Jeanine Cummins is a highly acclaimed American author, best known for her work in historical fiction. She was born on an American Naval base in Rota, Spain, but spent most of her childhood in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Cummins had a harrowing experience as a teenager when four strangers killed two of her cousins. This traumatic event would later inspire her to write her bestselling memoir “A Rip in Heaven” in 2004.
After the publication of her memoir, Cummins became a sought-after public speaker, discussing topics such as victims’ rights, turning trauma into art, and writing. She has spoken to various audiences, including high school, middle school, and college students, as well as inmates in prison. Cummins’ work as a speaker has focused on best practices when dealing with victims of trauma and violent crime. In addition to her memoir, Cummins has published four books, including the novels “The Outside Boy” and “The Crooked Branch,” as well as the novel “American Dirt,” which was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 34 languages.
“American Dirt” tells the story of an immigrant family’s journey to the US via the Mexican border, and it became a major success for Cummins, reportedly selling for seven figures in a nine-way auction. The novel has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and was an Oprah Book Club and a Barnes & Noble Book Club selection. Cummins currently resides in New York with her husband and two children.