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37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
Another brilliant novel from this exceptionally talented author, 13 May 2007
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:
Tyler on top form, 7 Aug 2007
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:
Interesting look into the concept of being 'foreign', 1 Jul 2007
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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