"American Dirt"

Author Jeanine Cummins wasn’t wrong when she said, “American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed.” This gripping journey of a mother and her son has certainly changed my understanding.

This story is not for everyone. It’s not even for strong ones. I say this because it can tear at your heart with ease. And, as someone with anxiety, I had a hard time reading this, but in a weird kind of way. As the story of Lydia and her 8-year-old son, Luca, propelled me into a world truly unknown to me, my anxiety sped up my reading. I couldn’t put the book down. Something eye opening infiltrated my mind on nearly every page of this novel.

One might know of how hard life can be in other countries, but do you really know? Without having experienced anything like this for myself, I feel a little closer to knowing how life amongst the dangers of another country is with the way author Jeanine Cummins spins the web of her story. Using details from actual recounts of journeys across the border, you’ll get a terrifying glimpse of how survival kicks in when you’re on the run. From day-to-day preparations, always looking over your shoulder, and learning who to trust, this journey is tough to read about. Especially when you think you’ve gone far enough away from the danger that drove you out of your home to only realize that it lurks just around the corner, on the same sidewalk to the grocery store, at every bank, bus stop or every day life encounter. The danger is following you. Keeping tabs on you. Trying to catch you when you least expect it. However, this mother’s instinct is so strong, your heart cheers her on with each step she takes.

Your heart will race. Your heart will break. In the end, your heart will grow.