And then I read about all the controversy...
Author, Jeanine Cummins received a lot of negativity, hate and condemnation regarding her story about a mom, Lydia fleeing her country, Mexico with her young son, Luca. The family is on the run because they fear for their lives. Several of their family members were just gunned down by a drug cartel. The novel details Lydia and Luca's treacherous and painful journey to cross the border to get to safety and a new life in America.
Cummins faced much backlash and criticism for her work of fiction. She was accused of being "tone deaf" and for using harmful stereotypes. Many of her critics questioned whether she could adequately and justifiably write about such a sensitive topic she had no experience with. Some even took issue with her writing and use of Spanish words that were woven in with English. Perhaps it's because I don't speak the language, I may have been oblivious to the "errors". Well...I do have one minor complaint about this book. On page 252 there was a spelling error. The capital of Norway was spelled Olso instead of Oslo. I don't know why, but I tend to find tiny errors in books. After years of research and completing her novel, what should have been a moment of celebration was tarnished when her book tour had to be canceled.
Maybe I'm being too insensitive, but here's my take on this. This is a work of fiction. The author claims to have done her research and, as she claims, did her best to tell this story about immigrants. Authors who write fiction sometimes have no personal experiences with the issue at hand, but through research and interviews, they collect as much as they can to write the most comprehensive novel that they can. My thing is, if you have so much hate and criticism, why don't you write a better novel. If anything, this novel has sparked a conversation, a serious one and obviously a much needed one, when it comes to immigration, and maybe this dialogue can lead to effective solutions.
Not one to take advice without first doing my own research, I decided to read this book. And I'm glad I did. Personally, I found this book to be a page-turner. Like Oprah said, I was "in" the moment I read the first line. More than an immigrant issue, I found this to be a human interest story. As a mom, I couldn't help but put myself in Lydia's shoes as she tried to push through the unthinkable, obstacle after obstacle, to get herself and her son, across the Mexican border to safety. This story is one of perseverance and survival, and it is one of the best books I've read so far in 2020.
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