1
of
1
American Dirt
The heartstopping read that will live with you for ever
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 665,430 ratings, 50,930 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2300
$2799
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
American Dirt
$2300
$2799
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
Reading Before Voting
As we head towards our general election on 7 November, I've realised I'm a lot...
The Grand Line Awaits! New One Piece Plush Toys
New One Piece Plush Toys have arrived at Toy Hero
Bluey Alert: New Bluey Toys Have Just Arrived!
New Bluey Toys have arrived at Toy Hero
A personal message to our customers
We've heard that some people are surprised to learn that Book Hero is a 100%...
Fiction for Foodies
Lizzy is sharing some of her favourite fiction reads for people who love food as...
See moreThe extraordinary global bestseller - a once in a lifetime read about the lengths a mother will go to to save her son
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is a harrowing tale of survival and resilience that explores the profound lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. This captivating novel opens with Lydia Perez, a contented bookstore owner in Acapulco, Mexico, who finds her life irrevocably shattered when her husband, a brave journalist, falls victim to a drug cartel's violence. In the blink of an eye, Lydia's peaceful life with her eight-year-old son, Luca, is turned upside down, and they are forced to flee for their lives.
As Lydia and Luca embark on a treacherous journey northward to the United States border, they must navigate a world where trust is precarious and danger lurks at every corner. Their path is fraught with peril not only from the cartel but also from those they meet along the way, each with their own intentions and struggles. The story delves into themes of sacrifice, maternal love, and the relentless quest for safety and a better future.
The novel's gripping narrative and profound character development have resonated with readers worldwide, making American Dirt an instant sensation. It is a poignant and timely exploration of the human cost of migration and the enduring spirit of those who undertake the most desperate of journeys.
'Heartstopping... doesn't let up... you will urge them on, fists clenched' The Times
An extraordinary story of the lengths a mother will go to to save her son, American Dirt has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. It's time to read what you've been missing.
An Instant New York Times #1 Bestseller 2020
An Instant Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller 2020
Over 2 million copies sold globally
A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick
An Oprah's Book Club Pick
A BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins has received numerous powerful reviews. It is hailed as a stunning, timely, and politically relevant novel that grips readers from start to finish. Many praise its heart-stopping and masterful storytelling, emphasising its urgency and emotional impact. It is considered a remarkable and exhilaratingly written read that captures the immigrant experience vividly and movingly.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781472261403
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 18 February 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Tinder Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 38.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 333g
Pages: 480
About the Author
Jeanine Cummins is the author of three previous books, the novels The Outside Boy and The Crooked Branch, and one true crime work, A Rip In Heaven. She lives in New York with her husband and two children. You can follow her on Twitter: @jeaninecummins.
Also by Jeanine Cummins
View all-
American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club)
Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt, the #1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick that has sold over three million copies, is finally available in paperback. Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. While cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the...Paperback$5000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Speak to Me of Home
'A riveting tale of three generations, this is storytelling at its finest' JOHN BOYNE, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies 'Why hadn't she said to her daughter I love you beyond reason and none of this matters at all and every day that you breathe is a gift?' Rafaela Acuna y Daubon remembers everything that matters: her beautiful childhood in...PaperbackSold Out -
The Crooked Branch
โRich and intricately drawn... luminous proseโ Carolyn Parkhurst After the birth of her daughter Emma, the usually resilient Majella finds herself feeling isolated and exhausted. Then, at her childhood home, Majella discovers the diary of her maternal ancestor Ginny, and is shocked to read a story of murder in her family history. With the famine upon her, Ginny Doyle fled...PaperbackSold Out -
The Outside Boy
'A full-throated song of praise. I loved it' Sherman Alexie The Outside Boy is set in Ireland, 1959. Young Christopher Hurley is a tinker, a Pavee gypsy, who roams with his father and extended family from town to town, carrying all their worldly possessions in their wagons. Christy carries with him a burden of guilt as well: his mother's death...PaperbackSold Out -
A Rip in Heaven
The acclaimed author of American Dirt reveals the devastating effects of a shocking tragedy in this landmark true crime book: the first ever to look intimately at the experiences of both the victims and their families. A Rip in Heaven is Jeanine Cummins' story of a night in April, 1991, when her two cousins, Julie and Robin Kerry, and her...PaperbackSold Out -
Speak to Me of Home
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of American Dirt, comes a heartfelt, multigenerational family story which asks: what does it mean to call a place home?'Delectable... a pleasure to read' THE TIMES'A riveting tale of three generations, this is storytelling at its finest' JOHN BOYNE'Utterly absorbing, a big, sweeping story of family and identity' EDEL COFFEY'Why hadn't she said to...PaperbackSold Out -
Speak to Me of Home
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of American Dirt, comes a heartfelt, multigenerational family story which asks: what does it mean to call a place home? 'Delectable... a pleasure to read' THE TIMES 'A riveting tale of three generations, this is storytelling at its finest' JOHN BOYNE 'Utterly absorbing, a big, sweeping story of family and identity' EDEL COFFEY 'Why...HardbackSold Out
More from General Fiction
View all-
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people โ but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...Set$12400Elsewhere:$15500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Goal
Welcome to Briar U!Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy!Read The Goal now for the perfect forced proximity romance! She's good at achieving her goals . . . College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Red Rising
The first book in the incredible New York Times bestselling series Darrow is a Helldiver, toiling beneath the surface of Mars. As a member of the Red caste, he performs grueling labor in the belief that his sacrifice will enable future generations to one day inhabit the surface of the Red Planet. The Reds are humankind's lowest caste, living in...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Score
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession... Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Score now for the perfect friends with benefits romance! He knows how to score, on and off the ice... Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn't have...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseThe Ballad of Falling Dragons [Special Deluxe edition]
The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragonsโฆ Raeveโs thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor โ a staunch beacon from a past sheโs yet to face. With Rekkโs blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the...Hardback$5999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Theo of Golden
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came fromโฆHis name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance โ...Paperback$2899Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Yesteryear
A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE โ Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE โ Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE โ Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS โ Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale โ Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Golden Son
ENDER'S GAME meets THE HUNGER GAMES in this, the second in an extraordinary trilogy from an incredible new voice.'I'm still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.' Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind's last hope....Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Voracious
From USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation comes the gripping, steamy dark romance series that everyone is talking about!'Filled with TENSION, HEARTBREAK and ELECTRIC CHEMISTRY. This one will tear your heart right out of your chest before tossing it back in and sewing you up' No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver'Leigh Rivers is THE QUEEN OF...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Mistake
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Mistake now for the perfect second chance romance! He's a player in more ways than one . . . College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants....Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
General Fiction lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Hannah's listGeneral Fiction
Gothic Reads for Dark Nights
With the advent of movie adaptations like Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, it looks like pop culture is seeing a revival of the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Top 10 Most Recommended Books
These are my Top 10 books that I always recommend to my friends and whฤnau when they ask for recommendations for getting...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Books to Escape a Reading Slump
A reading slump can be a frustrating feeling and hard to break out of, but we've gathered together a list of crowd...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![Star Shipped]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Lizzy's Pride Fiction Picks!
June marks Global Pride Month so in case you're looking for your next great fiction read, here's a list of some of...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Readersโ Top 100 Novels of All Time - from The Guardian
There was some controversy when The Guardian released their critics and authors list of the top 100 novels of all time, but...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026
The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few...View the list
