American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Gringa Porn

According to Jeanine Cummins: Mexico is a pervasively narco-state; Honduran refugees with no formal education are highly articulate and impeccably grammatical; at least some drug lords have great literary taste; the dream destination for almost all of Central America is el norte, and their preferred method of transportation isn’t long distance bus services but La Bestia, the unscheduled freight railway, which rates even lower on customer amenities than Greyhound.

I have no idea how accurate her descriptions of Mexican sociology or criminal organisation are. But if the cartels are as effective in infiltrating every aspect of society, providing real-time intelligence to its leaders, and organising virtually instantaneous response to events, I suggest that they should be considered for the management contract at DisneyWorld. The penalties for littering might become a bit onerous, but costs would be way down.

Seriously, the central difference between the corporate society of Mexico and that of Los Estados Unidós is the bonus structure. Both are equally ruthless about their employees. It’s up or out. But fewer Mexican pension plans vest because of higher mortality rates. It’s obvious that this is a mark of greater consciousness about business efficiency for the Mexicans. They’ve created a solid supply chain for a vast pharmaceuticals range and are not about to let wing wing sissies threaten their franchise.

Aside from Cummins’s apparent attempt to cripple the Mexican tourist trade, I can’t understand her reason for writing the book. Although there is a speech by a pastor to some migrants in which he warns his destitute flock: “If it’s only a better life you seek, seek it elsewhere,” than in el norte. But given that the book was written in English, the admonition certainly must be rhetorical.

So not a literary event, even if it has made the best seller lists. Give it a miss. Unless of course you’re planning a weekend in Acapulco.

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