• Digging to America

  • A Novel
  • By: Anne Tyler
  • Narrated by: Blair Brown
  • Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (429 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Digging to America  By  cover art

Digging to America

By: Anne Tyler
Narrated by: Blair Brown
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Anne Tyler's richest, most deeply searching novel, a story about what it is to be an American, and about Iranian-born Maryam Yazdan, who, after 35 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 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.

©2006 Anne Tyler (P)2006 Random House Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"Digging to America succeeds on many levels - as a satire of millennial parenting, a tribute to autumn romances, and most important, an exploration of our risible (though poignant) attempts to welcome otherness into our midst." (Atlantic Monthly)
"Handling time with a light touch, Tyler creates many blissful moments of high emotion and keen humor while broaching hard truths about cultural differences, communication breakdowns, and family configurations. This deeply human tale of valiantly improvised lives is one of Tyler's best." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Digging to America

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    143
  • 4 Stars
    137
  • 3 Stars
    98
  • 2 Stars
    34
  • 1 Stars
    17
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    75
  • 4 Stars
    35
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    60
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    34
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Life in transition

If you (or someone dear to you) has ever felt like a permanent outsider in another culture, you are sure to find this book fascinating. By coincidence, two families happen to meet at a Baltimore airport. They are both there for the same reason. Each is adopting a baby arriving on a flight from Korea. One family is mainstream American (the Donaldson-Dickensons) and embraces multiculturalism, even if somewhat clumsily and offensively at times. The other family (the Yazdans) are Iranian-American. The baby's grandmother, Maryam Yazdan, is attractive, stylish, and somewhat elusive. She, in particular, seems caught between trying to blend in and not wanting fully to blend in with aspects of American culture that might make some of us cringe. Each character in the story presents with a unique predicament around the theme of cultural transition: Maryam's son, born in America, but uncertain about Iranian customs; the two babies, each brought up aware of their Korean origins, but minimally interested in that fact; garrulous Bitsy Dickenson (or is it, Donaldson?) who embraces her child's Korean birth and welcomes the Yazdans' Iranian background with occasionally overbearing curiosity; etc. This is a warm, sometimes funny novel about all kinds of transitions, including growing up and growing old. Like most of Anne Tyler's writing, "Digging to America" is effortless to read (or listen to). She seems keenly to have observed her characters, rather than to have invented them. Blair Brown's reading is superb.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Must Read

I loved this book! Once again Anne Tyler has written a wonderful and engaging novel. Definitely one of her best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable Listen!

This was an enjoyable audiobook. Starts off in an airport, where two young American couples are meeting their adopted Korean baby girls for the first time. One couple is of Iranian descent while the other is very "American". Their chance meeting leads to annual reunions which eventually lead to a close friendship between the families. The book wanders through cultures, through life stories and through time, often going back and forth in an easy way which entertains and offers insight into the lives of the characters and into their cultural heritage. It's an easy listen, relaxing and good for a rainy weekend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Blah, blah, blah

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. It followed two families but nothing ever happened. When there was the opportunity to go deep, the author just blew past it. I had nothing else to listen to and it was still tooooo boring to finish. Save your book credits for something else.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narrative

The book itself is average, but narration was on nerve, didn’t understand the accent by which Iranians are speaking. Would encourage narrator to dig in more in accents.There must be a confusion cause the accent is more of english with Indian accent rather than Iranian.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Strong Ending

Last chapter made this occasionally slow moving novel seem worthwhile. Good characters but story sometimes lagged.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Let down

As a long time Tyler fan, I approach with enthusiasm every work her pen produces. In agreement with other reviewers, this one was a let down. I kept listening in hope, but it never grabbed me. The usual engaging chuckles and sparks of humorous genious her writings provide just weren't there for me this time. There were a few moments when I recognized the style of the writer I've grown to enjoy and respect, but on the whole, I felt "let down" and wishing I had used my credit on something else.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Tyler is in top form

As a longtime fan of Anne Tyler, and a former 15 year resident of Baltimore, I found her latest volume her best in many years. With a light, observant style, she explores a variety of engaging themes: adoption, modern parenting, assimilation, cultural identity and American-Iranian culture. Her wry asides about Baltimore neighborhoods and middle class culture are always a treat. Blair Brown captures the Iranian phrasing and lilt beautifully too, so it's a pleasure to listen to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Warm and Charming

As a lover of all of Anne Tyler's books I probably have a predisposition coming in but I felt this book was wonderful. The characters are so real and believable. Blair Brown's reading really makes the story come alive. I didn't want it to end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wrong Accent

I very much enjoyed the book but found the Indian accents used for the Iranians distracting/annoying. Even the pronunciation of the Iranian names was inaccurate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!