A review by jacki_f
Digging to America by Anne Tyler

3.0

I love Anne Tyler's quietly observant style of writing and for a long time I've considered her one of my favourite authors. However I was somewhat disappointed by Digging to America, which had its shining moments but also long episodes of not much happening. The story is about two unconnected families living in Baltimore - one being American, one being Iranian immigrants - who both adopt baby girls from Korea. The girls - Jin-Ho and Susan - arrive on the same flight and that way the families get to know one another and to become friends. The story takes place over the next 6-7 years and covers the various events in their lives. It's not a book about the children, but about their parents and grandparents - particularly the Iranian grandmother, Maryam, and one of the American grandfathers, Dave.

It took me a while to get into this book. Once I did, I enjoyed it, but I never loved it. There is a chapter near the end when Tyler suddenly stops referring to anybody by name and instead defines them in relation to Jin-Ho. I have no idea why she did this, but it really irritated me.

In short: Tyler fans will enjoy her thoughts on cultural differences and assimilating into a new country. If you're new to Tyler, one of her other books would be a better place to start.