizen, to have a homeland? American Dirt shows what it’s like to watch as your home warps and changes into something unrecognizable, to know the soul of the place you were raised is gone, to feel your heartbeat reduced to ruins. It paints the image of what it’s like to escape to a foreign land in hopes that it thrums with the music of a place you’ve lost. Cummins masterfully makes you think about humanity and understand the similarities that bind us all.
“There’s a tug-of-war in his heart already, between wanting to remember and needing to forget.”
Would I recommend?
100% yes! This novel was absolutely breathtaking and I will be thinking about it for a long time. There are so many lessons to be learned, and they’re sewn so delicately into the lace of Cummins’ writing that you won’t realize half of them until you finish. I LOVED this book.
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