Most Popular Books by Jeanine Cummins

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 brother, Tom, were assaulted on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River just outside of St. Louis. When, after a harrowing ordeal, Tom managed to escape the attackers and flag down help, he thought the nightmare would soon be over. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Tom, his sister Jeanine, and their entire family were just at the beginning of a horrific odyssey through the aftermath of a violent crime, a world of shocking betrayal, endless heartbreak, and utter disillusionment. It was a trial by fire from which no family member would emerge unscathed.

*NOW A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME* ''Breathtaking... I haven''t been so entirely consumed by a book for years'' Telegraph ''I''ll never stop thinking about it'' Ann Patchett FEAR KEEPS THEM RUNNING. HOPE KEEPS THEM ALIVE. Vivid, visceral, utterly compelling, AMERICAN DIRT is an unforgettable story of a mother and son''s attempt to cross the US-Mexico border. Described as ''impossible to put down'' (Saturday Review) and ''essential reading'' (Tracy Chevalier), it is a story that will leave you utterly changed. Yesterday, Lydia had a bookshop. Yesterday, Lydia was married to a journalist. Yesterday, she was with everyone she loved most in the world. Today, her eight-year-old son Luca is all she has left. For him, she will carry a machete strapped to her leg. For him, she will leap onto the roof of a high speed train. For him, she will find the strength to keep running.

"También de este lado hay sueños. On this side, too, there are dreams. Lydia Quixano Perez 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. 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 four books he would like to buy--two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe 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. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia--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 el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed when they finish reading it. A page-turner filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page, it is a literary achievement."--

What does it mean to call a place home? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story On her wedding day in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1968, Rafaela Acuña y Daubón has mild misgivings, but she marries Peter Brennan Jr. anyway in a blaze of romantic optimism. She has no way of knowing how dramatically her life will change when she uproots her young family to start over in the American Midwest, unleashing a fleet of disappointments. In the 1980s, against the backdrop of her mother’s isolation in St. Louis, Missouri, Rafaela’s daughter, Ruth, wants only to belong. Eager to fit in, Ruth lets go of her language, habits, and childhood memories of Puerto Rico. It’s not until decades later when Ruth’s own daughter, Daisy, returns to San Juan that her mother and grandmother begin to truly reflect on the choices that have come to define their lives. When a hurricane ravages the island in 2023, leaving Daisy critically injured, Rafaela and Ruth return to the city where their story began. As they gather at Daisy’s bedside, we follow them back into the moments that brought them to this point: We watch as they come of age, fall in love, take risks, and contend with all the heartbreaks, triumphs, and reversals of fortune—both good and bad—that make up a meaningful life. As old memories come to light, so do buried secrets, leaving everyone in the family wondering exactly where it is that they belong. A striking, resonant examination of marriage, family, and identity, Speak to Me of Home is ultimately a story of mothers and daughters that asks: How can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where they come from? And, more important, can they discover a common language to find their way back home?

A poignant, coming of age novel about an Irish gypsy boy’s childhood in the 1950’s from the national bestselling author of A Rip in Heaven and American Dirt. 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, haunted by the story of his mother’s death in childbirth. The wandering life is the only one Christy has ever known, but when his grandfather dies, everything changes. His father decides to settle briefly, in a town, where Christy and his cousin can receive proper schooling and prepare for their first communions. But still, always, they are treated as outsiders. As Christy struggles to find his way amid the more conventional lives of his new classmates, he starts to question who he is and where he belongs. But then the discovery of an old newspaper photograph, and a long-buried secret from his mother’s mysterious past, changes his life forever....

From the national bestselling author of American Dirt and A Rip in Heaven comes the deeply moving story of two mothers from two very different times. After the birth of her daughter Emma, the usually resilient Majella finds herself feeling isolated and exhausted. Then, at her childhood home in Queens, 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 from Ireland to America, but not all of her family made it. What happened during those harrowing years, and why does Ginny call herself a killer? Is Majella genetically fated to be a bad mother, despite the fierce tenderness she feels for her baby? Determined to uncover the truth of her heritage and her own identity, Majella sets out to explore Ginny’s past—and discovers surprising truths about her family and ultimately, herself.

