American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is about immigration through Mexico to reach El Norte or “American Dirt.” The protagonist, Lydia, runs a bookstore in Acapulco and is married to a Mexican journalist who dares to write an article about a drug lord. The consequence of publishing the article is that Lydia’s husband and fifteen family members are murdered by the drug cartel. Lydia and her eight-year-old son, barely escaping murder themselves, go on the run, knowing that the cartel is after them, too. An additional twist is that the head of the cartel frequented Lydia’s bookstore and became infatuated with her before Lydia learned who he was. Lydia and her son fall in with various characters headed for the United States, riding on tops of trains, crossing deserts, fearing both the police and drug cartels (who sometimes are one and the same). The book is filled with memorable characters, good people, evil people, and people who make their own compromises between right and wrong. The details are rendered in a trustworthy fashion – if you want to know what it’s like to try to immigrate to the U.S. through Mexico, read this book. Author Don Winslow calls American Dirt “A Grapes of Wrath for our times.” The writing is good, the plot moves with pace, the description is outstanding and makes everything very immediate. It would make a terrific movie or series. Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says:https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeanine-cummins/american-dirt/
