A bright 'English American'

"THE ENGLISH AMERICAN," by Alison Larkin, Simon & Schuster, 352 pages, $15 (f, reprint)

It's an age-old argument: nature vs. nurture.

Are we a product of our genetics or our experiences?

Author Alison Larkin poses this question in "The English American," a vibrant romp that takes readers back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean.

Pippa Dunn has always known she was adopted. But that's never really mattered. She was "chosen" by her English parents, whom she loves with all her heart. And even though her sister, Charlotte, is their biological child, Pippa has never felt unloved.

Her adoption does explain a few things, though, including her free spirit and lack of tidiness, which goes against her upbringing.

Now, Pippa is 28, and she still feels a bit lost in the world she grew up in. Feeling unsettled, Pippa starts to wonder about the parents who gave her up, and on a whim, contacts the adoption agency that placed her.

Much to her surprise and delight, Pippa's American birth parents have not forgotten her. And when she learns her artistic mother living in Georgia is free-spirited like herself, and her father is a politically involved businessman in Washington, D.C., she finds herself eager to meet them.

Despite fears of upsetting her adoptive family, Pippa takes the plunge and comes to America. Surprised and overwhelmed, she initially is taken with her new surroundings. But as time passes, she finds herself increasingly lost between two cultures and two sets of parents.

As time passes, Pippa begins to see her life and her potential in new and exciting ways. America is all she expected and more. But it's not perfect, and neither are her birth parents. She soon learns to discern the true meaning of love and the packages it comes in.

"The English American" is bright and funny and a bit chaotic, just like Pippa.

Larkin herself was adopted at birth by British parents and raised in England and Africa before settling in New York, where she is a successful stand-up comic. So it's no surprise that her book stems from her one-woman show.

Despite some heavy issues, Larkin manages to keep "The English American" light and accessible. Her approach is sensitive and heartfelt and always with a dose of humor.

Sensitivity rating: occasional use of strong language, themes of adultery

e-mail: jharrison@desnews.com