American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Rarely do I review a book that is from my book club (don't ask me why, I don't know), but I felt compelled to do so with this one. I think primarily because the controversy surrounding the book is as important as the book itself.

I found the book to be a riveting piece of fiction. The author portrays not only a fictionalized migrant story but she also touches on the arrests at the border and separation of families as well as the deportation of immigrants who have been living in the United States for years. Who have been following the rules of our broken system only to have their lives destroyed by a change in attitude of those in power.

The controversy surrounding the book is just as important as the story of immigration. Watch the conversation on this Youtube video 

Be open minded to the discussion. If you are white (like myself) put aside your bias and your defensiveness and LISTEN. I didn't agree with everything the panel said as I do recognize the book is a work of fiction so it is not necessary to hold it to a higher standard of authenticity, but I do agree with the anger regarding the disparity in the publishing world. Pay attention to the pie chart in the Youtube video which shows the severe lack of BIPOC authors being published.

This is also the conversation that must be had and the push for change that should come from this book and the controversy surrounding it. As readers we can demand that booksellers and publishers promote more authors of color so that we can truly experience more diverse reading.