In what is perhaps her richest and most deeply searching novel, Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Ya...
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Dec 16, 2009
Caroline
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First of all, I'm a HUGE Anne Tyler fan. To my mind, she can do no wrong. Reading one of her books is like curling up on the couch in a baggy cashmere sweater. That said, this is definitely not one of her strongest. She doesn't develop the characters in any particularly complex way and it's really hard to step into their shoes. Usually her portrayals of families are so hauntingly real, it's almost uncomfortable to read about them, but here it read like the "setting the scene" for a fam
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Sep 14, 2007
Natalie
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I really enjoyed this book! I found myself telling people about it over the week or so that I read it. I found it really fascinating -- this look at Americans and "foreigners" -- seen through this tale of two very different families who are brought together by the adoption of Korean baby girls. I loved how different the two families were -- heritage, parenting approaches, personality, etc. I could appreciate the two new mothers and their varied feelings. I could relate to both Bit
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Dec 17, 2009
Tressa
rated it:
I must admit that the only thing keeping me out of the newspaper in yet another road rage story are the audio books I download or check out from the library. Listening to audio books while fighting rush hour traffic on 1-65 is my equivalent of counting to ten.
Anyone remember the actress Blair Brown from The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, circa 1987? Ah, my dependable Saturday night date. What a sweetheart. Anyway, I just finished listenting to the audio book Digging to America and I More...
Anyone remember the actress Blair Brown from The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, circa 1987? Ah, my dependable Saturday night date. What a sweetheart. Anyway, I just finished listenting to the audio book Digging to America and I More...
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Jul 23, 2008
I'M DOING THAT WEIRD THING AGAIN.
It occurs more regularly at those points in life when your bookshelf is particularly bare. I should certainly know, because right now half my books are trying to flatten out a bunch of AMAZING (and yet equally horrible) 90's movie posters I found at a garage sale last month. I'm thinking about wallpapering our living room with the likes of "Heat", "Weird Creatures", "Dante's Peak", and, of course, my favorite, "Jin More...
It occurs more regularly at those points in life when your bookshelf is particularly bare. I should certainly know, because right now half my books are trying to flatten out a bunch of AMAZING (and yet equally horrible) 90's movie posters I found at a garage sale last month. I'm thinking about wallpapering our living room with the likes of "Heat", "Weird Creatures", "Dante's Peak", and, of course, my favorite, "Jin More...
Aug 05, 2009
Cecilia
rated it:
I found Digging to America a sweet, compassionate tale of mothers and their love for families…their own families and the families around them. Starting off with the adoption of two Asian girls by two different Baltimore families, Tyler does a great job of combining cultural experiences with those of family and life experiences. Not only the Asian culture is touched upon in this book…one of the families who adopts a child is Iranian. Both adopting families mesh well, with cultural differences som
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Jul 30, 2009
Lauren
rated it: 
Tyler creates an interesting story centering around two families who adopt children from Korea in the autumn of 1997. They meet at the airport on the "arrival day" and subsequently plan to meet on the day in the future to commemorate the children's arrival in America. The most interesting aspects of the book surround Maryam, the grandmother of one of the girls, an Iranian widow who struggles to find her place in America; and that of Dave, the American widower, who is the grandfather of
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Aug 16, 2007
Elaine
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In no way socks-or-mind blowing, but still has a quiet resonance -- it's essentially a love story between an elderly Iranian woman who's immigrated to the States and an elderly American man. Tyler works into this her usual flair for dialogue, layers in cultural nuances, dissonances, within both the Iranian and American communities, especially pertinent after Sept. 11, and sets it against the backdrop of the adoption of two Korean girls by two different families (one Iranian, of course, and the
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Feb 12, 2009
Mara
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The title of this book comes from this question: if children in the U.S. dig a hole to China, are children in China digging to America? This seems to be a metaphor for the question of whether perhaps we're all, even the most American-seeming American, digging to America, or trying to figure out what it means to be American.
When the Donaldson (American through-and-through) and the Yazdans (Iranian-American) adopt baby girls from Korea on the same day, the families become the best of f More...
When the Donaldson (American through-and-through) and the Yazdans (Iranian-American) adopt baby girls from Korea on the same day, the families become the best of f More...
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Feb 08, 2008
Judy
rated it: 
I'm always amazed how Ann Tyler can write such riveting stories where not all that much happens. It's all about the characters and "Digging To America" is no exception.
It follows the intertwined lives of two couples who meet at the Baltimore Airport when picking up their adopted Korean daughters. Bitsy and Brad are white upper-class Americans, while Sami and Ziba are Iranian-Americans. Their friendship spans their daughters' childhood.
What I really enjoyed abou More...
It follows the intertwined lives of two couples who meet at the Baltimore Airport when picking up their adopted Korean daughters. Bitsy and Brad are white upper-class Americans, while Sami and Ziba are Iranian-Americans. Their friendship spans their daughters' childhood.
