American Dirt is really, really good. About as good as it gets for a fiction book. American Dirt is a fictional story of a Mexican woman and her son running for their lives and attempting to cross the boarder into the United States. She was a bookstore owner who had encounters with the local cartel leader, seeing his more personable side. Her husband, a journalist, writes a story about the local cartel leader that exposes much about him. Shortly after, the cartel kills her entire family. They go on the run.
The book is a page-turner. Very well written, with Spanish woven in. You are on the edge of your seat throughout, along for the journey and hoping they make it to the boarder. There were one or two parts at the end that I did not love, but overall it was a very good book.
The war on drugs and cartel violence has been going on for a long time. Almost to the point where most people are numb to the stories. Writing a personal story about one individual makes everything feel much more real. Sometimes, this can make a greater impact than statistics, pictures, or news articles.
The book is somewhat controversial in that it received a ton of positive reviews and praise when it was first released. This attention brought upon others to criticize things like the author's race, writing about other cultures, stereotypes, and the list goes on. Each person has their own opinion on all of that, but there is no doubt this is a well-written book and it brought significant attention to a sad issue that too many face.
On a personal note, this book was strongly recommended by multiple friends. I purchased the book as a gift to my wife, knowing she would like it but also fully knowing I would read, too. We decided to read it together, staying with a couple chapters of each other. It actually worked out pretty well.
My rating for American Dirt: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!
