American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins. [Ed: Yes, we realize we're not the first to tell you about this novel, but so many of you raved, we couldn't NOT include it as a top pick!] "Could not put it down. I stayed up ridiculously late to read it, and didn't regret it one bit, despite my bleary-eyed state the next day." "Best book I have read all year. Despite the controversy about the author's qualifications to write this book, I found it to be a compelling story. The story follows Lydia, a bookstore owner and widow of a slain journalist, and her 8 year-old son, Luca, who are forced to leave everything and flee Mexico after a drug cartel kills their entire family at her niece's quinceanera. More than anything, it is a reminder of how fleeting life can be and that we are all just one bad circumstance away from desperation." "I read a lot of the critical reviews of this novel, and I was frankly baffled by them. It's not their argument that not enough Latinx writers are published. They might be right about that. That doesn't speak to the book itself, though. What baffled me was the idea that this novel would delight immigration opponents. I don't see how anyone could read this novel and not emerge with more compassion for the plight of those who are so desperate to reach this country."
