by Anne Tyler
First published 2008
On August 15th, 1997, two Korean infants land at Baltimore's airport. Susan goes home with one family, Jin-ho with another. The adoptive families could not be more different, yet they begin celebrating together each year on Arrival Day. What starts as a simple commemoration grows into increasingly elaborate parties as the families try to outdo each other. Susan and Jin-ho grow up American while their parents navigate the complexities of adoption, identity, and belonging. The annual gatherings become a stage where cultural differences play out through food, decorations, and competing visions of what it means to welcome children into American life. Tyler follows both families as they grapple with questions that have no easy answers. How do you honor a child's heritage while helping them become fully American? The story unfolds through years of shared celebrations, revealing how two very different approaches to family and tradition can both succeed and clash.
Genres: american-fiction, american, contemporary, adoption
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: America, Baltimore
Period: 1997
336 pages · Unknown Binding · Vintage Digital