I loved American Dirt, and so when I discovered that Jeanine Cummins had written a new book I was very excited! She is a very talented writer, able to paint a scene so vividly, and conjure emotion so deftly. I was immediately gripped, as we follow, at first, Daisy, who is left critically injured after a hurricane ravages the island of Puerto Rico, Daisy's mother and grandmother, Rafaela and Ruth, return to the city to be with Daisy, and as they gather at Daisy’s bedside, they’re confronted by their collective and separate pasts.

The story then follows these women over the years, as they grow, fall in love, make mistakes and so much more. The novel's themes of family, race, belonging, are brilliantly woven into the fabric of the characters' lives, and I was so impressed with the depth of emotion Cummins was able to create, Great stuff.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘American Dirt’ and so was looking forward to the new novel from Jeanine Cummins. I was not disappointed. This was a story told over three generations of a family that emigrated to America from Puerto Rico. The story is fascinating as it looks at the affect racism has had on the family amongst other factors.

‘Speak to Me of Home’ is a multigenerational tale that explores the connection between three generations of the same family.
Rafaela who leaves Puerto Rico for the Midwest of America, where she experiences racism and begins to resent her husband for his lack of understanding.
Their daughter Ruth, desperate to fit in, who denies her maternal heritage and Daisy the granddaughter who returns to Puerto Rico much to the annoyance of her mother.
We follow each woman’s life and their individual struggle to adapt and find their own way even if it leads to rifts within the family.
The book moves back and forth between Puerto Rico and the Midwest of America as gradually each woman’s story is revealed
During a hurricane Daisy is hit by a car and critically injured, the family come together around her bedside and long buried secrets that explain some of the past come to light.
Jeanine Cummins is an outstanding storyteller and this book, with themes of belonging, heritage, identity and what is meant by home, is a joy to read and is sure to be a best seller.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Headline for an ARC

I really adored this authors novel American dirt and therefore when I saw this novel on NetGalley UK I immediately requested it and it went straight to the top of my to be read list when my request was accepted
This novel is an expensive three generation novel telling the story of a family from Puerto Rico who immigrate to the USA from the point of view of grandmother mother and daughter.
This author has a beautiful flowing poetic writing style which I found a pleasure to read. I’m found that I was quickly highlighting sentences only a couple of pages in so I had great expectations for this novel
The book touches on nationality and race as the family move backwards and forwards from between Puerto Rico and America . these weighty subjects are dealt with with subtlety and poise.
The author describes characters well you really feel know these people at the end of the book
Very much enjoy this book for me it didn’t quite hit the five stars of American dirt but it was very strong 4 stars
I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a character based novel with a strong national setting. I could see similarities between the books of Isabel Allende like The House of Spirits.
I read an early copy of the novel in return for an unbiased review on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 13th of May 2025 by headline.

This review will appear on NetGalley UK. Goodreads. storyGraph and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication will also appear on Amazon UK.

I chose to read this book by Jeanine Cummins because I was deeply impressed by American Dirt, and this novel did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this multigenerational saga, which focuses on Rafaela, Ruth, and Daisy. The different narratives flowed seamlessly, exploring themes of cultural identity, displacement, heritage, and the desire to belong. Beautifully written, this book is one I highly recommend."

Speak to me of home is a story of inter-generational trauma and specifically the complexities of mother-daughter-granddaughter relationships and the elusive concept of home. The writing style was, at times difficult to catch up with as characters and timelines become intertwined. It was a good read, and I finished it in a day, which is always a good sign.

Daisy gets a DNA test - is surprised but gets hit by a vehicle and spends most of the rest of the book in a coma. However we are then taken on a trip through Daisy's past, and that of her mother and grandmother. It did take me a while to work out who was where as the time line chops and changes with alarming regularity.

The story is all perfectly serviceable, however it is flabby in the last third so that by the time the big reveal occurred I was a bit over it all, as it seemed were most of the characters who all nodded their heads and carried on.

I absolutely loved 'American Dirt' - it is probably the book I have recommended .ore than any other. Unsurprisingly, I therefore was so pleased to read 'Speak to Me of Home.

This inter-generational piece of literary 'tres leches' felt comforting, deep and satisfying.

Right from the opening pages, when Ruth gets that phonecall that all parents dread, to find out her daughter has been in an accident, I was hooked. Moving between time and place and character, secrets are revealed and the consequences of long ago choices come crashing down.

I highly recommend this.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins is a moving multigenerational story of family and identity and the immigrant experience.