The Dig

by Anne Burt

When Sarajevo-born siblings Antonia and Paul were adopted by a wealthy Midwestern family in the 1990s a series of events with deadly consequences was set in motion. Now, with her career on the line and her idealistic brother missing, Antonia must race against the clock to uncover a sinister secret and prevent history from repeating itself

Antonia has a complicated relationship with the past. After being found as a child in the rubble of a bombed-out apartment in Sarajevo, she and her brother Paul were taken in by the Kings, a family of contractors in the small Midwestern town of Thebes, Minnesota. Eager to escape the stereotype of adopted outsider, Antonia trades small-town Minnesota for a high-powered legal career. But it isn't long before her brother's mysterious disappearance pulls her back home. There, over the course of a single day, Antonia navigates the serpentine bureaucracy of her small-town's justice system, unearthing salacious characters from the past along with decades of secrets and lies, leading to explosive revelations about her adoptive family--and the sinister truth behind her biological mother's death--that will alter the course of her life and change her definition of home forever.

Informed by timely issues of immigration, capitalism, and justice, yet timeless in its themes of love, identity, and competing loyalties, The Dig is a portrait of a woman at odds with her history who is forced to choose between her own ambitions and her love for and loyalty to her idealistic brother.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Suspense, Thriller

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dig
By Anne Hurt

Narrator: Siiri Scott
Length: 8 hours, 54 mins.


Antonia (Toni) and her big brother Paul are rescued after the bombing of their Sarajevo home. Orphaned, they are taken in by wealthy American brothers who built their fortune on monies made in 1990’s Bosnia as contractors. The “one with the beard” Christopher King tells them to forget everything that happened in Bosnia. He tells them that by all accounts their real life began when they moved to Thebes. Eddie King is the one with “kind eyes” who they learn to call dad but is soon out of the picture. The story unfolds with Toni as a recent graduate of Yale Law School on the cusp of starting a high-powered legal career. Rebellious Toni refuses to work for the family business and is cut off. Her brother Paul is an activist and went missing after a demonstration got violent. Paul was protesting on behalf of Bosnian immigrants whose cultural center is scheduled for demolition. You guessed it, the Kings’ are planning to build on the site and that’s when things get complicated.

I requested The Dig because I’m a fan of complicated families and mythological retellings and it was loosely inspired by Antigone. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me in many ways, but I will only share some of my concerns. First off, it had the potential to be a poignant family drama and a strong immigrant story with a window into the Siege of Sarajevo. Instead, the characters’ Bosnian identity is under-explored and is used as convenient window dressing for the (expected) final twist. The supporting characters are one dimensional and the small town stereotype was far too simplistic. Toni as a main character was entirely unlikable and the author conveniently excuses morally reprehensible behavior as girl power (i.e., justifies a sexual relationship between a 16 year old and a 23 year old engaged coworker because the age of consent in Minnesota is 16. Don’t worry, she googled it). In general, I think the author was trying to do too much - is it a family drama, an immigrant story, a mystery or a thriller? In my opinion, the author lost the one thing that is at the core of any great story or Greek tragedy - heart.

Unfortunately, the narrator Siiri Scott, had her work cut out for her and didn’t have a chance of saving this one.


My thanks to author @HighBridgeAudio and @NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review All opinions expressed are my own.

Coming soon - Pub Date: 14 March 2023

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got the distinct impression from this book that the author has never visited rural Minnesota—or, perhaps, any rural part of this country. Likely not true, but it’s a bad look. Burt’s Minnesotans are comically racist bumpkins (except for our narrator who is Not Like Other Girls because she listens to “Motown” and doesn’t know what Instagram is), and the only Somali character she includes (despite the entire book ostensibly being about an attack on a Somali community) is both bizarrely self-righteous and exists primarily as a foil against which the narrator can work through her childhood trauma. Also my knowledge of Antigone is admittedly limited to my memories of 9th grade and Wikipedia, but I don’t understand how this is a retelling unless all the awkwardly dropped Greek place names count.

