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16th out of 20 books
—
17 voters
The English American
by
Alison Larkin (Goodreads Author)
When Pippa Dunn, adopted as an infant and raised terribly British, discovers that her birth parents are from the American South, she finds that "culture clash" has layers of meaning she'd never imagined. Meet "The English American," a fabulously funny, deeply poignant debut novel that sprang from Larkin's autobiographical one-woman show of the same name.In many ways, Pippa...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
March 4th 2008
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2008)
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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.) Because she always...more
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.) Because she always...more
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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
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 me no pleasure; class...more
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-American "di...more
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-American "di...more
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 you...more
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 thought of it like that...more
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 learns from...more
Alison had both intelligence and an artistic side. Alison learns from...more
Aug 06, 2009
Khaya
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Uncritical chick lit fans who find the Brit./American cultural divide just hysterical
Shelves:
chicklit
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; American =...more
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; American =...more
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 -- particu...more
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 in A...more
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: "There's a natural law with...more
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: "There's a natural law with...more
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 both of he...more
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 me...more
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.
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 for her biological...more
What did I think? I loved it! It's been a long time since I laughed and cried while reading a book.
This is a wonderfully poignant, engaging novel about a woman's personal growth. After 10 or so years of dating, Pippa Dunn, 28, realizes that she can't love another until she knows and loves herself. Pippa Dunn's story of the search for her birth parents is thoroughly enchanting and amazing.
Like the main character, the author was born in Amercia and was adopted and raised in England.
I urge you to...more
This is a wonderfully poignant, engaging novel about a woman's personal growth. After 10 or so years of dating, Pippa Dunn, 28, realizes that she can't love another until she knows and loves herself. Pippa Dunn's story of the search for her birth parents is thoroughly enchanting and amazing.
Like the main character, the author was born in Amercia and was adopted and raised in England.
I urge you to...more
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 born American, ad...more
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 born American, ad...more
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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I usually don't care for novels that deal with romance, and yet I have enjoyed Alison Larkin's The English American immensely. While I find the protagonist surprisingly naive for a 28-year-old woman, perhaps an obsession such as finding one's birth parents when adopted can override the normal maturation process. That is the premise of this "coming of age" story of a young woman raised in England by very-British parents and her quest for her birth parents. Pippa Dunne learns who she really is as...more
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 father hol...more
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 . 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 comfort reading/listeni...more
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 perfect an...more
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 she wrappe...more
I was somewhat disappointed in the way she wrappe...more
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
the humor and sweetness of this book really touched me. I just adored Pippa and this authors debut novel!
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.
I loved following along an...more
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 caving in to t...more
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 caving in to t...more
A very unique approach to the nature vs. nurture debate. Once I got about halfway into this book, I couldn’t put it down! It’s all about Pippa, who was born in America and adopted by an English family and raised in England. At age 28, she decides she needs to find her roots and does so. She finds both her birth mother and birth father, who never married, as well as half siblings. The book has a lot to say about the human condition (nobody’s perfect) and raises the question, “Where is home?”. I w...more
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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Alison Larkin was adopted at birth in the US by British parents and raised in Washington DC, England and Africa. After graduating from the University of London and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, she wrote plays and became a regular on the British stage. Then she moved to America and became a successful stand-up comic and ubiquitous voice artist who has appeared on Broadway. Her intern...more
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“I, on the other hand, interrupt people because my thoughts fly out of my mouth. My handbag's full of rubbish. And I want to do something that matters with my life. Right now I'd like to write plays, sing in musicals, and/or rid the world of poverty, violence, cruelty, and right-wing conservative politics.”
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“Who are these people sharing the street with me? What is going on in their worlds, inside their heads? Are they in love? If so, is it the kind that Mum and Dad have? Based on having things in common, like raspberry picking and a love of dogs, and Shakespeare, and long country walks? Or is it the knock-you-out, eat-you-up, set-you-on-fire kind of love that I have longed for-and avoided-all my life?”
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