American Dirt: why critics are calling Oprah`s book club pick exploitative and divisive
(The Guardian Books News)

Latino writers say Jeanine Cummins´ novel uses stereotypes and exploits the suffering of Mexican immigrants American Dirt, the third novel by Jeanine Cummins, begins with a group of assassins opening fire on a quinceañera cookout. We watch Lydia´s entire family get killed, one by one. Only Lydia and her eight-year-old survive.The scene is one of many depictions of graphic violence in American Dirt and it has sparked an intense conversation about `pity porn` and writing about the Mexican immigrant experience. Related: A romance novelist spoke out about racism. An uproar ensued This makes a convincing case for why `American Dirt` is problematic--and backs it up with a lot of examples from the text itself. If you don`t know this culture (as I don`t), listen carefully to the people who do. https://t.co/HWY3lsGgvhHello, fellow book lovers! My next @oprahsbookclub selection is `American Dirt` by @jeaninecummins. From the first sentence, I was IN. pic.twitter.com/uonqIa3QRK Continue reading...