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Jan 14, 2012

Jen rated it:

Pretty disappointed in this book. I really wanted to like it; I'm a total Anglophile so this book's premise was very appealing. It started off well, but became bogged down in over-the-top characters whose personalities overshadowed the story, or what story there was.

The book is about a young woman nicknamed Pippa who was adopted from America at birth by a British couple who thought they couldn't have kids (but wound up having a birth daughter a year later after the adoption.) Becau More...

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Jan 29, 2012

April rated it:

I just could not finish this book. I tried and tried. I got halfway through, but most of that was a struggle. The author was also the narrator, and she was a very good narrator. But there was no arc to the story. It was like a bunch of little steps, one bit after another, but no plot, no storyline, almost no conflict or mystery or anything to grab you. It was just kind of bland and boring. And there were many miss opportunities for ... I don't know what to call it, maybe deeper analysis, or disc More...

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Apr 15, 2008

Alison rated it:

As an American who has always felt very much "at home" in British literature, I've always though of myself as an "English American" of another sort. I purchased the book after listening to an interview with the author on an XM radio show. Ms. Larkin sounded very clever and witty, and I had high hopes for the book, but was disappointed and abandoned it at about 2/3 of the way through. (My New Year's resolution is to quit wasting time finishing frivolous books that are giving m More...

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Jul 09, 2008

Elisha rated it:

I liked the premise & the first chapter pulled me in, but the rest of the book left me wanting. I only kept reading because I actually liked Pippa. Too bad I didn't like many of the supporting characters... They seemed one dimensional & irritated me.

Plus, I get it, Americans cannot "make tea." Too bad this does not go over well for this Southern-Floridian raised Irish-American who won't touch anything but Twining's Earl Grey w/ milk & sugar or honey, please. The English-Am More...

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Jul 10, 2011

Liz rated it:

Sometimes you come across a book that hits you at a time that you really either needed it or you can really relate to it--this is that book for me. This semi-autobiographical novel is about a woman who is adopted by an English couple whom she adores, but still longs to know her biological parents and goes on a journey of self-discovery as she finds them. She comes over to America and it is more than she bargained for! Alison Larkin's literary voice is both funny and moving and if you know me yo More...

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Jan 30, 2011

Stacy rated it:

I had the pleasure of meeting Alison Larkin when she came to present to our local community of adoptive parents. Her presentation was witty and hilarious and I immediately purchased a copy of this book. As an adoptee myself, I was especially able to relate to some of the feelings and experiences of Pippa. Many times over the course of reading this funny and sometimes emotional story, I thought to myself, "Wow! I am not the only person that feels that way!" or "I had never thoug More...

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Sep 07, 2009

Cheryl rated it:

The English American is comedian author, Alison Larkin’s memoir. Mrs. Larkin shares her story about living with her adopted parents in England and finding and connecting with her birth mother in America. Alison’s adopted parents told her at a young age that she was adopted so it was no surprise to Alison. Though Alison loved her parents very much, she was still curious about where she came from and who her birth parents were.

Alison had both intelligence and an artistic side. Alison More...

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Aug 06, 2009

Khaya rated it:

This was a good book for a vacation, I guess, but despite my wanting a light read, I just couldn't get past the standard chick lit cliches and forced humor.

Pippa Dunn is an adoptee from the U.S. raised in a British home. Although her adoptive family is appropriately loving, she feels she has never fit in, and at 28, goes on an odyssey to meet her American birth parents. This premise is a convenient excuse for the tired old British vs. American jokes (English = emotionally constipated More...

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Apr 13, 2011

Mitzi rated it:

This was a light read with a few parts of some depth with regard to adoption and an adoptee's loss of place and identity. While the book is billed as fiction, a review of the author's life shows it to be laregly autobiographical. The main character, Pippa, is born of American parents and adopted by a British couple. I enjoyed the scenes set in the UK in which, Pippa, the main character tries to explain her vague feelings of "otherness" when surrounded by those of her adoptive homeland More...

