American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
This Library-led book club meets on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 PM via Zoom.
Register to drop-in and discuss this spell-binding novel and controversial publishing sensation.
Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.
Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy–two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.
Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia –trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte , Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?
American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed. It is a literary achievement filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times.
Already being hailed as “a Grapes of Wrath for our times” and “a new American classic,” Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.
FURTHER READING
Jeanine Cummins biography
Wikipedia biography (including timeline of publishing controversy)
Author interview (BookBrowse)
An Irish Times article discussing the controversy with the author
The Atlantic article about the controversy
A New York Times book review
A critical review (slate.com)
Discussion Questions (Publisher’s Reading Guide)
The Death Train (La Bestia)
https://theconversation.com/migrants-at-us-mexico-border-must-get-past-cartels-before-their-long-journey-ends-129403
Mexican Migration in 2021
Jeanine Cummins is working with the International Rescue Committee to raise funds to help support severely under-resourced programs that offer protection and hope to the men, women, and children waiting in Mexico to get to the United States. She is matching donations up to $100,000 until the end of 2020. https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/borderlands
WATCH & LISTEN
Youtube interviews with Jeanine Cummins
ARTE Reportage on La Bestia
An NPR Audio interview
A Bookreporter podcast
The Monday Evening Book Club continues to meet on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 PM via Zoom.
Indigenous authors and storytellers, Richard Wagamese. With the option to download both the eAudiobook and eBook, you’ll have no problem experiencing Richard’s luminous connection to life this month.