Scan barcode
A review by sarahanne8382
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
3.0
Tyler's 17th novel tells the story of two families who become friends when they adopt daughters from Korea who arrive on the same flight. Brad & Bitsy Dickinson-Donaldson are the stereotypical American family. Bitsy decides to stay home to raise their daughter Jin-Ho and encourages her to keep in touch with her Korean roots. Sami & Ziba Yazdan decide to rename their daughter Susan, and have no qualms about raising her with the long-standing traditions of their Iranian-American family. The novel also includes the couples' extended families, especially Bitsy's father Dave and Sami's mother, Maryam, who is the book's central character (although the book's perspective switches around from chapter to chapter).
I think I'm going to have read some of Tyler's other books because I really like the way she delves into all the little personal quirks and social customs families have. She admits to not having done a lot of background research for this novel, which makes sense given her focus on the individuality of the characters in this book, rather than forcing them to stand as representations of the groups they are members of. While there certainly are huge cultural gaps to cross in this book, Tyler explains that it doesn't matter where you're from, we all struggle to find our place in the world.
Overall, this was a fast, but not trite, read. Stay away if you need a really concrete plot, but otherwise it was a really enjoyable and untaxing read.
I think I'm going to have read some of Tyler's other books because I really like the way she delves into all the little personal quirks and social customs families have. She admits to not having done a lot of background research for this novel, which makes sense given her focus on the individuality of the characters in this book, rather than forcing them to stand as representations of the groups they are members of. While there certainly are huge cultural gaps to cross in this book, Tyler explains that it doesn't matter where you're from, we all struggle to find our place in the world.
Overall, this was a fast, but not trite, read. Stay away if you need a really concrete plot, but otherwise it was a really enjoyable and untaxing read.