Much has been said about the cultural inaccuracies of the text, the cartoonish use of Spanish, and even the low quality of the writing. Oprah selected the book as her latest book club pick, calling it “a remarkable feat, literally putting us in the shoes of migrants and making us feel their anguish and desperation to live in freedom.” Barnes & Noble also selected the book as its storewide book club title.īut the book has also received piercing reviews from Latino authors, journalists, and immigrant rights organizations. Jeanine Cummins’ novel American Dirt - or “ The Grapes of Wrath for our times,” according to author Don Winslow - is neither the dream I had hoped for nor the vehicle that is going to create the type of change our community deserves.Īmerican Dirt has been hailed as the book everyone should read if they want to understand the plight of so many immigrants looking for safety in the United States.

For our talent to be recognized and our stories to be honored - for our lived experiences to create a better reality for our community. I should have been more specific in my wishes and prayers.Īs a Latina writer, my petitions were for us to be seen, heard, and understood. As a formerly undocumented Mexican immigrant, I have long wished for books with Mexican immigrant protagonists, squarely centered on our immigrant experience, to receive critical acclaim - to be celebrated with awards, to appear on required reading lists, and to have their authors receive advances that raise an eyebrow.

American dirt review