Book Club Chat

Digging to America by Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler’s Digging to America was the chosen title for the Bremen Reader’s May 17 book discussion. Tyler introduces two vastly different families at an airport as they each await the arrival of their adopted Korean daughters. As the babies grow older, we see the changing dynamics of these families and the stereotypes they face that are not only inflicted by outsiders, but by themselves as well. The Donaldsons, a typical white American family, are insistent on keeping their daughter’s Korean heritage and traditions at the forefront of her life, while the Yazdans, an Iranian American family encourages the American assimilation of their daughter. The matriarch of the Yazdan family, Maryam, offers a unique prospective of an immigrant who neither feels truly American nor fully Iranian. As she embarks on a romantic relationship with the patriarch of the Donaldson family, their cultural differences cause just enough conflicts to keep the reader turning the pages. As the Donaldsons and Yazdans grow closer over the years, Tyler provides an interesting glimpse into the insecurities of motherhood, friendship, and family.

The Bremen Readers gave this novel 3.5 out of 5 stars. There were definitely some humorous passages and it was agreed that Maryam was probably the most interesting and complex character. Watching the two mothers as they competed with each other and supported each other was an interesting way to highlight the cultural differences Tyler was addressing. Overall, this was worth a quick summer read.

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