What I really enjoyed abou More...
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Aug 21, 2008
Kathy
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This is a book to read when you want to relax. It was very calming to me. Two Baltimore families from different cultural backgrounds adopt Korean babies. The first "third" of the book deals with their meeting at the airport, their different parenting styles, and how their lives become indefinately intertwined. The middle "third" deals with the romance of the grandparents. The last "third" deals with how to break the pacifier habit (not exactly the most spellbinding
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Apr 15, 2008
Susan
rated it: 
Currently reading for a local book club. I would not have chosen this book myself based on the first several pages. It's an easy read, with too many mundane details. I find myself skimming over a lot of the text and that is not what I find an enjoyable. Nonetheless, some of the characters are interesting... we'll see where it goes.
Update: I only made it half way through and won't finish it. The book club gave this story a unanimous thumbs down due to sketchy, somewhat schizophren More...
Update: I only made it half way through and won't finish it. The book club gave this story a unanimous thumbs down due to sketchy, somewhat schizophren More...
Apr 21, 2008
Michelle
rated it:
What I anticipated versus what actually unfolded in this book were quite different. I was bored halfway through but wanted to endure the last half to find out what the ending would be. When I got to the very last page, I couldn't help but say "that's it?!" An uneventful ending to say the very least. The character development was quite unpolished and the plot was-- well, I guess I never found the main one, just a bunch of sub-plots that never fully became anything substantial or resound
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Sep 20, 2011
Caroline
rated it:
So, if you are longing for that feeling of being totally engrossed in a book go out and get this one. Anne Tyler is such a wonderful writer, her characters are just so real I was really living in this story. It's her 17th novel so I'm going to have to add a few more of hers to my list, so make that 1018 to go.[return]The themes are around cultural differences, emmigration, assimiliation and also family and personal relationships - so are there any others left? I loved the portrayal of the infatu
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Feb 05, 2009
In some ways, Anne Tyler's seventeenth novel departs from her trademark domestic dramas (The Amateur Marriage, ***1/2 May/June 2004). Like much of her previous work, Digging to America takes place in Baltimore, masterfully dissects "the fine threads of human relationships" (Wall Street Journal), and casts a sharp eye on the family unit. This time, culture clash, assimilation, and the meaning of "American" surface. Critics, who cite this as one of Tyler's best (albeit most cha
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Jan 16, 2009
In what is perhaps her richest and most deeply searching novel, Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after Thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her outsiderness;
Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport; the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam's fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple More...
Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport; the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam's fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple More...
Jan 14, 2009
Digging to America, by Anne Tyler. A. Narrated by Blair Brown, recorded by Harper Audio and downloaded through Audible.
The Publisher’s note says it as well as I could:
Anne Tyler's richest, most deeply searching novel, a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 years
in this country, must finally come to terms with her "outsiderness". Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at More...
The Publisher’s note says it as well as I could:
Anne Tyler's richest, most deeply searching novel, a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 years
in this country, must finally come to terms with her "outsiderness". Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at More...
Jan 03, 2009
Chimera
rated it:
is novel Anne Tyler explores the American culture and what it means to be American. But more than that, she looks at how people from different cultural backgrounds can intermingle and reject each other at the same time. How a person can live in a country for more than 30 years, adopt its nationality and yet never really integrate. And by which process someone who has grown and lived in several cultures might build his own identity, torn between his origins, national culture and that of his frien
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Jan 02, 2009
bookczuk
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I enjoyed reading this-- I know so many people like many of the characters. Once again, Tyler gives a sensitive, realistic telling of a simple tale. No earth shattering revelations, or sudden plot twists. Just real people and real lives, even in fiction.
Publisher Review
Anne Tyler’s richest, most deeply searching novel–a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 years in this country, must finally come to terms with her More...
Publisher Review
Anne Tyler’s richest, most deeply searching novel–a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 years in this country, must finally come to terms with her More...
Dec 20, 2008
Sharm
rated it:
This book seems to have been following me around for the past couple of years, sneaking up on me in airports and various 3-for-2 offers that I see in bookshops. About a month ago I started requesting books from the library that have either won or been on the shortlist for competitions in the past, such as the Booker and the Orange prizes. Anne Tyler's book made the 2007 Orange shortlist.
The plot itself is intriguing enough. Two American couples, one homey Baltimore and the other Irania More...
The plot itself is intriguing enough. Two American couples, one homey Baltimore and the other Irania More...
