December 21, 2020

American Dirt

 



Fiction
2020 Macmillan Audio
Narrated by Yareli Arizmendi
Finished on December 14, 202
Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding)

Publisher's Blurb:

También de este lado hay sueños. On this side, too, there are dreams.

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?

In late 2019, I started seeing several early reviews for American Dirt and thought it sounded like a good selection for my book group, so I nominated it and it was chosen for our December read. Shortly after we voted, I began to see a lot of negative press about the novel and wondered if I had made a mistake choosing something I hadn't yet read. However, I decided not to withdraw my recommendation, since the controversy might add to our discussion (which it did!). I also decided to avoid further reviews (positive and negative) in an effort to remain as unbiased as possible as I read Cummins' story.

I started listening to the unabridged audio in mid-November and was immediately drawn into Lydia and Luca's story from the opening paragraph. Yareli Arizmendi (a Mexican actress, writer and director) gives an outstanding performance and the chilling details of the dangerous situations the migrants encountered made my pulse race. The characters are authentic, the dialogue rings true and I became emotionally attached to not only Lydia and Luca, but Soledad, Rebecca and Beto. My emotions were all over the place and while I don't remember much humor (which would have added some levity to this intense and heart-pounding drama), my heartstrings were tugged more than once and I found myself choking back a few sobs as I listened to the final chapters. 

While some may say this is simply a thriller with a migrant story backdrop, I believe it's a powerful and essential read, one which puts a face on the migrant story, depicting the desperation and terror they experience as they flee their own countries for, hopefully, a better life in the United States. I also believe that it's a well-written and well-researched novel and I disagree with the strong backlash from some advocates of the #ownvoices movement who claim the author should not have written the book since she isn't Mexican, nor did she share Lydia's experiences as a migrant. Scrolling through the reviews on Goodreads, it appears that this is a book that people either loved or hated. I'm in the loved camp. Highly recommend, especially on audio. 

"Narrator Yareli Arizmendi illuminates the humanity and individuality of Latin American migrants as they flee toward refuge in the North.... The account of Lydia and Luca's travails, including terrifying rides atop Mexico's freight trains, is utterly compelling. But it is Arizmendi's voicing of Lydia, so full of fierce tenderness, that will stay with listeners after the story's close." (AudioFile Magazine)

18 comments:

  1. I bet the audio was great - I read the eBook and loved it as well. BTW: We just finished listening to A Promised Land read by President Obama. It's the first part of his memoir and wow, it's terrific but very long as well. Haven't posted the review yet but, recommend the audio. Have a wonderful Christmas Les. Hope Rod is doing well and, of course, your mom as well.

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    1. Diane, the audio was excellent! Glad to know that Obama's book is also a winner. I plan to listen, but will probably wait until we're on a road trip and I can spend a big chunk of time listening as I walk/hike.

      Merry Christmas to you and yours. It will be a quiet celebration, but we'll have a nice meal, a fire in the fireplace, maybe play some games, and if the weather is decent, maybe go for a walk. Stay safe!

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  2. I listened to the audio of it as well ... and thought the book was effective, sympathetic and well researched. My review of it is here: https://www.thecuecard.com/books/prairie-fever-and-american-dirt/ I was interested to hear your thoughts on it.

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    1. Susan, wasn't the audio powerful?! Thanks for the link to your review. I'll check it out!

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  3. I have heard conflicting views about this book. I find the backlash against it difficult to swallow--we wouldn't have much literature if the authors have to personally experience a situation.

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  4. I was just looking at reviews of this on Goodreads! And I was uncertain about it, just as you were. But if you liked it, I'm betting I will, too.

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    1. Laurel, I hope you like it as much as I did! It's quite thought-provoking and has inspired me to read more on the subject, which is always a sign of a great book.

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  5. I didn't follow that controversy very well but the little I know didn't make much sense to me. As long as she treats the topic with respect, it seems like it should be okay. And I don't think she claimed to be writing from experience? But maybe the other argument is that she's gaining financially from someone else's hardship. I don't know. But putting a face on an issue that's so divisive seems like a good thing to me. Very thoughtful review.

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    1. Jen, I agree! Glad you enjoyed my review.

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  6. Yours is the first review I’ve read of this book, it certainly sounds like a good read. Thanks for your review.

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    1. Heather, it was so good and very thought-provoking. I'm still thinking about the characters and their predicaments.

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  7. Really enjoyed your review of this one. I have it but then when I started seeing so much controversy surrounding it I sort of didn't want to read it. Mainly because I thought it would be better to put if off until all wasn't so fresh on my mind. While I can certainly appreciate and understand the push for own voices, I don't think you have to have personal experience to be able to tell a tale. We've seen this in books and films, etc. I do want to read this one of these days!

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    1. Thanks, Iliana. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the book when you get a chance to read it. It's one that will stay with me for a long time!

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  8. We read this in my book group earlier this year and we all liked it. I understand where the controversy is coming from, but like others have said, we'd be missing out on some great books if every author could only write from one perspective.

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    1. Stacy, I think it's a great book group selection. Lots to discuss!

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  9. It's still on my list to read but I lost some enthusiasm for it when the controversy hit the fan.

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    1. Ti, it's definitely worthwhile. It's on my Top Ten list for 2020.

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