Canada (novel)

The work on Canada took Ford twenty years,^[5] with the author stating that he took inspiration from several different sources.^[6] Ford stated that some of the elements in the book, such as the feeling of "not [being] connected with the larger forces of a culture I was by accident born into", were drawn from his personal experiences.^[6] He also expressed an interest in the aftermath and consequences of crimes such as murder and robberies, and the effect they have on the young family members of the perpetrators, as well as the "closeness to which normal life bears upon felonious life".^[7]

Critical reception for Canada has been overwhelmingly positive,^[8][9] with The New Yorker comparing the book to William Maxwell's So Long, See You Tomorrow and Ford's previous novel Wildlife.^[10] The latter book also used Montana as a setting and, like Canada ,was a "stand alone" novel (i.e., not featuring Frank Bascombe as a protagonist^{[clarification needed]}).^[4]

Praise for the novel centered on the book's narration, which is told from the viewpoint of an older Dell, and the book's clarity and simplicity.^[11][12][13] The Daily Telegraph cited Ford's "genius at capturing human frailty and its pitiful disguises" as a highlight while The Washington Post praised the book's "plainspoken lines".^[14][15]

The novel received the American Library Association's 2013 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.^[16]