Drame familial intergénérationnel, l''histoire éblouissante de deux mères confrontées aux affres de la maternité, l''une en temps de Grande famine de la pomme de terre en Irlande, l''autre dans le New York contemporain, par l''autrice du roman au succès international American Dirt. Majella vient de donner naissance à son premier enfant. Malgré l''amour qu''elle porte à sa fille, elle se sent étrangère à sa nouvelle vie. Épuisée et au bord de la folie dans la maison de son enfance du Queens, elle découvre au grenier le journal oublié d''une femme dont le nom, griffonné fiévreusement sur la couverture, lui est inconnu : Ginny Doyle. Tandis que Majella se plonge tout entière dans ce mystère, c''est son histoire familiale qui se révèle à elle. Car en 1848, pour échapper à la Grande Famine de la pomme de terre, Ginny Doyle a fui l''Irlande et s''est embarquée vers l''Amérique dans des circonstances plus que troubles. Décidée à découvrir la vérité sur son héritage, Majella explore le passé de Ginny et se retrouve confrontée à des secrets profondément enfouis. Tandis qu''elle-même renoue avec sa propre mère, elle apprend que Ginny a dû abandonner ses quatre jeunes enfants et accepter à plein temps un travail de femme de chambre pour sauver sa famille. Que s''est-il passé durant ces terribles années de famine ? Majella est assaillie de doutes : si Ginny est bien son aïeule, est-elle à son tour génétiquement condamnée à être une mauvaise mère ? Avec un réel talent de conteuse, Jeanine Cummins donne voix à deux générations, entre l''Irlande du milieu du XIXe siècle et le New York des années 2010. Histoire de sacrifices, de vulnérabilité et de courage devant l''adversité, La branche tordue fait le portrait bouleversant de deux femmes reliées par bien plus que le sang : par l''amour qu''elles portent à leurs enfants.

¿Qué significa poder llamar a un lugar «tu hogar»?Jeanine Cummins, autora bestseller #1 de The New York Times, regresa con la conmovedora historia de una familia puertorriqueña a través de varias generaciones. San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1968: A pesar de ciertas dudas, Rafaela Acuña y Daubón decide casarse con Peter Brennan Jr. en un arrebato de optimismo romántico. Sin embargo, no es consciente de hasta qué punto cambiará su vida cuando desarraigue a su joven familia de la isla para instalarse en el Midwest de los Estados Unidos, ni de cómo esta será la primera de muchas decepciones en su vida. En los años ochenta, viendo el aislamiento de su madre en Missouri, la hija de Rafaela, Ruth, decide abandonar la lengua, las costumbres y los recuerdos de su infancia en Puerto Rico. Cuando un huracán devasta la isla en 2023 y deja a Daisy, la hija de Ruth, gravemente herida, madre y abuela regresan a la ciudad donde todo comenzó. Mientras cuidan de Daisy, ambas mujeres rememoran los desengaños, amores, riesgos y triunfos que marcaron sus vidas. Todos esos recuerdos traen también secretos ocultos que les harán cuestionarse sobre su lugar en el mundo. Una profunda y vibrante reflexión sobre familia e identidad a través de una historia de madres e hijas que luchan por encontrar su camino de regreso a casa.

Download a free excerpt from Jeanine Cummins''s American Dirt! También de este lado hay sueños. On this side too, there are dreams. Already being hailed as "a Grapes of Wrath for our times" and "a new American classic", American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope. If it’s only a better life you seek, seek it elsewhere...This path is only for people who have no choice, no other option, only violence and misery behind you. And your journey will grow even more treacherous from here. Everything is working against you. —American Dirt Lydia Quixano Perez 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. 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 four books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe 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. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—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 el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed when they finish reading it. It is a page-turner, it is a literary achievement, it is filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times.

Lydia Quixano Pérez trăiește în orașul mexican Acapulco și este proprietara unei mici librării. Are un fiu în vârstă de opt ani, Luca, lumina ochilor ei, și un soț minunat, jurnalist de profesie. Și cu toate că realitatea dură a cartelurilor începe să-și facă simțită prezența, viața Lydiei este, în principiu, una destul de confortabilă. Deși știe că nu se vor vinde, Lydia aduce în librărie și o parte dintre cărțile ei favorite. Iar într-o bună zi, un bărbat intră în magazin și alege câteva cărți, printre care și două dintre preferatele ei. Javier este un erudit și un bărbat fermecător. Și, ceea ce Lydia nu știe, este liderul celui mai nou cartel al drogurilor din oraș. După ce soțul ei publică un articol în care vorbește fără ocolișuri despre proaspătul jefe, viața întregii familii se va schimba radical. Silită să fugă din oraș în urma asasinării soțului și a rudelor sale, Lydia călătorește împreună cu fiul ei cu faimosul tren La Bestia spre nord, către Statele Unite, acolo unde Javier nu-i poate găsi. Scrisă cu măiestrie, sfâșietoare și încărcată de o profundă umanitate, Pământ american este acel gen de carte care te marchează și te schimbă fundamental, unul dintre cele mai importante romane contemporane. „Pământ american este un roman extraordinar, un spectacol perfect echilibrat, cu teroarea de o parte și iubirea de cealaltă... Scriitura este impecabilă, iar povestea nu dezamăgește în nici un punct. Superb.“ STEPHEN KING

