(67)American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

 

Lydia Quixano Pérez has had her entire world destroyed. Sixteen members of her family have been murdered in her hometown of Acapulco. Only Lydia and her young son, Luca, remain. Lydia knows the man who destroyed her life and she knows that he will stop at nothing to end her life, as well. She only has one choice. Go north, to America. She has an uncle in Denver and she knows that if she can just get across the border, she will escape Javier's clutches. But getting from Acapulco to the border proves to be just as treacherous as staying home. Will Lydia and Luca make it safely across the border?

American Dirt was the book that everybody was talking about in 2020. And now I see why. Lydia's story is one of heartbreak and survival. It was a little hard to get into at first, given the violent way the book starts, but it didn't take long for me to not only become invested in Lydia and Luca's well-being, but also in the well-being of their travel companions. Along the way, they meet up with several kinds of travelers, all heading north for different reasons. The last leg of their journey was so stressful that I found myself worried about the outcome.  CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS 

Bottom Line - Immigration and what happens at the US borders has added to the political divide in our country. American Dirt won't solve that debate, but hopefully, it will help to give some people the perspective of why thousands of people risk their lives to get to our border. Hopefully, it will help some people gain empathy for those weary travelers. 

Details: 

• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
• On Facebook
• Pages: 400
• Publisher: Flatiron Books
• Publication Date: January 21, 2020
• Buy it Here!