American Dirt is by far the most controversial book I have ever reviewed. It was definitely one of the most anticipated books of 2020. It is an Oprah Winfrey Book Club pick, as well as this month’s Barnes and Noble Book Club selection. So, what happened? I read this article which seemed to best sum up many of the misrepresentations of Mexico that American Dirt contained. Even though author Jeanine Cummins did research for this fictional account of a mother and son’s escape from the Acapulco drug cartel, it contains many Mexican stereotypes.
I have since learned about other books (#ownvoices) that better represent the journey to the North that many Mexicans take to the United States. I will be reviewing an example of an #ownvoices book.
For these reasons, I cannot recommend reading American Dirt.
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