[Karen Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dazzling literary debut about families, immigration, betrayal and secrets.
A pair of siblings, rescued after territorial bombing wipes out the biological parents.
Raised in Northern America by the very same contractors who rescued the children.
Rescued and then bribe the children to forget their past, forget the only family they ever knew.
Fast forward to the future where the brother chooses to ignore his foster families wishes and chooses to seek out people of his own culture, reconnect with similar minded people.
The younger sibling, a sister, chooses to reconnect as well, but through a career in law, a career that can help her with laws/rights of adoptions of foreign adoptions.
Interrupted in her pursuit when her brother goes missing, she must determine who took her brother and why?
What she uncovers are secrets, betrayals and a new purpose.

[Kathy Piehl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because a number of Minnesota national guard troops had served in Bosnia during the conflict there, I was interested in the background of the narrator, who was orphaned during that conflict and raised in Minnesota. However, I could hardly make it through the book because Minnesotans are consistently portrayed as greedy, corrupt, racist bumpkins who make life miserable for anyone who isn't blond. Yes, there are plot twists that keep a person reading. Way too many coincidences as a matter of fact. How could all the strands of her life converge and be resolved in a single day? The book's ending strongly hints at a sequel. I won't be reading it.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I liked the premise of exploring a mostly-forgotten war’s effect on its children, but this book felt like it never really developed any of its characters or storylines. The plot twist was completely predictable and the story ends fairly abruptly. Feels like the author needed more time to develop just about everything here.

[Hailey Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my typical go to kind of book but I LOVED it. The author wrote this so well! You are thrown into a woman’s family drama and follow it all the way to the explosive ending. You get to see the strong female lead grow into herself and really find her voice by the end. You see her grapple with her brother and her adoptive family as she uncovers dark secrets. The ending shocked me and loved how she handled it!

I would have loved more to the ending though. I wanted to see what her uncle did after their meeting, how her adoptive dad is doing, and where she ended up.

[the importance of being Ernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta read! New author with an extraordinary first novel! Loved it!

[Heidi Rauch · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a Publisher weekly stared review?!?! Do yourself a favor and skip it.

[Sweetiegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending left a lot of questions unanswered.

[Suzy Watson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A New Yorker writes about a place she has never been and makes a total fool of herself by doing so.

[Richard Ferris · Rating 1 out of 5]

No plot, shallow characters, all politics

Not a novel, just someone trying to judge the world according to her personal opinion. Don’t bother reading this book.

[Dragonstar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antonia’s father was loyal to his family, in his eyes, but this story goes to show everyone’s definition of loyalty is different. What does it mean to be loyal anyway? To keep things from people to protect them? To give them the truth even if it will harm them - or possible destroy them? Loyalty is tricky business.

Toni and her brother were from Bosnia and grew up (they were adopted) in a small town. The clash wasn’t entirely unexpected (the town didn’t welcome immigrants and they were tolerated at best because their father was an important person in the town). Ugh! It’s always tough reading about bigotry and hate from small minded people. You could feel the struggle within her. She had few memories of Bosnia (aside from stories her brother told her), but she still missed it somehow. At the same time, though she fought with her father and part of her hated the small town, she had some love for it too.

Toni was such a strong character. I loved how the struggles pulled at her, almost physically sometimes. Internally, she was at war with what she wanted/loved and what she thought she should do - about her father, her brother and her life in general. But she fought hard for the truth. So many questions and so many secrets. Did her father rescue her or bring her from one war zone to another? Did he do a good enough job of protecting them? What was more important, his business or his family? And were the things he was doing to grow his business ethical - and legal?

A really interesting book. Not a mystery, per se, more of a family drama with quite a few mysteries involved. A solid read. I definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you @counterpointpress for the gifted copy.

[Ken Dowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family saga, a mystery. A story about immigration and female empowerment. Antonia King is two when she and her older brother are orphaned during the war in Bosnia. The two children are rescued by a pair of American contractor brothers and taken to a small town in northern Minnesota. When their adoptive father seemingly OD’s, they are taken in by the other brother, uncle Christopher.

That sets up the family. Christopher is the big honcho in this small town, the principal of a construction company, demanding, controlling and intolerant. Antonia is the over-achiever, graduating from Harvard Law and landing a job with a big city law firm. Her aunt has drank herself into submission. Her brother has become an activist. Christopher’s son is a closeted queer man and his younger sister is a wannabe influencer. No room for conflicts there, right?

