American Dirt

by Jeanine Cummins

I was unaware of the cultural appropriation controversy or the field of ‘meh’ reviews until I finished the novel. It’s not a new book, but with more than 3,000 titles on my TBR list, the next read is crapshoot between my bookshelves and library availability. My take: this is a quality representation of the migrant and asylum-seeker journey, told with humanity, and based in truth. Cummins research has as much depth as her writing, regardless of her ethnicity.