American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

Jeanine Cummins

Jan 2020 · Sold by Flatiron Books

About this ebook

Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt, the #1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick that has sold over three million copies

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?

Ratings and reviews

this book is all fiction and truly out of context I am not for political correctness at all. there's a documentary called blood on the wall or just look up bananas and Guatemala and see what 60 years of protected American interest has shaped the flow of humans just trying to survive.

4.5 stars I will admit that what initially drew me to American Dirt was the beautiful cover. It made me wonder what story was inside. From the very first chapter I was riveted by the characters and compelling storyline. My heart was racing and many times I found myself holding my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was lucky enough to receive both an audiobook listening copy and reader copy of this book, so I was able to completely immerse myself in Lydia and Luca's journey. My heart broke over and over again, as each character in the story recounted their tragic pasts and also endured unimaginable heartaches and setbacks throughout the novel. Through every hardship though, there was a glimmer of hope. There were so many amazing secondary characters, but Soledad and Rebeca's story was especially poignant. It was brought so vividly to life by Yareli Arizmendi's outstanding narration. She was able to voice each character uniquely (male or female, young or old) and conveyed so much emotion in her performance. The writing was engaging and the story was well paced overall. I did find that the ending felt a little too drawn out, however, and that some of the concluding events felt too in your face/over the top at trying to illustrate the dangers facing migrants. There has been some controversy regarding this not being an own voices novel, but I found American Dirt to be a gripping piece of fiction. Overall, this was a heart pounding page turner that I won't soon forget. Audiobook Review Overall 4.5 stars Performance 5 stars Story 4.5 stars *I voluntarily read and listened to an advance copy of this book. Many thanks to Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio*

If I had not read of the controversy, I would not have known of the book. The sample introduced a story that is well-crafted, riveting in general. From real-life I have met people whose experiences are reflected there. I reserve the right to come to my own opinions. I've read Mein Kampf, The Bible, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Quran, and the angry poetry of The Souls of Black Folk. Some stayed on my shelf and others not. How else can we judge for ourselves if we don't read? --- why so many Google User as reviewers here?

About the author

Jeanine Cummins is the author of the novels The Outside Boy and The Crooked Branch and the bestselling memoir A Rip in Heaven. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.