<p><b>#1 <i>New York Times</i> Bestseller</b> <br><b>OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK</b><br>"<b>Extraordinary</b>."<br>&#8212;<b>Stephen King</b><br><b>"This book is not simply the great American novel; it's the great novel of <i>las Americas</i>. It's the great world novel! This is the international story of our times. Masterful."<br>&#8212;Sandra Cisneros<br></b><b><i>También de este lado hay sueños. </i></b><b>On this side, too, there are dreams<i>.</i></b><br>Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.<br>Even though she knows they'll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy&#8212;two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the <i>jefe</i> of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia's husband's tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.<br>Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves riding <i>la bestia</i>&#8212;trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier's reach doesn't extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach <i>el norte</i>, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? <br> <i>American Dirt</i> will leave readers utterly changed. It is a literary achievement filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times.<br>Already being hailed as "a <i>Grapes of Wrath</i> for our times" and "a new American classic," Jeanine Cummins's <i>American Dirt</i> is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.</p>