American Dirt

by jeanine cummins | Literature & Fiction | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 1472261402 Global Overview for this book
Registered by BookGroupMan of Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on 1/13/2022
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Journal Entry 1 by BookGroupMan from Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Thursday, January 13, 2022
This comes highly recommend - and a bit controversial - a very current topic about immigration across the US/Mexico border.

(20/02/24) Includes spoilers. This is a timely book, which [I assume] fictionalises the truth about gang crime in Mexico and central America, corruption, the dangerous routes and means taken by migrants, and recent hardening of the rules on ‘aliens’ in the USA. The main story follows Lydia and her son Luca, shell-shocked from a family tragedy and existential threat, they flee the southern pacific city of Acapulco to join the tide of people from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras aiming for the promised land of Estados Unidos, ‘el norto’. As with all the fellow migrants they become brutalised by the experience, falling prey to gangs and abusers, but also experience the humanity and kindness of those would would help them. Along the way, Lydia and Luca meet the sisters Soledad & Rebeca who have their own horrendous story.

Here comes the main spoiler - yes these 4 do make it to the promised land - but not everyone else does; the asthmatic Beto from the ‘dompe’, the sinister gang banger Lorenzo, deportees trying to get back home to their lives in the USA, and returning workers, in the group breaking for the border across the Sonora desert to Tucson.

As the journey progresses there is a constant fear that the head of the ‘gardeners’ crime syndicate will catch up with Lydia. Details of her relationship with Javier, ’the owl’, and the consequences of her husband’s newspaper expose become clear. There is a twist at the end, but the author doesn’t do her worst, there is some revenge, redemption, and the possibility of rebuilding these shattered lives.

As I read this I could see some parallels with the modern migration from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe. The underlying issues appear similarly complex, politically challenging and morally nuanced.

The first mention of the book title is not until p360, Soledad spitting through the border fence (to join with the 'American Dirt') and waggling her fingers in the air.

Journal Entry 2 by BookGroupMan at Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Friday, February 23, 2024
I'm setting this aside for a new sharing bookshelf in Chester ... watch this space!

Journal Entry 3 by BookGroupMan at The Falcon Inn in Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Released 1 mo ago (2/27/2024 UTC) at The Falcon Inn in Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Pre-release before I set up the new shelf ... welcome to The Falcon and their lovely landlord/lady/tenants :)

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