The best thing about Anne Tyler is that when you finish one book there will always be another waiting for you when you need it. I adore the way her books are about every day happenings but with her gentle take on things, I totally rate her as a great comfort read. Its lines like this one on page pg 206 that make me just go yep you are so right, she said "like most life-altering moments, it was disappointingly lacking in drama". Gold.

Digging for America is about two families living in Baltimore who adopt Korean babies. The story starts at the Airport as they connect with their new daughters and each other. What follows is their journey together through parenthood and the discovery that there isn't just one way to do it well. A delight :)

داستان جذاب و خاصی نداره، لذت نبردم ولی همیشه روایت‌کننده‌های متعدد برام جالبه

Tyler creates an interesting story centering around two families who adopt children from Korea in the autumn of 1997. They meet at the airport on the "arrival day" and subsequently plan to meet on the day in the future to commemorate the children's arrival in America. The most interesting aspects of the book surround Maryam, the grandmother of one of the girls, an Iranian widow who struggles to find her place in America; and that of Dave, the American widower, who is the grandfather of the other adopted child.

The majority of the book was a fulfilling story, with many perspectives on what it is like to embrace your "adopted" country, like the Korean girls, and Maryam do throughout the book. Towards the end, Tyler abruptly shifts narrators to one of the young girls, and the tone and style are suddenly jarring and silly, specifically in regards to the "binky fairy" that other reviewers have mentioned here. It is laughable, and sticks out like "a sore thumb" from the well thought-out interpersonal relations and inner thoughts that make up the rest of the novel.

Overall, an engaging story with interesting views on modern culture and traditions in the United States.

This book is an absolute gem! The writing is effortless and clean, the characters so clearly drawn with economy but absolute precision so that I felt I knew them, and could see them with all their likes and dislikes, flaws and prejudices. There is a large cast in this book, two families, one American, the other Iranian, so lots of people to deal with. But because Anne Tyler introduces each individual with such clarity it is easy to differentiate between them, so that even the bit part players, like the teenage cousins and the Iranian in laws are recognisable and real. And while she presents them all without judgement, warts and all, leaving us to make up our minds about them, the affection she has for her characters shines through so that it is not about goodies and baddies but about real people, in real families, facing the kind of challenges that we all have to deal with.

Having just finished Little Fires Everywhere whose plot centres on the adoption of a Chinese baby, it was extraordinary to find that this book is about two families who each adopt a Korean baby. Without wanting to do down the Celeste Ng book which I really enjoyed, I thought this is a much better book because it is so much more perceptive about what it is to be an outsider, what it is to be part of a family, about the differences between us and the things that draw us together.

So an absolutely wonderful book, by one of my favourite writers. What a treat!

My first Tyler, and despite seeming slow to begin with, I was thoroughly enmeshed in the lives of the characters by the end. It explores the immigration experience, raising questions about identity and belonging, language and social isolation. There were sections where I felt certain characters could have been better developed, thereby adding a richer tapestry to the story - for example, the character of Sami and also his daughter Susan. Maryam was also another perplexing character that prompted both frustration and sympathy, and I would have enjoyed a deeper understanding of her as a character. Overall, a really enjoyable novel - easy to read, but well written and engaging.

Digital audiobook narrated by Blair Brown


A story of the immigrant experience and two families united by the decision to adopt. The novel opens at the airport where the Donaldsons and the Yazdans wait for the daughters they’ve adopted from Korea to arrive. Bitsy and Brad Donaldson, their parents, siblings, nieces and nephews are all there, loud, boisterous, excited to welcome the new addition to their family – Jin-Ho. They virtually take over the gate area. Lost at the back of the crowd wait Maryam, her son, Sami, and his American-Iranian wife, Ziba. Maryam Yazdan had come to America as a young bride and was widowed before she was forty. She retains the reserved, formal demeanor of her Iranian upbringing. Though they don’t express it outwardly, the Yazdans are just as excited to welcome Sooki, whom they will call Susan, to their family.

Tyler writes so well about family dynamics, about all the little events in our lives that both form and show who we are. One sentence perfectly sums it up: “Like most life-altering moments, it was disappointingly lacking in drama.” Over the course of the novel the reader will witness many of these little moments, will watch as two families come together based on a chance meeting, will learn how they differ and how they are the same.

The book also explores what it means to be “American.” Maryam, having lived two thirds of her life in the United States, carrying an American passport, still feels like a foreigner. Ziba, having come to America as a teenager, is fully assimilated, though she still speaks with a slight accent. Bitsy could never be mistaken for anything but an American; friendly and outgoing, offering her opinion on everything without a thought to how it might be received, and yet desperate to infuse her children’s upbringing with some of their native cultures (even when the kids want nothing more than to fit in with their peers, and not wear those “ridiculous outfits”).

As I got to know these characters, I grew to love them. And I wanted to give them all a big hug at the end.

