Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport, each anticipating the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. Brad and Bisty Donaldson, all American suburbanites, and their gift-laden clan resemble a gigantic baby shower with their flotilla of silvery balloons and pink ribbons.Iranian-born matriarch Maryam Yazdan stands unobtrusively in the back of the waiting area with her fully assimilated son, Sami, and his attractive Iranian American wife, Ziba. When Bitsy invites the Yazdans to an "arrival party" at the Donaldson home, an improbable friendship begins, and the occasion evolves into an annual tradition. Over the years, as the parents, children, and grandparents become more deeply entwined, cultures clash, values are challenged, and the American way is seen from two beguiling perspectives-those who are born here, and those who are struggling to fit in.
"Tyler has delivered something startlingly fresh while retaining everything we love about her work."
--The Washington Post Book World--
"Compelling...fascinating...deftly examines family ties, cultural identity and the universal struggle to find our place in a rapidly changing world."
--USA Today--
"Her most ambitious novel yet...an intimate picture of middle-class family life [that] looks at the promises and perils of the American Dream."
--The New York Times--