"Terror is more immediate than grief."What I look for in an audio book is a dramatic story told by a skilled narrator. A unique set of circumstances that takes me right there, where I can feel the characters joy or pain.
I'd like to share some of the moments that resonated with me in American Dirt, starting with the quote I opened with: "Terror is more immediate than grief." That line stuck with me, because after the massacre, I did wonder how Lydia could even function, let alone react so quickly.
How Lydia's father's death "acted like a measuring stick for Lydia. It calculated the depth of Sebastien's character." I understand how, as Cummins wrote, tragedy can cement a relationship.
Lydia's refreshing honestly about motherhood. As much as children are your life, she admits to needing space and time away from her child.
The way Lydia realized who Javier was to her now: when he squeezed her fingers, she smelled formaldehyde, and saw his lenses spattered with blood.
The eerie foreshadowing of the beautiful Soledad, how "her presence is a vivid throb of colour," a "living miracle of splendour" - and a real problem.
These are among the many instances that made American Dirt a memorable experience for me.
I appreciated the group discussions we @travelingsistersread had last month on Goodreads, and thank you all for that.
While I realize the migrant problem is a very heated & sensitive political and cultural topic, I'm not down with book shaming or author bashing.
Something extreme critics of this book could consider is whether this story helped bring to the forefront the serious issues migrants face a lot more than harm Mexican culture.
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Until next time,
Kara