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May 03, 2011

Meg rated it:

This was another book on tape that I "read" while on a trip & I was hoping for something fun & light. While this was definitely not heavy/challenging material, I only with I'd found more of the characters a bit likable -- especially the protagonist of the book! I found Pippa to be a little bit too much of a mess from start to finish to feel much empathy for her I'm afraid. It does touch on divides between Americans vs. the English in a somewhat interesting way though: Pippa was born More...

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Jul 20, 2010

Lynn rated it:

The English American (a review by Karen O¿Keefe and Lynn Grubb)
As published (in part) in the Union Jack News, June 2008.

As a reunited adoptee, I could strongly relate to Pippa Dunn--a creative and "appallingly untidy" English girl searching for the missing pieces of her identity. Her discovery at the age of 15 that her birth parents are American, coupled with her lifelong desire to unmask her fantasy birth parents into real humans, is best described by Pippa herself: More...

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Sep 14, 2009

David rated it:

Pippa Dunn was born in the southern US but adopted at birth by a British couple and raised in England - and her "genetic" traits show her inherent differences from her British sister. As a 28-year-old, she decides to find her biological parents and eventually tracks them down. She is introduced to a whole new array of relatives and soon moves to America to try to absorb the implications. After the rapture of the initial meeting wears off and she begins to see some of the challenges in More...

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Feb 10, 2009

Hope rated it:

This funny contemporary romance about a young woman searching for her roots and true love was published for adults but will probably appeal to many teens as well, especially fans of Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot. Boisterous Pippa was adopted as a baby by reserved British parents who love her very much, but she has always felt that she does not quite fit in in England. At 28, she decides to find her birth parents, which she knows were American. She does find them, and goes to the United States to More...

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Apr 19, 2008

Deb rated it:

At the age of 28, Pippa has decided to contact her birth parents. Adopted by a British couple, her "real" parents are American. Closer to her American relatives in looks and temperment, she thinks she has found the answers to all her problems. But nothing is that easy. A realistic and touching story, maybe because the author was also raised in England but born to Americans. I loved it.

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Jan 17, 2010

Denise rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. Pippa was an American born baby adopted by British parents. She had quite a nice life but as many adoptees she felt something missing. She was tired of answering health questions with "I don't know, I'm adopted". She wanted to know who she looked like. She wondered where she got some of her "quirks". So when she was in her late 20s she searched for her biological parents and found them. This is the story of what happened. As an adoptee who searched More...

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Feb 01, 2009

Jacqueline rated it:

The English American is a charming quick read of the romantic comedy genre. I have been on the look out for funny books, books that will have me laughing out loud. This book fell somewhat short from the mark.

Pippa Dunn was born in America, adopted by English parents, raised in Africa, and now returns as a thoroughly English young adult to her American roots. The story touches reality a bit more than it might otherwise from the author's similar personal experience. (She was also b More...

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Oct 13, 2009

Kristin rated it:

Loved this book; it takes you on the journey of a young woman adopted by Brits to find her American birthparents, across a raw emotional landscape, and through cultures as farflung as the eccentric rural south, gay bars in NYC, and the secretive world of Washington DC military contractors. Home base is what she's looking for. Does she find it in a cozy cup of tea with her frumpy but contented adopted family in England? Or her adventurous but confusing birthparents whose allegiances are both guar More...

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Jan 03, 2010

Jess rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Oct 26, 2011

Gwyneth rated it:

An interesting story of adoption and identity. Pippa was born in America, the daughter of a single mother and a married (to someone else) rising conservative politician. She is adopted by an English couple in the foreign service, and receives a very proper English upbringing. She loves her family, but always feels she doesn't quite belong--she's too messy, too loud, too enthusiastic. At the age of 28, she finally finds her American parents. Her mother heads an arts foundation, and her fathe More...

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Feb 10, 2010

Julie rated it:

The reviews called it "hilarious" and I expected satire. What I found was a sweet story of self discovery with GREAT characters and a love story along the lines of Austen's <Emma>. Larkin's reading of her own work, doing the American and British voices and breaking into song on occasion, adds a dimension that would truly be missed from merely reading the printed word. I was fortunate enough to have a snow day that allowed me to spend several hours curled up with this fun bit of c More...

