Canada

Canada (2012) by Richard Ford. When Dell Parsons is 15 years old, his parents decide to rob a bank, and of course this changes everything. He is sent to live with strangers in Canada, and the strangers are very strange. Yet Dell adapts to his new surroundings, and doesn't feel sorry for himself. He in fact thrives, and witnesses events that very few 15-year-olds could ever claim to have witnessed. He later goes on to become a school teacher, and marries well. This is a fascinating book, with sharp characters well drawn. Dell himself is an interesting character, but it is the people in his life, whom he describes so well, that become memorable. This is a really good and entertaining novel. Grade: A-