American Dirt: why critics are calling Oprah's book club pick exploitative and divisive

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.

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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/HWY3lsGgvh

Hello, fellow book lovers! My next @oprahsbookclub selection is “American Dirt” by @jeaninecummins. From the first sentence, I was IN. pic.twitter.com/uonqIa3QRK

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