America by book

I recently reread the Sharyn McCrumb ballad novels. I'm still missing one, but maybe I'll find it someday. I enjoyed reading about the Appalachians and the characters like Nora Bonesteel and Spencer, Joe, and Martha. My library provided me with the other two views of America. Anne Tyler, one of my all time favorites, has written about "outsiderness" in "Digging to America". Funny, but I kind of identified with the main character, an Iranian emmigrant to Baltimore. Towards the end of the book considers the problem of not belonging, fitting in. A feeling I get sometimes. I enjoyed the idea of having two families, so different from each other, meeting when they collected their respective adoptive children. A memorable event was the pacifier (binky) balloon party (only in America?). The third book was a lucky find. "Where the truth lies" by Rupert Holmes, a first novel by a well known playwright and musical author. I was reading along about the comedy team that is the focus of the book, New Jersey - 50ties. And after awhile it dawned on me that the model for the team was Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. A duo I hadn't thought about in years (and never though particulary funny). Although there is "truth" in the title the story is obviously not true; but a good murder mystery with interesting characters. One of my favorite scenes is the visit to Disneyland (the first time, not the drug-induced second visit).