‘American Dirt’: Kicking up dust in the book industry
It took just four words to change Jeanine Cummins’ life. When the novelist answered her phone, the voice on the other end said, “Jeanine, it’s Oprah Winfrey.”
The little-known writer’s fourth work, “American Dirt,” had been selected as an Oprah Book Club pick.
Whenever one of the world’s premier literary tastemakers anoints a book, it’s a guaranteed hit. Even Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” – an impossibly bleak story that mostly eschews punctuation – sold well over a million copies thanks to Ms. Winfrey’s imprimatur.
Ms. Cummins’ book is a considerably easier sell than Mr. McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize winner. “American Dirt” is a fast-paced thriller about a Mexican mother and son trying to escape a drug lord by fleeing to the U.S. border. Its syntax won’t generate 911 calls to the grammar police.
Ms. Cummins described Ms. Winfrey’s phone call as “the best moment of my life.” But the triumph surrounding the book release in January was short-lived. Within days, she was hiding in fear for her safety.
“American Dirt” is mired in a controversy that culminated in threats against the author. It started with several Mexican American authors accusing Ms. Cummins (who is white and of Puerto Rican descent) of cultural appropriation. They complained that her book stereotypes Mexicans, misportrays the country’s culture, and misrepresents the typical migrant experience. Furthermore, they were incensed that Flatiron Books, publisher of the novel, had launched a massive marketing campaign for a non-Mexican, nonimmigrant writer instead of promoting more authentic stories by underrepresented Latino authors. As their fury caught fire, Flatiron Books canceled the author’s book tour. Even Ms. Winfrey felt compelled to
