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Every week, The Thread recommends a book that offers a fresh perspective on the news.

A political earthquake just shook our northern neighbors: Canada's federal elections saw the surprising rise of Justin Trudeau to prime minister.

That makes it the perfect time to recommend the novel "Canada" by Richard Ford.

But first, a confession: "Canada" has nothing to do with Canadian politics. 

I'm just using this as an excuse to recommend an incredible book that captured my imagination, and dropped me into the world of an abandoned 15-year-old boy who is forced to cross a lot of border.

"Canada" spins around a bank robbery and two disillusioned parents. In the novel, we learn what happens when an extraordinary decision disrupts an ordinary family.

Ford told me that the first pages of the novel came quickly to him — but then it stalled.  So he put the pages in the freezer, went off to other projects and came back years later.

We're lucky he did. With Canada making headlines, pick up Ford's terrific novel of the same name. 

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Kerri Miller

Author

Richard Ford's compulsively readable novel spins around a 15-year-old, a bank robbery and two very naive parents.

Canada in the headlines provides the perfect excuse to read 'Canada'

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