Never has a book given me so many emotions. I've had to take a couple days to process reading American Dirt. It left me heartbroken and shattered, but it also left me feeling a sense of hope. It was a difficult book to read, but one that I am so glad that I did. It is a book that will stick with you long after you are finished reading it.
American Dirt follows the intense journey of a young boy and his mother escaping the drug cartels in Acapulco, Mexico. Lydia and Luca's lives are shattered when their entire family is murdered in the backyard of a family birthday party. As you read, the plot slips in and out of the past, slowly revealing important details that will alter the mother and son's fate. This is a story of survival. Not only does American Dirt expose the harsh reality of the cartel's hold on Mexico, it also shares the stories of so many migrants seeking freedom and a better life.
One of the things that tugged at my heart strings the most was that Luca is only 8 years old, the same age as my son. I cannot fathom experiencing this myself, let alone with my son. It made me deeply aware of the great privilege my family has because of my skin color and where I was born.
This story is not for the faint of heart. I spent most of the book with my heart lodged in throat, waiting for the rug to be ripped out from under me. It is an intense read, but a book I highly recommend.
5/5 stars