Blair Brown does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She’s a talented actress and breathes life into all these characters. I particularly liked the way she interpreted Maryam and Bitsy, two women who are virtually polar opposites.

Interesting, but the story moves slowly. Many of the characters are irritating and irrational. The focus of the characters really shifts from the beginning to the end of the book.

3.5

(3.5) This stands out from Tyler’s usual fare due to the multicultural nature: two Baltimore families pick up their adopted daughters from Korea at the Baltimore airport on the same summer night in 1997 – a slightly hippie American family, and an Iranian-American family. In the years that follow the two families stay close, hosting annual arrival anniversary parties and comparing their daughters’ growth. My favorite character was Maryam, the Iranian-American grandmother, who is always having to renegotiate what it means to be foreign in America and who risks coming off as aloof because of her reserve. The plot is a bit repetitive and meandering, but Tyler’s personal connection to the subject matter (her husband was Iranian) comes through, there are wise and touching scenes of grief and family connection, and the point-of-view moves effortlessly between a number of the main characters, including the little girl Jin-Ho.

Favorite lines:

“Oh, wasn’t adoption better than childbirth? More dramatic, more meaningful. Bitsy felt sorry for those poor women who had merely delivered.”

(Maryam) “She wondered if there was a gene for that—for holding oneself back, resisting the communal merriment.”

What an absolute privilege to be invited into the minds, hearts and homes of the people in Digging to America by Anne Tyler.

My only other Tyler experience was a 3-star effort, A Patchwork Planet, I was disappointed as a few of you lot highly recommended her – but this second book, is an absolute belter of a story. I loved it, and I even read slower towards the end. I employed delaying tactics like starting other books, listening to podcasts, over-playing with the pup, over-feeding Freddie – all hopeless efforts to delay the inevitable ending. Why isn’t this a 900-page Chunkster? Why?

The story centres around two families and mainly two couples. One of them is a typical American couple, Bitsy and Brad, the other Sami and Ziba – who have Iranian heritage. Both couples start the story childless. In fact, the story commences at the Baltimore airport, it’s 1977 and they’re waiting for the arrival of their Korean baby girls – both couples are adopting, at this stage they don’t know each other. But this changes quick smart and they become friends and their families and extended families have reason to catch-up for various gatherings such as “Arrival Day”, Birthdays, New Year, Iranian New Year, Leaf Raking parties, the Binky party.

Now you can imagine the dynamics between, young and old, Iranian and American, male and female, kids, and the new parents (with totally different parenting styles!) – creates so many opportunities for interesting interactions – oh, it's worth mentioning that each page has something I found riveting, emotionally engaging, funny, sad and interesting.

There are two characters I really love. Firstly, is Maryam – a beautiful, stoic, older Iranian woman – a widow and mother of the lad Sami, husband of Ziba. The other is Dave, father of Bitsy, a scruffy old Grandad type, easy with words and opinions but lovable – oh my, the interaction between these two is priceless. It made me splutter-laugh, this is the laugh you least expect, often resulting in whatever is in your mouth projecting towards the page you’re reading – this can be saliva, food or drink. No wonder the pages of this second-hand book are stained (seriously). They also literally made me tear up. Over-wet eyes, over-moist, not quite sobbing. So much emotion.

Maryam talking about her husband (who died of cancer – years before):

I thought, if only I could mourn the man I first knew. But instead there were the more recent versions, the sick one then the sicker one and then the one who was so cross and hated me for disturbing him with pills and food and fluids, and finally the faraway, sleepy one who in fact was not there at all. I thought, I wish I had been aware of the day he really died – the day his real self died. That was the day I should have grieved most deeply

The episode of Maryam having to go to her son’s (Sami and Ziba’s) house with a bicycle helmet on because she couldn’t get the thing off was hilarious – I imagined this beautiful, proud, Iranian woman walking to her son’s house, embarrassed but trying to pretend everything was okay – I laughed out loud!!

The different parenting styles of Bitsy and Ziba (the two young Mums) was particularly interesting. Fair to say, Bitsy was an over-mum and Ziba was a little easier – but who am I to judge, I’m just a Dad – but crikey, the difference was stark. Bitsy, although very nice, warm and engaging was a little too pushy for mine, but she was a lot of fun – she’d be hard to relax around methinks. Ziba, was stuck in a world of ‘wanting to assimilate’ and being pulled back to Iranian customs by her relatives and own appreciation of tradition. I was probably on Ziba’s side on the parenting style issue, but I still loved Bitsy – although pushy, and opinionated she had a big heart. The little girls (Susan and Jin-Ho) were charming in their own ways. Chubby and cute.

I found myself listening to Googoosh, an Iranian singer (try her), on Spotify as I was crawling towards the finale. I also spent time looking up Iranian recipes – in fact, I’m going to TRY to make a Kuku Bademjan this weekend, it’s a thick vegetable frittata and it looks delicious – see what you’ve made me do Ms Tyler!!!!

