American Dirt came highly recommended by friends, and I read it over two days. The action was intense, and the book was emotionally painful to read. There was a lot of violence and particularly sexual violence. I don’t want to shy away from the reality of the world, but the book definitely didn’t let me relax and enjoy the story. I felt constantly on guard, but I believe that was a good partner to the story itself. The protag is just trying to escape the death she’s facing in Mexico (drug cartels) with her son.
On that note, the book has received a lot of criticism for its negative portrayal of Mexico and the Mexican people. I have been to Mexico twice, but only for a week each, so I can’t really speak to its authenticity. As a work of fiction, it was compelling; that’s all I can say.
Lydia was not a wonder-woman style heroine. In fact, she’s downright annoying at times because some of the mess is her own doing. But you really feel for her survival instincts as a mom when it all hits the fan. American Dirt is a creative play on words with the fact that they are just trying to cross the border and get to “american dirt” as well as the author slinging mud at her view of America’s immigration policies as crappy. I see it as a reference to the real needs of some people (like Lydia and her son) being the “dirt” we like to hide and not talk about in the larger immigration story. It’s easier and less threatening, perhaps, to view “illegals” as a group versus individual humans with lives and stories and young sons.