Jan 27, 2012
Ange
rated it:
I've had a couple of Anne Tyler novels on my shelf for over 20 years. However, I have never been able to get past the first few pages. There is something about the writing that is incredibly dull. At first I thought "Digging to America" was going to be another unread Anne Tyler but I persisted through the first chapter (the point at which I have normally given up) and it began to improve. Like others, I thought some of the characters, particularly Bitsy, were awful. I also didn't like
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Sep 27, 2011
Margaret
rated it:
Anne Tyler is nothing if not consistent - she consistently places her novels in Baltimore (Roland Park / Towson corridor, more precisely - here even farther north to Hunt Valley) and consistently delves into family and near-family relationships. That delving is pretty realistic with a heavy dose of near-eccentric at times (e.g., "The Accidental Tourist"), which realism can lead to reader eyeball rolling when the personality / situation being described is so realistic as to be annoying
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Aug 15, 2011
Anjali
rated it:
I have to admit I had never heard of this book until I read about it on JoV’s blog. JoV hosted a giveaway on her blog and I was one of the lucky winners. I chose the popular Random Acts of Heroic Love, but she was generous enough to send me a copy of Digging to America along with my chosen book. If not for JoV, I would have never discovered this wonderful book.
This book is about two Korean babies who are adopted by two different families based in America. While Jin-Ho is adopted by an More...
This book is about two Korean babies who are adopted by two different families based in America. While Jin-Ho is adopted by an More...
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Jul 28, 2011
Derek
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Anne Tyler has such a lovely economical style. I could see the same story becoming an 800 page doorstopper in the hands of John Irving, for example. But she captures all the nuances of her characters so cleverly in just a few words.
Of course Anne Tyler's version of Baltimore is rather a long way removed from the West Baltimore of The Wire or Homicide.... but that doesn't mean it's any less valid either as a piece of art or as a reflection of reality. While the dramas of the families shown here More...
Of course Anne Tyler's version of Baltimore is rather a long way removed from the West Baltimore of The Wire or Homicide.... but that doesn't mean it's any less valid either as a piece of art or as a reflection of reality. While the dramas of the families shown here More...
Jul 29, 2010
Cindy
rated it:
Digging to America is a slice of life book. Not all that much happens, but it's richly rewarding all the same. It's about two families, one American, one Iranian, both of whom have adopted Korean girls. It's a book about being American, being Iranian, being a foreigner, being an outsider and how that influences your thinking.
There are really two approaches towards immigrants: mosaic and melting pot. In reality, I have no doubt that most North American communities fall somewhere in t More...
There are really two approaches towards immigrants: mosaic and melting pot. In reality, I have no doubt that most North American communities fall somewhere in t More...
Jul 15, 2010
Anne Tyler is a consistently wonderful writer. Her books are intimate stories of people you know, or can imagine knowing. Her latest title, Digging to America, has been selected as the 2008 All Iowa Reads selection. The committee aims to chose a book that is easily accessible and that will promote discussion about themes of interest to Iowans. Digging to America is the story of two middle-class couples who meet at the airport when their adopted Korean daughters arrive on the same flight from
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Jun 06, 2010
Ruth
rated it:
277 pages.
Anne Tyler’s richest, most deeply searching novel–a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 years in this country, must finally come to terms with her “outsiderness.”
Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport – the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian wife. Each couple is awaiting More...
Anne Tyler’s richest, most deeply searching novel–a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 years in this country, must finally come to terms with her “outsiderness.”
Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport – the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian wife. Each couple is awaiting More...
Mar 29, 2010
Heidi
rated it:
Two very different families meet in the airport as they welcome their newly adopted Korean infant daughters, and this chance meeting sparks a friendship that lasts for years. One of the families is an all-American family, full of ideals and child-rearing techniques, and is spearheaded by Bitsy, the wannabe Supermom. The other family is Iranian-American, struggling with contradictions and assimilation into their new country. The two families become deeply intertwined.
I've read almost More...
I've read almost More...
Sep 14, 2009
Lori
rated it:
Two families meet at the airport while waiting for their adopted babies to arrive from Korea and form an unlikely friendship surrounding their adopted daughters. Each chapter is told from the pov of a different character, with the novel spanning about five years. This book was an easy, engrossing read with memorable characters. My two favorites were Bitsy, the mother of the white-bread, politically correct, comfortable New England family; and Maryam, the grandmother of the Iranian-American fa
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Aug 11, 2009
leeann
rated it:
Another winner by Anne Tyler. My guess is that this book is more autobiographical that some of her others. I think I have read all of her books and from my point of view she struggles with how to end some of the books. Her style is so much "real life." And I think real life does not always have an ending, so the endings in a few of the books seem contrived. When they are unpleasant, I typically do not like the books. I guess this is my fault, not hers, but anyway, there it is.
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Jun 05, 2009
Dorothy
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Ms. Tyler has tapped into America's look to Korea to adopt children. In this novel, the American Donaldson's and the Iranian Yazdans find themselves together at an airport in Baltimore as they anxiously await the arrival of their infant daughters. ( What else? ) This chance encounter and their mutual interest in child rearing forms a bond that will impact on the lives of the children and the lives of little Sookie, later known as SuSu(Susan) and Jin Ho.
Bitsy Donaldson has made a commitmen More...
Bitsy Donaldson has made a commitmen More...
