Earthly Possessions

“Adopting America” is perhaps one of Anne Tyler’s warmest novels. It’s a story about what it means to be American. Two families who would never meet in ordinary life come face to face at an airport: Donaldsons—native Americans—and Yazdan’s married couple of Iranian origin. Both couples are waiting for the arrival of two baby girls from Korea that they have adopted. The children arrive, and on the first anniversary the adults decide to celebrate together. From that day on, the families meet, grow closer, and gradually their fates become entwined. The novel is full of light, tenderness, and surprising observations about life. The story is told from two points of view—of people born and raised in the country, and of people who came to it and try to become “one of their own” here.