Floral arrangements covered in barbed-wire are just the beginning.

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Jeanine Cummins fourth novel, American Dirt, was supposed to be the next literary phenomenon.
But just over a week after its release, the authors remaining appearances have been canceled after specific threats lead to concerns about her safety, according to Flatiron Books President Bob Miller. Critics have said the books depictions of Mexican culture are inaccurate, cliche, and offensive. Theyve also called the marketing surrounding the book insensitive.
First, photos from a bookseller dinner at Book Expo 2019 showed that the event was decorated with opulent floral arrangements wrapped in bared-wire, meant to mimic the books cover. Tweets of Cummins praising a fans nail art also mirroring the books cover began to go viral shortly afterward.
While promoting the book, Cummins also highlighted the fact that her husband was once an undocumented immigrant. What she failed to mention is that hes originally from Ireland, not a Latin American country. In the past, Cummins has identified as white, though her grandmother was born in Puerto Rico.
American Dirt tells the story of a young Mexican bookstore owner forced to flee her native Acapulco for the U.S. after her journalist husband is killed by the local drug cartel. During a press stop in Washington, Cummins said she conducted five years worth of research, consisting of visiting the U.S.-Mexico border, orphanages, and soup kitchens for migrants according to the New York Times. She also received a seven-figure advance, and the movie rights were sold off as early as June 2019.
The novel received mostly positive reviews prior to its release on Jan. 21. Renowned authors like Stephen King called it an extraordinary piece of work. Others hailed it as the Grapes of Wrath of our time. Oprah Winfrey even earmarked American Dirt as the latest book to enter her famous Book Club.
But shortly after the books release, a biting review from Mexican writer Myriam Gurba published last month went viral, and the initial reception seemed to sour.
Rather than face that we are their moral and intellectual equals, they happily pity us, Gurba writes in the review. Pity is what inspires their sweet tooth for Mexican pain, a craving many of them hide. This denial motivates their spending habits, resulting in a preference for trauma porn that wears a social justice fig leaf. To satisfy this demand, Cummins tossed together American Dirt, a road thriller that wears an Im-giving-a-voice-to-the-voiceless-masses merkin.
The controversy has inspired countless other writers who were also offended by the books depiction of a Mexico ravished by drug cartels and its not-so-current portrait of the U.S. as a sanctuary for immigrants. Writer David Bowles pointed out that several excerpts from the book are pulled directly from other works by Latino creatives. It also sparked a larger conversation over the inequities and lack of opportunities for people of color in the publishing industry.
On Wednesday, a petition signed by over 120 Latinx writers and thinkers, was sent Oprah, asking her to rescind her endorsement of the book. The media mogul promised to have a deeper discussion about American Dirt on the next episode of her AppleTV Plus television show.
Cummins has been mostly silent since the backlash began. But in an interview with NPRs Latino USA, the author explained that while she didnt expect the criticism, she now understands where its coming from.
Im feeling disappointed in the tenor of the conversation, she said. Its not where I hoped to be. I think Im beginning to understand it and get my footing. I understand that theres a tremendous amount of earned frustration amongst communities of color when it comes to the publishing industry. Its not just a very white industry, its also a very affluent, white industry.
Despite the controversy, the book is doing well. It currently sits at number one on both Amazons list of bestselling books and on New York Times Best Sellers list.
In a letter published Wednesday evening, Miller addressed the overwhelming response the book has received among Latino writers and social media users.
When we began the journey of supporting this book, it quickly spawned as much excitement and anticipation as any book I can remember in my forty years working in the publishing business, Miller wrote. We were therefore surprised by the anger that has emerged from members of the Latinx and publishing communities.
Miller said that the book tour will be replaced by a series of public town hall meetings around the country where Cummins will be joined by some of the groups who have raised objections to the book, Miller wrote. Details on where these town halls will be held have yet to be determined.
Cover image: “American Dirt,” a novel by Jeanine Cummins and Oprah’s Book club selection, is seen on the shelves at a Barnes & Noble in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Julia Weeks)