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Book Jacket

American Dirt

"American Dirt is a Grapes of Wrath for our times."
—Don Winslow

Summary and Reviews
Excerpt
Reading Guide
Author Biography

Discuss American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Do you think Lydia is better or worse off for not having known about the moment of her boundary crossing? What importance do rituals have in marking milestones in our lives?

4

Feb. 12, 2020
by peggyt

Why do you think Soledad spits over the border? Is doing so a victory for her?

6

Feb. 17, 2020
by acstrine

Do you agree with Beto? Do the flags symbolize something more than just the countries they represent?

6

Feb. 17, 2020
by acstrine

Did you find any of Lydia's actions out of character?

5

Feb. 19, 2020
by janeb

Do you think borders are a necessary evil or might their delineation serve a societal good?

8

Feb. 27, 2020
by sallyh

Did American Dirt change your opinion? Are there other books you'd recommend on this topic?

23

Feb. 28, 2020
by bonnieb

Was Javier's reaction to Marta's death at all understandable? Do you believe that he didn't want Lydia dead?

20

Mar. 06, 2020
by gerrieb

El Chacal's willingness to let Soledad deal with Lorenzo

8

Mar. 06, 2020
by gerrieb

Do you think the reader would have had a different entry point to the novel if Lydia started out as a poor migrant? How much do you identify with Lydia?

8

Mar. 09, 2020
by PostProcessual

Do you believe Beto's explanation of how he got his money? Do you have any other questions about Beto you would like answered?

2

Mar. 12, 2020
by gerrieb

Should Missionaries Have Been Vilified?

10

Mar. 18, 2020
by beckyh

If you were writing the rules for asylum eligibility, what would they be?

7

Mar. 18, 2020
by beckyh

Throughout American Dirt there are threads of grief and loss that tie the characters together.

0

Mar. 24, 2020
by gerrieb

The term American only appears once in the novel. Did you notice? Why do you think the author made this choice?

14

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Was there any scene in particular in the novel that struck a chord with you, or that you found especially memorable?

18

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Controversy over this book

47

Mar. 25, 2020
by davinamw

Lydia refers to her and Luca becoming migrants as something that happened to them rather than something they did. Why do you think the author chose to have her characters view their circumstances this way?

17

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Were you surprised to learn how dangerous the passage is, and for female migrants in particular?

20

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Do you follow celebrity book recommendations? How do you think celebrity book endorsements influence readers?

30

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Do you admire Sebastian for running his story? Was he a good journalist or a bad husband and father? What would you have done if you were him?

15

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

American Dirt has been compared to The Grapes of Wrath. Have you read the latter book, and if so, what parallels do you see between the two?

10

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Do you think Lydia is a stand-in for the reader and that the author is sending a broader message?

7

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Were you surprised that the priest issued a warning to turn back when he must know how desperate they are to be there in the first place? Under what conditions might you decide to leave your homeland?

7

Mar. 25, 2020
by taking.mytime

Discuss the significance of the title. What do you think the author means by it?

14

Mar. 25, 2020
by elainew

Why do you think there are birds on the cover of the novel?

9

Mar. 30, 2020
by brendad

Overall, what do you think of American Dirt? (no plot spoilers in this thread please)

28

Mar. 30, 2020
by brendad

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