Digging to America, by Anne Tyler

Two families wait at the gate in the Baltimore airport for the same flight, which is carrying their newly-adopted Korean babies. One family, fully American, has made an event of it. Everyone is wearing labels ("Mom", "Grandpa") and the family is filling the waiting area, almost forcing out others, making a party of it. The other family is transplanted Iranian and has made no fanfare of the arrival of their new baby.

Bitsy, the American mom, eventually invites Ziba, Iranian mom, to join an invented "arrival" celebration of the two infants, and the two families are thus joined. The differences in the families pricks at the edges of each encounter, with members of both families trying - or not trying - to understand the other. Throughout the book the individuals seem unable to keep from generalizing, the Iranians finding the Americans laughable, crude, at times overbearing, the Americans finding the Iranians stiff, sometimes unresponsive, perhaps "too good" for them.

Ziba's mother-in-law, Maryam, is perhaps the most reluctant Iranian. She was at peace with her widowed existence, her proper life, and she has no need for the sometimes overwhelming assault of well-meaning friends. She is proper and polite, often seeming cold because of her reserve, so she does join the parties because it would be rude to refuse.

Although we get into the minds of almost all of the many characters, ultimately it is Maryam who takes center stage. Through her thoughts and actions we begin to understand how difficult it must be to live in such a foreign culture, unable to join it. She admits to herself, though, that she had differences in Iran as well, and we begin to grasp that it may not be so much the differences in cultures that affects these clans so much as the differences in individuals.

The book is so easy to read that it is easy to miss its complexity, its quiet effects on our thinking. I felt at times that there was too much generalizing but those who read carefully will see that the generalizing came from individuals rather than from Tyler herself.

Digging to America - kookiejar's review

At first this appeared to be the story of two young families who have adopted infant girls from Korea.

The Yazdans are second generations Iranian immigrants who name their new daughter Susan and let her assimilate seamlessly into American culture. The other couple are the Donaldsons, whose daughter Jin-soo is encouraged to keep and practice the Korean culture (even though she had no real knowledge of it).

However, in the middle of the novel there is a jarring narrative shift and suddenly we are following the lives of Susan and Jin-Soo's grandparents. Specifically, Jin-soo's grandfather, Dave and Susan's grandmother, Maryam. Dave is recently widowed and finds himself drawn to Maryam, while she, although attracted to Dave is put off by her unfamiliarity with American culture and the aggressively strange customs Dave's daughter initiates.

I thought it was weird that on one page we would be reading about 'Bitsy, Dave and Miriam' and a little later (when looking at the world through Jin-Soo's eyes), these same people were 'Jin-Soo's mother, Jin-Soo's grandfather, and Susan's grandmother'. It seemed like a cheap trick (narratively speaking) and completely unnecessary.

I would have preferred if the story has continued to be about the girls and their acclimation to American life (given their foster parents' differing attitudes on the subject), but I guess the author felt differently.

That being said, the story was very affecting and I had tears in my eyes on the last page, when Maryam discovered that you don't get to choose your family, your family chooses you.

Digging to America - Sally's Review

Finished: 11/07/07
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 277
Rated: C +
Cover: Trade Paperback
Obtained from? Library
Reason(s) for Reading: Wanted to

Opening Sentence: "...At eight o'clock in the evening, the Baltimore airport was nearly deserted..."

Well it was deserted except for the two families, Bitsy and Brad Donaldson along with Ziba and Sami Yazdan. They are here to pick up their adopted Korean daughters and from this auspicious moment a friendship is formed. Bitsi, is the main driver behind the friendship - an over the top gregarious wonderful American - she sometimes overwhelms the Iranian Yazdans. Ziba, in turn, tries to out-American her USA born friend.

Quietly in the background though the two cultures are more alike than they admit - with Bitsi's father and Sami's mother slowly breaking down the barriers and falling in love.

Each year the two families hold an 'Arrival' party to celebrate the arrival of the two little girls. It is over the top and shows the different ways the two families raise their daughters. Betsi insists on her daughter, Jin-Ho, retain her Korean name and culture. Where as Ziba changes her daughter Sookie's name to Sue does not emphasis her Korean roots. As the years progress the families face all sorts of challenges in this gentle book - it is a complex book, with many nuances, and unfolded at a gentle pace. It is not an in-your-face exciting read - but it leaves you well satisfied.

Review also found here

Digging To America

I was very interested in reading this book for several reasons. First, because I really love Anne Tyler and secondly, because we are close friends with multiple couples pursuing overseas adoptions, of both infants and older children. I found in this story that Anne went deeper than the adopted children trying to make a home in America, in fact, their story was almost a side note. What Anne wrote about more was how people who are already Americans, whether by immigration or by birth, make themselves at home in this strange and sometimes frightening country we call home. What is family and culture and how do we respect them, how do we keep them, in this place where all are welcome but no one is quite sure how to fit in. Do we hang on to what makes us comfortable even when there may be nothing there to warm us? Or do we step out into a new world where those we love may not talk like us or look like us but take up residence in our lives just the same?
I have read several people who have not enjoyed this novel very much, but I loved it. In a world that is becoming more, rather than less, segregated by culture which may or may not include nationality, how do we reach out? And whom do we let in? And most importantly, what are we afraid of losing when we do?

Digging to America - Alisia's Review

I'll be the first to admit, this is not one of my most enlightening reviews. :)

Digging to America is the story of two families, the Yazdans and Donaldsons, who meet at the airport when they are both adopting babies from Korea. But this is where the similarities end. The Donaldson's are "very American" (whatever that means!), with Bitsy Donaldson staying home to raise her daughter, cooking largely vegetarian food, and embracing her daughter's Korean roots. The Yazdans, are an assimilated Iranian-American couple who are determined to raise their daughter as American as can be.

The story is a quick and easy read. I believe I enjoyed this story more because it literally took place a few blocks from where I live. (I live in the Mt Washington neighborhood in Baltimore where the Donaldsons reside, and the Yazdan's eventually move to). I've never read a book before by such a well known author that takes place virtually in my backyard! Her potrayal of the Iranian American family I felt was largely adequate, but was lacking depth. For a story mainly about the clash of cultures, something seemed a bit out of sync, or missing, from her story.

I wasn't looking for a deep, fulfilling read, but something entertaining. Digging to America fits that niche pretty well. (Much in the same way as this review is not very deep and thought-provoking!)

Orange Prize Shortlist

The Orange Prize Shortlist includes Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.

Also included were:
Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
The Observations by Jane Harris
Digging to America by Anne Tyler

The official announcement is here.

"Thoughts of Joy..." ~ Digging to America (Tyler)

"Thoughts of Joy..." can be found here.

The story was very shallow and repetitious with no direction or point and the characters were boring and unimpressive. Thankfully, I was able to accomplish many other tasks while listening to it. If it wasn’t a BOiPod, I may have abandoned it; there wouldn't have been anything compelling enough to keep me reading. I like to be either entertained or informed (or both) when reading or listening to a book, unfortunately this one didn’t deliver in either arena.