While most stories of immigration and refugees focus on the struggles and hard life of people trying to settle in a new land, Antonia is a different story. Even with her seeming road to success, she never stops being an outsider, both in her own mind and in the eyes of the blue-eyed, blond-haired environment of remote Minnesota.

The dig? That’s a development plan that King Construction is pursuing to build a retail center…right where the more recently arrived Somali immigrants have created a community center.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t love the way it was written. So many of the characters were one dimensional and their singular natures were redundantly spelled out by the author. On the other hand, this is a creative, engaging story that starts at a slow simmer and percolates up to a vigorous boil.

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I really liked the Bosnian representation that we don’t often see in fiction. I was hoping that this novel would dive more into the past and into the plot in Bosnia but it didn’t go as deep into that story line as I was hoping.

This book was suspenseful and I wanted to know about her past from start! That's the point, right? It was intriguing and I enjoyed that aspect.

This novel took place in alternating timelines which will keep the reader wanting more. Unfortunately for me, this is my least favorite approach to suspense and thriller novels and I always feel a little disappointed in the execution but I am more critical of this technique than others.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the political aspect to this because it felt a little in your face.

I’m giving it two stars because it just wasn’t for me but not every book is. I think this will find it’s audience and I think could be a popular book.

Thank you again for the ARC!

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Burt weaves a story that connects a traumatic past with a tumultuous present in "The Dig." Toni is a Bosnian orphan who along with her brother is adopted by an American former soldier. As an adoptive parent, I struggle with unrealistic portrayals of international adoption and this idea that some random American guy can just bring home children on a whim is not accurate. That aside, I was interested in learning more about the war in Bosnia. I was left wanting more of that history throughout the book. Because the main character was a young child in Bosnia, the story is told through that lens, even though the character is now an adult. I listened to this book rather than read it and it was interesting and quick, but parts felt rushed and other parts were problematic. I can't decide if the protagonist's lack of reflection was intentional because she is a young adult or was an oversight on the author's part. The book was entertaining, but didn't have big surprises and felt rushed at the end when everything was wrapped up very quickly and all loose ends tied together.

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dig - Anne Burt

From the first page, this novel grabs you by your heart and doesn't let go.

The story begins as a Bosnian household, (consisting of the mother, her infant daughter and her six-year old son) is bombed and the two children are left alive hiding next to their mother's corpse.

Unaccountably, after bombing the family, two US brothers take the children, and one brother adopts them, bringing them "home" to the US, hoping they are young enough to completely assimilate, and forbidding them from speaking of their "earlier" lives.

The children become adults, the boy becomes an activist and the girl a corporate lawyer.

Secrets of all kinds are unearthed as this suspenseful story unfolds!

Siiri Scott is a WONDERFUL melodic and rich choice for the audiobook, if you need to choose between hard copy or audio version, go for the audiobook for added richness.

Until next time, let's help make this novel the success it should be by buying it, reading it, and reviewing it!

[Jill Downs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family loyalty, secrets, betrayals and lies are at the heart of Anne Burt's debut novel The Dig. Siblings rescued after territorial bombings kill their parents, raised in Northern America by the very same contractors who rescued them. Although adopted at a young age, the siblings were never treated the same as their American "cousins". One sibling becomes a lawyer and the other an activist.

Antonia is just beginning a bright career as a lawyer when her brother Paul goes missing. When Antonia comes home to find Paul, she finds more than she bargained for. She grapples with many decisions throughout the book she never anticipated. Loyalty can have many shades of meaning. How far will the family go to get what they want?

Lots of twist and turns in this fast paced novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok, but I had higher expectations for it based on the description - I thought it would be a little deeper and literary given the subject matter, something along the lines of Lydia Fitzpatrick's Lights All Night Long, but it's more surface and the characters and settings are kind of stereotypical. I wish the book had gone more into the Bosnian War and that history, but it kind of just repeats around the same themes going on within Antonia's head, which got a little tired after awhile. The conclusion felt very rushed as well and like the revelations along the way were more just told by one character rather than revealed through action.

That being said, it was a fast pageturner and I did want to know how everything would play out as I was reading along. I'd say it fits into the genre of like a good, quick plane read.

