Canada by Richard Ford

Title: Canada
Author: Richard Ford
Publisher: Ecco
Genre: Literary Fiction
Year of Publication: 2012
Date of Publication: May 22, 2012
Pages: 432
ISBN-10: 0061692047
ISBN-13: 978-0061692048

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of Canada by Richard Ford

Canada is a novel about the impact of family betrayal and personal resilience. The story follows Dell Parsons, a 15-year-old boy whose life is upended when his parents rob a bank in Great Falls, Montana.

Dell has a twin sister named Berner, who runs away after the robbery living him alone. In the aftermath, Dell is sent across the border to Canada, where he is taken in by a man named Arthur Remlinger. Arthur is a man with some violent tendencies.

Main Themes

The novel is centered around themes of family, morality, and the consequences of crime. It looks into the complexities of personal responsibility and the human capacity for adaptation. Ford also examines the isolation and resilience required to rebuild one’s life in the face of profound upheaval.

Through Dell’s eyes, Richard Ford examines themes of identity, loss, and the search for stability in a fractured world. The novel really stresses on the importance of choices we make. As a reader, you are reminded of how the choices we make define us and the scars they leave behind.

Writing Style

Richard Ford’s writing is very descriptive. The story is told from Dell’s perspective.

By using a first-person narrative, it allows readers to truly feel like they are experiencing the same emotions and going through the same experiences as Dell.

Ford’s attention to detail and his ability to evoke the vast landscapes of Montana and Canada enhance the novel’s sense of place.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal many years ago, Richard Ford had stated that he started writing Canada in 1989 and he wrote about 20 pages and took a detour that lasted 20 years.