But seriously, this is a terrific book. I truly loved it. I adored the characters, it ended as it should have, nicely wrapped up – Anne Tyler left nothing in the dressing room on this one and seemed to pour everything she had onto each page. I am now an Anne Tyler fan - officially!!

5-stars (of course)

I love love love Anne Tyler. I am glad I have a lot more of her books to read! She's always good. This one was special to me because of the subject - Iranians who move to America and their children growing up in US culture.

ماجرای «مهمانی استقبال» پیشنهاد بیتسی بود. از همان اول، خودش برای آن این اسم را انتخاب کرده بود، به ‌طوری که برَد متوجه نشد و پرسید: «عزیزم، مهمونی چی؟ یه ‌دفعه دیگه بگو.» بیتسی توضیح داد: «مراسمی که ورود دخترها رو جشن بگیریم. دو هفته‌ی دیگه می‌شه یه سال؛ باورت می‌شه؟ شنبه پونزدهم اوت. باید این روز رو ج��ن بگیریم.» «با وضعیت مادرت، فکر می‌کنی از عهده‌ش بر‌بیای؟» حال مادر بیتسی بدتر شده بود-غده‌ای جدید و این‌بار در کبدش. چند ماه سخت را گذرانده بودند. اما بیتسی گفت: «برام خوبه، برای همه‌مون خوبه! ذهن‌مونو از مشکلات منحرف می‌کنه. محدودش می‌کنیم به خودمون دو خانواده؛ غیر از خانواده کسی رو دعوت نمی‌کنیم. یه چیزی مثل جشن تولد. روز می‌گیریم، درست بعد از خواب بچه‌ها که سرحال‌تر باشن، غذای مفصل هم نمی‌دم، فقط شیرینی و دسر.» برَد گفت: «شایدم یه دسر کُره‌ای!» «خب، حالا ببینیم.» «بانمک می‌شه، مگه نه؟» بیتسی گفت: «من تو اینترنت درباره‌ی دسرهای کُره‌ای تحقیق کرده‌م، شیرینی اسفناج، و یک برنج سرخ‌شده‌ی چسبناک...» قیافه‌ی برَد دَرهم رفت. بیتسی ادامه داد: «فکر کردم یه کیک مسطح باشه که روشو مثل پرچم امریکا تزئین بکنم.» «فکر عالی‌ییه.» «با شمع‌ها یا شاید هم فقط یه شمع، به علامت یه سال. اما مطلقاً از هدیه هم خبری نباشه؛ یادم بنداز به یزدان‌ها هم یادآوری کنم. اونا همیشه هدیه می‌آرن. بعد می‌تونیم با‌هم آواز بخونیم. حتماً یه ترانه‌ی مناسب ورود کسی پیدا می‌شه.» برَد گفت: «ترانه‌ی اون از پشت کوه‌ها می‌آد هست.» «خب تا ببینیم... دخترها هم می‌تونن لباس‌های کُره‌ای تن‌شون کنن. شاید یه‌ دست ساگوسام به سوزان قرض بدم. قول می‌دم که نداره.» «فکر خوبیه.» «می‌تونیم مراسمی اجرا کنیم. مثلاً دخترها تو اتاق دیگه باشن؛ ما هم شمع رو روشن می‌کنیم و شروع می‌کنیم به آواز خوندن؛ بعد اونا دست تو دست هم از در میان تو... درست مثل روز ورودشون. نظرت چیه؟» «هی! می‌تونیم فیلم ویدئو رو هم نشون بدیم.» «عالی شد! ویدئو.» برادرش مَک همه‌ی فیلم‌های مختلف ویدئوِ فرودگاه را برده بود و به یک فیلم واحد تبدیل کرده بود. از آن به بعد فیلم همان‌ جا کنار تلویزیون مانده بود-این روزها حتا وقت تماشای اخبار را هم نداشتند-اما حالا فرصت خوبی بود که تماشایش کنند. بیتسی گفت: «آخرِ مهمونی، برای حسن ختام. فکر نمی‌کنی یه‌خرده غلوآمیز باشه؟» «ابداً.» «مطمئنی؟ اگه باشه بهم می‌گی؟» «تو اگه دلت هم بخواد نمی‌تونی غلوآمیز باشی.» لطف قضیه در این بود که برَد این حرف را از صمیم قلب می‌زد. بیتسی هم می‌دانست. برَد بر این باور بود که بیتسی نمی‌تواند کار خلافی بکند. تکیه‌کلامش «بیتسی اینو می‌گه، بیتسی اونو می‌گه» بود و «بذار از بیتسی بپرسم.» بیتسی صورت او را بین دو دستش گرفت و خم شد او را ببوسد.