Digging to America: A NovelIn what is perhaps her richest and most deeply searching novel, Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after Thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her "outsiderness." 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 American wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an "arrival party," an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined. Even independent-minded Maryam is drawn in. But only up to a point. When she finds herself being courted by one of the Donaldson clan, a good-hearted man of her vintage, recently widowed and still recovering from his wife's death, suddenly all the values she cherishes--her traditions, her privacy, her otherness--are threatened. Somehow this big American takes up so much space that the orderly boundaries of her life feel invaded. A luminous novel brimming with subtle, funny, and tender observations that cast a penetrating light on the American way as seen from two perspectives, those who are born here and those who are still struggling to fit in. |
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 10 |
Section 3 | 52 |
Section 4 | 80 |
Section 5 | 105 |
Section 6 | 131 |
Section 7 | 163 |
Section 8 | 183 |
Section 9 | 215 |
Section 10 | 250 |
Section 11 | 279 |
Section 12 | 281 |
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Common terms and phrases
American Anne Tyler arms Arrival Party Athena Aunt Azra baby baklava balloons binky Bitsy asked Bitsy told Bitsy's Brad's called chair child Connie Connie's course cousin Dave Dave's DIGGING TO AMERICA dishes Donaldsons door dress eyes face Farah Farsi father feel felt fesenjan friends front gazed girls grownups guess guests hair Hakimi hand head hummet Iran Iranian Jeannine jetway Jin-Ho's grandpa Jin-Ho's mother kitchen Kiyan knew laughed Linwood living room look Mari-june Maryam told Mmhmm Moosh morning never Okay once pacifier parents porch remember rice Round the Mountain Sami and Ziba Sami's seemed sitting smiled sound stood stroller sure talking Tehran tell thank things thought took turned voice waiting walked watching wearing woman women wondered wore worried Xiu-Mei Yazdans Ziba told Ziba's