It was Friday, August 15th, 1997. The night the girls arrived. Two tiny Korean babies are delivered to Baltimore to two families who have no more in common than this. First, there are the Donaldsons, decent Brad and homespun, tenacious Bitsy (with her 'more organic than thou' airs, who believes fervently that life can always be improved), two full sets of grandparents and a host of big-boned, confident relatives, taking delivery with characteristic American razzmatazz. Then there are the Yazdans, pretty, nervous Ziba (her ...
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It was Friday, August 15th, 1997. The night the girls arrived. Two tiny Korean babies are delivered to Baltimore to two families who have no more in common than this. First, there are the Donaldsons, decent Brad and homespun, tenacious Bitsy (with her 'more organic than thou' airs, who believes fervently that life can always be improved), two full sets of grandparents and a host of big-boned, confident relatives, taking delivery with characteristic American razzmatazz. Then there are the Yazdans, pretty, nervous Ziba (her family 'only one generation removed from the bazaar') and carefully assimilated Sami, with his elegant, elusive Iranian-born widowed mother Maryam, the grandmother-to-be, receiving their little bundle with wondering discretion. Every year, on the anniversary of 'Arrival Day', their two extended families celebrate together, with more and more elaborately competitive parties, as tiny, delicate Susan, wholesome, stocky Jin-ho, and later, her new little sister Xiu-Mei, take roots, become American...While Maryam, the optimistic pessimist, confident that if things go wrong - as well they may - she will manage as she has before, contrarily preserves her 'outsider' status, as if to prove that, despite her passport, she is only a guest in this bewildering country. Full of achingly hilarious moments (Xiu-Mei's 'pacifier' party is worthy of 'The Simpsons') and toe-curling misunderstandings, "Digging to America" is a novel with a deceptively small domestic canvas, and subtly large themes - it's about belonging and otherness, about insiders and outsiders, pride and prejudice, young love and unexpected old love, families and the impossibility of ever getting it right, and about striving for connection and goodness against all the odds...And, the end catches you by the throat, ambushes your emotions when you least expect it, as only Tyler can.
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Add this copy of Digging to America: a Novel to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
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Add this copy of Digging to America: a Novel to cart. $1.45, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Cypress, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Vintage.
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Felt like I was in the story. The characters were so real. We have all encountered a Bitsy or Dave, etc.
Would definitely recommend this book.
LizaL33
May 8, 2008
A quick read, this sweet little novel concerns two Baltimore families who both receive their adopted baby girls from Korea on the same day. They forge a connection, which is traced through both families over a period of about six years as the girls grow up and their parents and grandparents find themselves coming together and drifting apart in unpredictable ways.
One of the families is Iranian-American, and much time is spent meditating on the meaning of "being American." Differences in parenting styles, familial relationships, and cultural identity are also depicted. For the most part, I liked the book, but there's unequal character development here. The Iranian family is pretty much defined by that one characteristic, while the other mother basically devolves into a cartoon of the stereotypical pushy, overprotective mom ("You put your baby in a playpen??!!").
The book was alright, and it was a quick read, so even though there's not a lot to recommend it, it wasn't time wasted.
Emily11507
Jul 8, 2007
Wonderful take on family dynamics
I was reluctant to read this book because the premise seemed a bit cloying and forced, but I quickly found myself drawn in to the psychological and social worlds of the characters.
akapulko2020
May 23, 2007
A very enjoyable book!
I've read quite a few of Ann Tyler's books and this is one of her most enjoyable. The characters are very believable , the plot develops at just the right pace, I could all but see the Yazdans and the Donaldsons right before my eyes. Also ,from a standpoint of an immigrant ,not from Iran and not to the US , her observations on some of the relevant issues are very accurate and insightful. I highly recommend this book.
lunarkk
Apr 4, 2007
disappointing
Definately not Tyler's best work. The story line was a good one but the characters, setting and plot never developed into anything. Readers in our bookclub voted this one a C-. Expected more from this usually wonderful writer