SELECCIONADO PARA OPRAH''S BOOK CLUB Si lo que buscan es una mejor vida, búsquenla en otra parte. Este camino solo es para personas que no tienen otra opción, que dejan violencia y miseria detrás. El viaje se volverá más peligroso de ahora en adelante. Todo irá en contra de sus propósitos y los boicoteará . Lydia Quixano Pérez vive en Acapulco, México, donde lleva su librería. Tiene un hijo, Luca, el amor de su vida, y un maravilloso esposo que es periodista. Y aunque la vida en Acapulco comienza a agrietarse debido a los cárteles de la droga, su vida es confortable. Un día llega un hombre a la librería y compra cuatro libros, entre los que se encuentran dos de las obras favoritas de Lydia, que piensa que nunca va a vender. Javier es erudito, encantador, aunque Lydia no lo sabe, es el jefe del nuevo cártel que se ha apoderado de la ciudad. Cuando se publica el revelador artículo sobre Javier que el esposo de Lydia escribe para el periódico local, sus vidas cambiarán para siempre. Forzados a huir, Lydia y Luca, de ocho años, pronto se encuentran a kilómetros de su cómoda existencia. Transformados instantáneamente en migrantes, Lydia y Luca viajan en La Bestia, los trenes que se dirigen al norte hacia Estados Unidos, el único lugar donde Javier no podrá encontrarlos. Cuando se unen a las innumerables personas que intentan llegar al norte, Lydia pronto se da cuenta que todos huyen de algo. ¿Pero hacia qué huyen exactamente?

Amerikansk jord är en bok du aldrig glömmer. En skrämmande aktuell och fullständigt uppslukande roman om en mor och en son på flykt – från Acapulco i Mexiko mot tryggheten i USA. Nyss var ledaren för knarkkartellen Los Jardineros en omtyckt kund i Lydias bokhandel. Nu har han visat sitt rätta ansikte. Som hämnd för ett avslöjande reportage har hans män dödat hennes journalistmake och ytterligare 15 familjemedlemmar. Endast Lydia och den åttaåriga sonen Luca undkommer. De flyr, först på måfå, sedan norrut. På vägen möter de barmhärtighet och medmänsklighet men också livshotande faror. Amerikansk jord är en oavbrutet spännande roman om hur långt vi är villiga att gå för att rädda dem vi älskar. ”Jag kan inte minnas när jag läste något så andlöst spännande, med så många oförglömliga personer, skrivet med en sådan inlevelse och kärlek.” Expressen ”Amerikansk jord är helt enkelt en briljant nervpärs, en modern Vredens druvor korsat med Inte utan min dotter. /.../ Det var länge sedan jag läste något så uppslukande.” M-Magasin "... en litterär koffeinkick. /.../ Otroligt gripande om flykt. Väldigt, väldigt filmisk. Går inte att lägga ifrån sig. En väldigt bra bok! /.../ Läs boken, ta del av debatten sedan!" Jenny Lindh, TV 4 Nyhetsmorgon ”Amerikansk jord är boken som är smått omöjlig att lägga ifrån dig medan du läser och sedan omöjlig att glömma och sluta tänka på när den är slut. /.../ Det här är läsning som är läskig, gripande och sjukt spännande. Jag förväntar mig att det blir en av årets stora boksnackisar.” Blekinge Läns Tidningar "Amerikansk jord blir på samma gång en skrämmande inblick i det omänskliga lidande som knarket får med sig men också den gemenskap och generositet som människor kan visa i utsatta situationer. En bladvändare och en roman som lever kvar i minnet." Nerikes Allehanda ”Cummins berättelse är otroligt spännande och välskriven.” Karlstads Tidningen ”Amerikansk jord är den där typen av bok där man som läsare kommer på sig med att inte ha andats på 462 sidor. Den thrillerartade handlingen berättas i ett rasande tempo. /.../ Amerikansk jord är en berättelse om mod och medmänsklighet i flyktingleden och på härbärgena längs vägen, men också om ett Mexico sönderslitet av droghandel och dominerat av korruption och kriminella nätverk.” Alingsås Tidning