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Jan 28, 2010

Stacey rated it:

I did enjoy this book, some parts of it were hilarious. Pippa Dunn was born in America and placed for adoption when she was just a few days old. She was adopted by a British couple and raised in England. Her parents then had a daughter of their own, and Pippa grew up feeling loved yet different. She looked different, and acted differently than her family which raised questions in her mind about what her birth parents were like. She fantasized about them, and in her mind they were both perfe More...

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May 19, 2011

Cheryl rated it:

I bought this book at the Borders going out of business sale. It was one of the only books left in fiction that wasn't about Christmas. Turns out I really liked it. It read really fast and you can tell the author is a comedian. But, since it's essentially an autobiography it's incredibly relatable. At least for me. Sans the whole adoption/finding birth parents plot her way of interacting with people and her relationships with men was basically me.

I was somewhat disappointed in the way More...

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May 17, 2010

Amy rated it:

I liked the premise of this book, but overall I was a little disappointed. The basic story is that the main character was born from an American birth mom and adopted by a British family as an infant. Then as a young adult/20-something she meets her birth mom who turns out to be from the American South. As an American myself who spent a semester abroad in England in college and who has always been a bit of an Anglophile, I usually enjoy the contrast of American vs British society/mannerisms, etc More...

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Aug 17, 2008

Lucy rated it:

the humor and sweetness of this book really touched me. I just adored Pippa and this authors debut novel!

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Sep 07, 2009

Bridget rated it:

When Pippa is born, she is adopted by an English couple. She struggles with feeling like an outcast. She isn't quite sure where she belongs. She has friends and she knows that her adoptive family loves her, but she can't help feeling like something is missing.

Pippa finally decides that she must venture out and make the journey to America and meet with the woman who gave birth to her, Billie. Pippa soon discovers that nothing is simple and dreams are hardly ever reality.

More...

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Apr 21, 2009

Sara rated it:

I picked up this book because I wanted to read about a young woman experiencing the contrast between England and America.

The main character, Pippa, whose American parents gave her up at birth, was adopted by English parents. She doesn't always fit in with her well-mannered English family, and when she's in her late 20s, she travels to America to meet her over-the-top birth parents. The results are by turns funny and sad, as Pippa learns to accept herself and her situation without More...

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Dec 05, 2011

Tmwaysok rated it:

The title of this book was so intriguing. I thought it was going to be a great read but it was disappointing. The basic storyline of an English woman who finds out she was born American held my interest enough to purchase this book. But the author spelled out the story leaving nothing to the imagination. The emails between characters were extremely unrealistic and overdone. I wish I could recommend this book because it's such a great idea for a story but the storyline and great attention to deta More...

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Jan 12, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

This standard wish-fulfillment romance about an American girl who is adopted to Brit couple than goes on a kooky odyssey to find her biological parents was too full of unbelievable dialogue and cliche-ridden platitudes like this: "I love you...I love the way you light up a room when you walk into it. You're a warrior. I love you, kid. Remember, there there can be no courage without fear." Ummm, no one I know talks like this. I know, I know, it's SUPPOSED to be a wish-fulfillment romanc More...

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Sep 29, 2009

Judy rated it:

Pippa Dunn was born in America but adopted by well-to-do British parents who gave her a wonderful home and life, but as an adult she craves knowledge of who she "really" is and seeks out her birth parents. She finds a crazy mother living in Georgia and working as an art promoter, and a mysterious father who might be a spy, might work for the CIA, or might be making money illegally from foreign governments. She quickly identifies with their looks and quirks, only to find out that she is More...

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Oct 12, 2008

Lynne rated it:

The British author writes a novel loosly based on her search for her birthparents who are Americans. She writes eloquently and truthfully about the main character's loving her family but feeling as though she "doesn't fit in". As she meets her birthmother and birthfather, she sees traits of herself and feels as though she fits more into their separate lives than that of her adopted family. However, over time she better understands the reasons for her placement and comes to terms with h More...

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