BOOK REVIEW 1 – AMERICAN DIRT BY JEANINE CUMMINS
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins follows a mother and her young boy on their journey of survival from Mexico to the American borders. Their story is sparked by a massacre that wipes out their entire family and the only thing, main protagonist, Lydia, can think of is to flee. She and her son, Luca, terrified but committed to survive, leave their hometown of Acapulco in search of safety from the dangers of her past. Throughout their journey, the pair transform into migrants, befriend two young sisters who too are escaping their troubles and find themselves in danger on numerous occasions. With hope in her heart and the courage and intellect of her son, Lydia fights for a better, safer life for the two of them.
This book is a very compelling read! Right from the beginning,
I found myself hooked into a world I was not familiar with but that in itself,
made the book more interesting. As someone who has never read a work of fiction
that discusses the American border issues, I found it to be very educational
yet it remained imaginative and full of suspense. The plot line is easy to
follow and understand. The narration from the beginning, with the massacre of
Lydia’s family and throughout her journey of survival, gives gut wrenching
emotion, thrilling encounters of danger and the brutality of a survival journey.
Cummins’ characterisation is portrayed very delicately, paying close attention
to each individual characters’ personality and appearances which displays a
different identity unique from the other. Each character has their own story to
tell and Cummins portrayed this by giving each one precise consideration
throughout the entirety of the book.
I really enjoyed Lydia’s characterisation. Cummins
portrayed the main protagonist to be emotionally relatable and by this, I mean,
her love and determination as a mother. Lydia loses her entire family including
her beloved husband, however she, like most mothers do, puts the safety of her
young son before anything else and flees her present to keep him safe and to
create a better future for him. Some may say that her decision is unwise and
senseless as, at that moment in time, she has no idea on how things were to go,
however I believe it to be very courageous. Although this book is a work of
fiction, Lydia’s character gives the reader a little insight into the mind of a
migrant mother; how they often take risks and can find themselves in dangerous
situations in order to survive. Cummins not only portrayed Lydia’s
bravery and strength but also captured her anxiety and unease throughout her
journey which again makes her character more relatable and you could really
empathise with her. ‘She doesn’t have the time to panic or reflect. She has
to get Luca out of there. Now. They have to run.’ (chapter 5, page 55).
Another part of the book I found to be quite interesting is
the story of the two sisters, Rebecca and Soledad, who Lydia and Luca meet on
their journey to El Norte. Rebecca and Soledad are not like most young teenagers,
they had endured a great deal of pain and loss similar to Lydia and Luca
however it was their willpower and fight that made them fascinating to read about.
It was also heart-warming to see how Luca and Lydia became very close to the
sisters and vice versa. Luca became very attached to Rebecca, constantly
checking to see if she was okay and Rebecca took well to Luca’s love and
affection. However, Soledad, the eldest of the two, puts on an act of bravery, as
if nothing scared her but Lydia sees right through her hard exterior and eventually
uncovered a girl who was genuinely terrified. A girl so full of optimism yet so
full of despair. ‘…I thought I could protect you and Rebecca if I stayed
quiet and just did what they told me to do, but there are monsters in this
city, Papi, and now I’m so scared…’ (chapter
16, page 198). Lydia also sees a lot of herself in Soledad and ensures both her
and her sister are kept safe. The relationship between the sisters and the
mother and son duo made the entire story much more emotional to read.
One element of the book that could have been improved upon is
the portrayal of the relationship between Javier and Lydia. Without giving too
much away, Javier is an individual from Lydia’s past who she had an emotional
connection with. As the story develops, we are given an insight into their
friendship through various flashbacks. We are also shown how this friendship
ties in with the entire plot and we are made to see how differently Lydia feels
toward him now they are on the run. Cummins’ characterisation of Javier
shows him to be a character a reader falls in love with however as the story
progresses, we see his betrayal toward Lydia and eventually fall out of love
with him. Although I enjoyed reading about their past relationship, I thought Cummins
could have added more depth into their relationship and written it with a
little more detail during the flashbacks.
Overall, American Dirt is a timely, powerful book that teaches one about the struggles of those less fortunate and the value of family. The writing is full of character yet suspenseful where it needed to be. I was literally hanging onto every word. Although some parts could have been written more thoroughly, this book remained captivating and thought provoking. I highly recommend you giving it a read!
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