Ontem Lydia era dona de uma livraria.Estava casada com o homem que amava.Vivia rodeada de família e amigos.Hoje Lydia perdeu tudo.Tudo, menos o filho, Luca, de oito anos.Por ele, vai amarrar uma faca de mato à perna.Vai saltar para um comboio de alta velocidade em andamento.Vai até ao fim do mundo. Únicos sobreviventes do massacre da sua família às mãos de narcotraficantes, Lydia e Luca sabem que têm de fugir do México imediatamente. Cada minuto conta. Cada troca de olhares está impregnada de perigo. Em cada momento de fraqueza pulsam a vida e a morte. Já considerado um clássico moderno da literatura americana e comparado ao romance As Vinhas da Ira, de Steinbeck, Terra Americana é um romance oportuno, incómodo e, acima de tudo, impossível de esquecer.

Za každou hranicí existují sny. Lydia vede docela pohodlný život v mexickém Acapulku. Je vdaná za skvělého novináře a má krásného syna Luku. Ale stačí jediné setkání se šéfem drogového kartelu a její život je v troskách. Spolu se synem musí uprchnout a přidat se k migrantům, kteří se snaží dostat do Spojených států. Jedině tam se ona a Luca budou cítit v bezpečí. Snad. Lydia brzy pochopí, že všichni před něčím prchají. Co na ně ale čeká? A dojdou vůbec konce své cesty?

Ännu en oförglömlig roman av författaren till Amerikansk jord. På sin bröllopsdag i San Juan 1968 anar Rafaela inte hur drastiskt hennes liv ska förändras när hon lämnar Puerto Rico för ett nytt liv i USA. Årtionden senare kämpar dottern Ruth för att passa in, medan hennes egen dotter, Daisy, dras tillbaka till rötterna hon aldrig fått lära känna. När en orkan slår till 2023 återvänder Rafaela och Ruth till ön. Vid Daisys sjukbädd ställs de inför gamla sår och begravda hemligheter – och frågan som format deras liv: Vad innebär det egentligen att höra hemma? En gripande berättelse om familj, identitet och de val som formar oss. Jeanine Cummins är en amerikansk författare känd för sina starka skildringar av migration, familjeband och identitet. Hon fick sitt stora genombrott med Amerikansk jord, en gripande roman om en mor och son på flykt genom Mexiko som sålt i över 2 miljoner exemplar och översatts till ett trettiotal språk. Hennes böcker präglas av djup psykologisk insikt och starkt berättardriv. Hon är född 1974 och bor i New York tillsammans med sin man och två barn.

Dici Acapulco e pensi a spiagge di sabbia finissima, mare cristallino e palme accarezzate dalla brezza. Ma l’immagine della città si sta incrinando sotto i colpi dei cartelli della droga, sempre più presenti, ed è in questa Acapulco che vive Lydia, divisa tra il lavoro in libreria e la famiglia: il marito Sebastián, giornalista, e il figlioletto Luca, otto anni e un’intelligenza fuori dal comune. Nonostante la violenza si faccia largo nelle strade, Lydia non si aspetta che la sua esistenza venga sconvolta improvvisamente. Eppure un commando di uomini armati irrompe alla festa di compleanno della nipote e stermina i suoi cari. Nascosti in bagno, solo Lydia e Luca si salvano dalla carneficina, e per loro inizia una fuga estenuante. Rimanere in Messico equivale a morte certa, per non farsi rintracciare dal boss che ha ordinato il massacro bisogna evitare le strade più battute e i normali mezzi di trasporto. Così, a madre e figlio non resta che prendere la via dei migranti. Questo significa anche salire sulla Bestia, il treno merci su cui montare al volo, rischiando di finire stritolati. Sempre braccati, durante la difficile traversata del deserto conoscono altri migranti, alcuni disposti ad aiutarli, altri pronti ad approfittarsi di loro. Conservare la propria umanità in un’esperienza che di umano ha ben poco sarà difficilissimo. “Crudo ma anche delicato, realistico eppure ottimista, grandioso.” Don Winslow “È da molto tempo che non voltavo le pagine così velocemente... Un viaggio che è una testimonianza sul potere della paura e della speranza.” John Grisham