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Digging to America
 
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Digging to America (Hardcover)
by Anne Tyler (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars 29 customer reviews (29 customer reviews)

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Woman & Home, May
A small exquisitely painted canvas. Don’t miss it. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Works
"sweeping family drama." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews
29 Reviews
5 star: 31%  (9)
4 star: 41%  (12)
3 star: 13%  (4)
2 star: 3%  (1)
1 star: 10%  (3)
 
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another brilliant novel from this exceptionally talented author, 13 May 2007
By kimbofo (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Digging to America (Paperback)
What is it to be an American? And to what lengths will people go to fit in even when they come from far flung places? Is it possible to remain a foreigner even after you have lived in a new country for more than 30 years?

These questions -- and more -- are explored in Anne Tyler's brilliant Digging to America, her 17th novel, which has been critically acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic and was recently shortlisted for this year's Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction.

In typical Tyler fashion Digging to America revolves around a range of relatively ordinary characters in Baltimore dealing with extraordinary circumstances.

Two couples, both of whom are unable to have children, decide to adopt Korean babies. When they meet by chance at the airport on the day of their daughters' arrival neither couple could be more different. Bitsy and Brad Donaldson are all-American -- loud, brash and unselfconscious about turning Jin-Ho's arrival into some kind of over-the-top celebration -- while Ziba and Sami Yazdan, two American-Iranians, are quiet, shy and restrained as they wait for Sooki -- later dubbed Susan because it "was a comfortable sound for Iranians to pronounce" -- to be "delivered" into their arms.

From this day onwards the two couples and their extended families are inextricably linked. Each year they celebrate "Arrival Day" -- August 15, 1997 -- by taking it in turns to host a party. It is through these parties that each family's individual differences -- their attitudes, cultural backgrounds and hopes for the future -- begin to shine through. The tension is, at times, palpable. But so too is the fun and the love.

While there is no real storyline to speak of -- the plot simply revolves around the various "Arrival Day" celebrations and the events that happen in between -- Tyler is able to explore two different views of America -- the insider's and the outsider's -- with tenderness and insight.

She charts the inner workings of the human heart like no other author, and the developing relationship between Sami's Iranian-born mother, the independent-minded widow Maryam, and Bitsy's widowed father, Dave, is the strength of this wise, moving and often funny book. I adored every precious word, but then I'd expect nothing less from this exceptionally talented author.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tyler on top form, 7 Aug 2007
This review is from: Digging to America (Paperback)
Reading her books you get the impression that Anne Tyler could watch a couple from a distance and know by their gestures what they were saying to one another. Many great novelists can do that. Where Tyler stands out is that she would also know why they there were saying what they were saying even, and here's the best bit, if the couple lacked the same insight themselves.

She uses this gift to bring to life the most intriguing nuances from the most routine of domestic encounters and in "Digging to America" she proves these powers are undiminished. That alone would commend the novel, but Tyler does not stop there. She develops a convincing meditation on the many facets of ethnic integration alternately through the poignant awakenings of her Iranian heroine Maryam who has taken a generation to adapt to America, neatly counter-pointed against the first steps of two adopted Korean babies one of whom is Maryam's first Grand-child.

Her characters also cope with bereavement and a little serious illness, and yet the light touch that makes her novels and observations so accessible does not desert her.

Critics rave about this author for a reason. Discover for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting look into the concept of being 'foreign', 1 Jul 2007
By MaryAnne "dubai-reader" (Dubai United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Digging to America (Paperback)
Well, I'll come clean and say that I'm not really a great fan of Anne Tyler.
I have previously read 'The Accidental Tourist' and 'Back When We Were Grownups' and found both to have interesting character studies but not a lot else.
'Digging to America' was definitely along the same vein.

I loved the premise of the book - the meeting of two families with very different backgrounds, while both were collecting adopted Korean babies at the airport. Much was also made of the different ethnic origins of the people involved. I was, however, frustrated by the continuous round of parties and celebrations, particularly in the first half of the book, and also by the cast of thousands in the two extended families - a couple of family trees would have been a great help.

The emphasis of the book changes throughout. In the early stages it appears to be a book about the two adopted children. This soon moves to concentrate on the adoptive parents and the bond formed between the two families, ending up with the relationship between the grandparents.

I live in Dubai, surrounded by a melting pot of different cultures and for me the strong part of this book was the study of the extent to which 'foreigners', in this case, Iranians, can, or even want to adopt the ways of their new country. The book seems to suggest that this is a very personal decision and that everyone approaches the problem differently.

Better than the other two Anne Tyler books I've read, but I'd like a stronger story line before I could consider becoming a fan.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Will not be recommending
This was my first Anne Taylor novel and unfortunately I have to agree with a couple of other reviews in that this book was quite boring. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Liza Kelly

3.0 out of 5 stars Not at her best sadly...
I have to be honest and say that I felt let down by this Anne Tyler book. Don't get me wrong- the story was good, but by the end of it I had a somewhat empty feeling. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ms. N. Dear

4.0 out of 5 stars Family Dynamics
Only the second title I have read by this author, the previous one was 'Back When were Grown-ups' I enjoyed both very much and look forward to reading more of Anne Tyler's work... Read more
Published 7 months ago by LindyLouMac

3.0 out of 5 stars A 'nice' book
This is the second book of Tyler's that I have attempted. Nick Hornby rates her highly and I quite like his work, so I thought I would give it a go. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley