The birth of a child is a life altering experience that
not everyone has the privilege to behold. For the Yazdan
and the Donaldson families, it is a dream that will never
be fulfilled. Instead, they independently choose to adopt
a Korean orphan unknowingly making their chosen one a part
of not one family, but quite blessedly two.
As fate would have it, one blustery winter evening
the families, strangers to one another, find themselves
together at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport
awaiting the arrival of their respective baby girls.
Noticeably, each has anxieties and doubts as to what will
become of their future as they embark on a journey of
parenthood. Bitsy and Dave Donaldson are a stereotypical
W.A.S.P. couple equipped with their huge extended family
and elaborate gathering just biting at the bit to envelope
this forsaken child into the fold. On the other hand, Ziba
and Sami Yazdan, a stunningly attractive Iranian American
couple, are trying their best to assimilate to a foreign
culture that keeps tabs on them as if they were a lab
specimen under the microscope ready to burst.
What enfolds is a poignant story of two unique
families with unusual circumstances that are haphazardly
drawn together and who become an integral part of each
other's lives. From romance to sickness, these families
are forced to deal with all of the injustices life throws
their way while maintaining their dignity and pride as
individuals as well as friends.
Not surprisingly, Anne Tyler once again delivers a
spell bounding tale of courage and love that will not only
please her fans, but also capture their hearts. From her
descriptive writing to her masterful dialogue, DIGGING TO
AMERICA is a sure winner.
Two families, who would otherwise never have come
together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport – the
Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans,
Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian
wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted
infant daughter from Korea. After the instant babies from
distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively
invites the Yazdans to celebrate: an “arrival party” that
from then on is repeated every year as the two families
become more and more deeply intertwined. Even Maryam is
drawn in – up to a point. When she finds herself being
courted by Bitsy Donaldson’s recently widowed father, all
the values she cherishes – her traditions, her privacy,
her otherness–are suddenly threatened.
A luminous
novel brimming with subtle, funny, and tender observations
that immerse us in the challenges of both sides of the
American story.
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