Digging to America

by Anne Tyler
Digging to America  
published 2006 by Knopf
binding Hardcover
isbn 0307263940   (isbn13: 9780307263940)
pages 288
literary awards Orange Prize Shortlist (2007)
description

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 is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an “arrival party,” an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined.

Even independent-minded Maryam is drawn in. But only up to a point. When she finds herself being courted by one of the Donaldson clan, a good-hearted man of her vintage, recently widowed and still recovering from his wife’s death, suddenly all the values she cherishes—her traditions, her privacy, her otherness—are threatened. Somehow this big American takes up so much space that the orderly boundaries of her life feel invaded.

A luminous novel brimming with subtle, funny, and tender observations that cast a penetrating light on the American way as seen from two perspectives, those who are born here and those who are still struggling to fit in.

...more
date added
09-02-06



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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2141)



Michele
Michele rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
06/27/07

Read in March, 2007
Portrait of Two Families as They Become One

This was a very quick read. Before I knew it, I was almost finished, and that's because of Anne Tyler's keen ability to paint vivid characters and vivid scenes. I believed this story would focus on the adoption of Asian babies, but this aspect is only in the background. Digging To America springs forth from the adoption of two Korean girls--one to the Donaldsons, an American family, the other to the Yazdun Family, who are of Iranian h...more
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Natalie
Natalie rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
09/14/07

bookshelves: great-for-book-clubs
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for: book clubs, mothers
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...more
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Brenna
Brenna rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/09/07

Read in March, 2007
love her stuff--i went through a phase at some point in high school when i read every book she'd written. it was nice this time around to have a little distance from that reading spree, as i have a hard time remembering which was which. it also helped that the plot of this one was different than her others, most of which have similar characters--quirky families, with a slightly scattered woman at the center--in the same setting--baltimore. this one was about two quirky baltimore families, one of...more
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Sally
Sally rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
11/18/07

Read in January, 2007
Those who know me know I'm not a big fan of Tyler's work so this is a very high rating from me! I usually find her female protagonists extremely frustrating and I wasn't let down in this case, despite developing an early liking for Maryam, the Iranian matriarch and widow who dominated the story with her desire to remain an outsider in all situations. I was a bit sorry we got so much of her inner ruminations on her culture versus American widower Dave's, and enjoyed the interplay of her son Sami'...more
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Sandra
Sandra rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
10/07/07

Read in September, 2007
I've read several Ane Tyler books. And every time, after I'm done reading one, I ask myself "why do I continue to read her?"

This book is about an Iranian couple who adopt a Korean baby and raise her American and an American couple - who become friends with the Iranian couple - who also adopt a Korean girl the same day the Iran's adopt - and keep her birth name and dress her in costumes, etc. It's interesting the viewpoints of the Iranians to the Americans and vice-vers; how the...more
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Giovanna
recommends it for: Sandra, Mo, Holly
This could have been just another light book but there's something more here. The book is saved from parody because the author really empathizes and understands her characters. Each is comical and human, even the crazy Bitsy (who is a piece of work). And the author also really understands the immigrant's psyche. I was touched by Maryam's refusal to define herself as the "stereotypical" Iranian yet her objections to Americanization. She lives in that gray area that many who have left th...more
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Marin
Marin rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/01/07

Read in October, 2007
If I were a novelist, I would be so jealous of Anne Tyler's ability to create characters. Her best-developed ones are the introverted thinky ones, but she can also lovingly and sympathetically introduce emotive talky ones. I love to watch Tyler throw these types together and see what they do.

The novel centers on two families who adopt Korean babies on the same day. The families adopt different, but equally loving, parenting styles for their daughters. I loved the way Tyler portrayed the ...more
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Donura
Donura rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/29/08

bookshelves: own
Read in February, 2008
recommends it for: anyone who wants a clearer understanding of all people
What a marvelous book to show that the differences that we perceive in people from other lands are really not that big, or that different. It is all in perception on both sides. I listened to this on audio book and the distinctive voices used by the reader were a big part of character development.

