Sometimes you come across a book that will change you forever. This is that book! Thank you to the publisher, Flatiron Books, for giving me an advanced copy.
This is the story of a Mexican mother and her eight-year-old son. They are on the run from a Mexican drug cartel and a vengeful drug lord, making their escape to the United States, el Norte. This story brings real life issues to light, it also shows love, friendship and the bond between a mother and son. All the characters in this book were so well developed that I felt an attachment to every one of them. They all had suffered inconceivable hardships and overcame extraordinary trauma. I have never felt so many emotions while reading a book before and I couldn’t get enough. I could not put this book down because I felt so attached to these characters that I needed to know what happened next, I needed to know if they would be okay.
The author brings you into the mind of each character so that you actually feel their pain. She did a great job jumping between the way an adult would think, what a mother would do for her son and then the way an 8-year-old boy assesses the situation. The way that Cummins described certain scenes was so engrossing, I felt like I was on the journey with them. I was running beside La Bestia and grabbing on for dear life, while I was actually about to fall out of my chair with anticipation!
American dirt is raw, insulting, embarrassing and heart wrenching. If it did not make me angry or make me feel uncomfortable it would not have been as good. This is exactly what it was intended to be, to make people understand that migrants are human. This story makes us see that these people are people, individuals with backgrounds and reasons for risking their lives to get to a better place. They are our fellow humans. There were so many parts in this book that made me gasp or cry because I could not imagine being in their shoes.
EVERYONE needs to read this book! I am still in awe, just staring at it. I feel like I just went on an intense journey with these characters and they are now and will forever be a part of my life. I will never forget this story.