One of the most eagerly anticipated and controversial novels of 2020, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins describes the ordeal of Lydia, a Mexican woman, with a comfortable life, who suddenly has to flee her home, along with her young son, and take the treacherous trip from Latin America to the United States as an undocumented immigrant.
Oprah Winfrey chose American Dirt for her book club saying the author “accomplished a remarkable feat, literally putting us in the shoes of migrants and making us feel their anguish and desperation to live in freedom.” However, some Latin American critics slated the book for its inaccurate portrayal of Mexico and Mexicans.
One called it harmful, appropriating, inaccurate melodrama. Another said it was an insult to Latin- American writers who have toiled - some for decades - to little notice of major publishers and book reviewers, while building a vast collection of breathtaking, authentic literature on shoestring budgets.
Due to widespread criticism, several bookstores cancelled appearances with Cummins, Flatiron Books called off her book tour, and 142 writers signed an open letter to Oprah asking her to reconsider her endorsement.
Oprah acknowledged the criticisms but posted two one-hour Apple TV plus episodes focussing on American Dirt. “If one author, one artist is silenced, we’re all in danger of the same. I believe that we can do this without having to cancel, to dismiss or to silence everyone,” she said.
Members of the She Said Book Club took two completely opposite viewpoints on the novel. The angry nest of people scoring 0-1 stars were full of anguish, exasperation and rage, while the positive pond of die-hards said it was the best book of 2020.
Those in favour found it to be riveting, informative, suspenseful, heartbreaking and hard to put down. They felt the book compelled you to turn the pages while balancing on the edge of your seat, and sat up all night to read more, learn more and ache more, with clenched fists and tears in their eyes. They found the characters very realistically developed with heart-wrenching stories.
Others found the story over the top, melodramatic and implausible. Some of the negative judgements stem from criticising Cummins for not having the right to tackle Latin issues because she isn’t Latin American. However, positive reviewers emphasis that this is a work of FICTION and the author owes you nada. Any book that shines light on a dark subject is a good thing.
Cummins spent four years researching the book and the epilogue left some with even more respect for her. Don’t we need as many voices as possible telling the story? Let the book open hearts and minds and start a civil discussion of the issues.
While some of the criticisms of American Dirt are valid, they didn’t diminish the importance of the story. If nothing else, hopefully productive conversations and awareness of immigration issues will be generated. Our advice is: don’t pre-judge the book from the mixture of reviews. Pick it up for yourself and make your own judgement.