DIGGING TO AMERICA

Anne Tyler illuminates what it means to be an American. Two families, the Yazdans, originally of Iran, and the Donaldsons, of Baltimore, have each adopted a girl child from Korea. When the babies arrive on the same plane, the families' lives become intertwined. Blair Brown does a stellar job with the accents of the Yazdan clan, changing the intonations with each generation and with the time each character has been in the country. She is sensitive to the cultural subtleties of language and custom, modulating her voice to allow for brashness or modesty. Tyler's simple plot is enriched by details of family life and food, and even more so by Brown's clever narration. B.H.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]