Ms. Tyler seems to know how to express not only perception but also heartfelt feeling of not only older but younger people no matter where they come from or how long they have been in the U. S. ...more
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Stacy
Stacy rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
10/27/07

bookshelves: currently-reading
Read in October, 2007
This book is simply a lovely story about the friendships of two families who each adopted little girls from Korea. In a twist, one of the adopting families is Iranian which brings up a litany of questions like: what does it really mean to be "American?"; should internationally adopted children keep ties to their heritage language and culture?; and is the American way of raising children really the best? While these families are bound by their daughters and their shared experience a...more
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Cecilia
Cecilia rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
10/11/07

Read in January, 2007
recommends it for: women's fiction readers
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...more
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zilf
zilf rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/28/07

Read in October, 2007
I'm sort of a latecomer to Anne Tyler - I read "The Accidental Tourist" when it first came out, didn't particularly like it, and didn't pick up anything else of hers for quite a few years. But then when "Back When We Were Grownups" came out, I thought it sounded interesting, decided to give the author another try, and fell in love. Thought her next book, "The Amateur Marriage" was even better. So I had very high hopes for this one...and I wasn't disappointed. Al...more
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Sara
Sara rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/13/07

Read in July, 2006
Ann Tyler is among my favorite authors. I confess to enjoying just about everything she's ever written. What I find most amazing about Tyler is how she is able to take a seemingly small, yet critical moment in someone's life and weave a complete story from it. Digging to America is no exception. It begins with the chance meeting of two families at the Baltimore Airport when their respective adopted daughters from Korea arrive. The intertwining of these two families because of this one event...more
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Kathie
Kathie rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
09/24/07

Read in September, 2007
I have enjoyed Anne Tyler since I read her first book, "Dinner At Homesick Restaurant" many, many years ago. Her off-beat humour and the warmth and depth she brings to her characters, reminds me at times of Nick Hornby. Early into this book, I became disappointed by what appeared to be her insensitivity toward the Iranian family and her description of tbem as foreigners. Thankfully, I kept on reading. She did not disappoint with her compassionate exploration of our ever-changing cu...more
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Meg
Meg rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
02/05/08

I really enjoyed this book, but I feel that it lacked focus. I can see that Tyler traced the different characters and aspects of life in these families as part of a greater allegory about belonging, but, as far as narratives go, she left too many loose ends for it to be satisfying. It seemed as if the author decided to shift her focus halfway through the novel (though still not without interludes), and decided that was justifiable because of the shared characters and shared implied theme. She...more
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Carla
Carla rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
03/14/08

Read in March, 2008
This book tells the story of the intersection of two families who adopt Korean infants. Originally thrown together by circumstance, these families continue to meet and develop far-reaching relationships as a result of their shared experience. What makes the story interesting is that the two families couldn't be more different -- one American (of the boisterous, strong-willed, slightly "ugly American" variety) and the other Iranian (of the peaceful but conflicted due to varying degree...more
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Judy
Judy rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/08/08

Read in August, 2007
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 about this book is t...more
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Jennifer
Jennifer rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
02/14/08

Read in January, 2006
This book is more complex than first glance would indicate. Yes, it is a quick easy read that focuses on parenting/adoption issues. Tyler delivers her usual quirky characters in the Baltimore setting. This book is so much more than that though. I really enjoyed examining what it means to be "foreign" and "American." Maryam's character had some great insights. We've all known people who are obsessive parents so it's easy to laugh at the situations some of these characters...more
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Bethany
Bethany rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
01/10/08

bookshelves: fiction
Digging To America is the story of two couples, one WASPy American and one Iranian-American, who each adopt their daughters from Korea. They meet at the airport on “Arrival Day” and develop a friendship over the next few years. The novel shows how parenting styles, personal preferences, and cultures collide as the girls grow.

Anne Tyler won the Pulitzer in 1989 for her work Breathing Lessons, so her writing is clearl...more
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Laura
10/05/07

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in September, 2007
Enjoyed this book. As with all Anne Tyler books (in my opinion) this was so well written! The book takes place in the late 1990’s and centers around two families who meet one night at the airport in Baltimore each waiting for a baby girl that they are adopting from Korea. The book is not really about international adoption. Rather, it is about the two families: the Donaldsons – your average white bread American family, and the Yazdens – Iranian immigrants. The members of each family have t...more
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KrisAnne
KrisAnne rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
04/09/07

Read in February, 2007
I really enjoyed this book! Since I have adopted children, the book caught my eye as being a story about adoption, but it ended up being more than just that topic that I enjoyed. It really got me thinking about American culture compared to the cultures of other countries. I had to chuckle over the one adoptive mom adopting a baby from Korea and then trying so hard to promote the Korean culture with the child...keeping her Korean name, feeding her Korean food and such...and inevitably that lit...more
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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.43 (1679 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.42 (1457 ratings)
number of reviews: 404






other editions

Digging to America: A Novel (Paperback)
Digging to America (Paperback)
Digging to America (Paperback)