[Matthew Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I really got into this one! I find myself enjoying three patterns of books recently:
1) Debut novels (because sometimes, the same ole same ole authors are just that!)
2) Women authors (because a good writer is a good writer, regardless of gender!)
And 3) "Returning Home" plotlines. Much like "Jackal" and "Second Sight", this story follows the premise of a young woman returning to her childhood home and discovering the secrets of her past.

This book checks all three of those boxes!

Overall I really enjoyed the fast-paced family drama that unfolds in "The Dig". Although I would have enjoyed more loose ends being tied up at the end. Unless, there is a sequel in the works...

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni and her older brother were found in the rubble of a bombed out home in Sarajevo by two American contractors. The children were taken to America and raised. Toni becomes a lawyer and doesn't want to return to her adopted home town due to the lack of support by her adopted family. Her brother leaves the adopted family and researches the history of his origin. The themes in the novel are timely -- issues of justice, love, loyalty, appearances, etc. I enjoyed the story, but I wanted more from the conclusion, more definite answers as to what happened to all the characters. Maybe a sequel?

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book, hoping that it would be an intriguing, complicated story about family and sibling relationships. However, it fell a bit flat for me. Most of the characters were one dimensional - either all victim, all villain, or all saint. I did enjoy that the story touched on the complicated aspects of living as an immigrant, as well as touching on life as a transracial adoptee. However, I feel like some of the depth that could have been explored on these topics was sacrificed to give us a faster paced plot.

[Heidi Sandiford · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 children are adopted from war-ravaged Bosnia. They are brought back to live in Thebes, Minnesota as part of the wealthy King family. But once they become adults, they both have a hard time dealing with their past. Paul goes MIA and Angela, after finishing her Harvard law degree, is summoned home by Christopher King to help find her brother. But not all is right in the King family and the town of Thebes is not very immigrant-friendly. But Christopher King is hiding many secrets which Angela must uncover in order to find her brother.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of legal thrillers (think Grisham) might like this one. An idealistic young lawyer striving to be independent of her adopted family finds her golden ticket to be entangled with family business. Complicating things is the disappearance of her brother, also adopted, and the complications of their adoption as Sarajevo orphans. Set in Minnesota the light also shines on the relationship between the native Minnesotans and the refugee/immigrant population (in particular Somalis). The ending was a little stretched but might make for a movie.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced, intriguing novel with smart, clever writing. The chapters are short and alternate between the past and present. It was very hard to put down and I finished it in two days (I had to sleep)! I loved how the different characters and story lines came together. The writing is descriptive and gorgeous. The main character, Antonia, while intent on her mission, also is very witty and has a dry sense of humor. The Dig would make a great movie.

[Marta · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF ~45% - I got about halfway through this and decided to stop. It was honestly pretty boring. The first half of the book felt like it was going nowhere. Maybe it picks up and actually has some action later on, but I didn’t care enough to find out. The most interesting parts of this book were her reflections on her Bosnian heritage and history, but the rest of the book fell pretty flat.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Alanna C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I won’t put all of the blame on the book, as I do think some of my disappointment was just an inability to get engaged with the story (although that could certainly be the book’s fault as well).

The main characters were relatively uninteresting, story rather predictable. The most interesting interaction was a mild spark between the main character and a friend of her brothers.

I don’t know- maybe just not one for me.

[Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had really high expectations for this book, and I really wanted to like it more, but I didn't. I really wanted the author to dig deeper into the "past" part of the storyline in Bosnia instead of what was happening currently. I was drawn in by the description when it said that we were going to learn the secrets about what happened in Bosnia, which we did, but they felt like an afterthought.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.
Toni and Paul were rescued from Sarajevo as children and brought to live with the wealthy King family. Paul rebels early, Toni graduates with a Harvard law degree. As all her ambitions are coming to fruition, she receives a call from her uncle to return home, there is family trouble involving her brother.

[Heidi Coffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters never grabbed me. The plot got interesting about halfway through, when Antonia seemed to momentarily take control of the sexual situation she was in at the law firm, and then things unraveled from there. Very far fetched that she’d figure out such a complicated conclusion to this book. Wanted to love it but sadly did not.