Canada

By: Richard Ford

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

"First, I'll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later."

When 15-year-old Dell Parsons' parents rob a bank, his sense of normal life is forever altered. In an instant, this private cataclysm drives his life into before and after, a threshold that can never be uncrossed.

His parents' arrest and imprisonment mean a threatening and uncertain future for Dell and his twin sister, Berner. Willful and burning with resentment, Berner flees their home in Montana, abandoning her brother and her life. But Dell is not completely alone. A family friend intervenes, spiriting him across the Canadian border, in hopes of delivering him to a better life. There, afloat on the prairie of Saskatchewan, Dell is taken in by Arthur Remlinger, an enigmatic and charismatic American whose cool reserve masks a dark and violent nature.

Undone by the calamity of his parents' robbery and arrest, Dell struggles under the vast prairie sky to remake himself and define the adults he thought he knew. But his search for grace and peace only moves him nearer to a harrowing and murderous collision with Remlinger, an elemental force of darkness.

A true masterwork of haunting and spectacular vision from one of our greatest writers, Canada is a profound novel of boundaries traversed, innocence lost and reconciled, and the mysterious and consoling bonds of family. Told in spare, elegant prose, both resonant and luminous, it is destined to become a classic.

©2012 Richard Ford (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Creating a World

What did you like best about this story?

Richard Ford has created an amazing interior world in "Canada." His protagonist, a fifteen year old, feels completely credible -- a boy abandoned to the inside of his head by family events far out of his control. His voice struck me as both riveting AND convincing, despite the fact that he describes his universe in prose far beyond what any 15 year old would use. I also loved Ford's ability to describe the North American West of the 1950's and 1960's with piercing accuracy -- forming scenes as vivid as those of Annie Proulx or Ivan Doig.

Any additional comments?

The narrator, Holter Graham, sounds real, as if he were a young & bewildered boy much like the main character. His speaking voice was able to convey the rhythm of Ford's words in a seemingly effortless manner. No overacting, no dramatizing -- just a highly skilled reading.

Swept thru Life

We have no control over our fate on earth. Richard Ford tells the story after he lets you know the end. Every chapter-another beginning-then the end-and then the fantastic storytelling center! And it works! This story and it’s storyteller will sweep you off your feet as the characters involved are swept thru their lives.

Not Terribly Impressed

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was disappointed. I was expecting more, and I didn't find it. The book dragged on a bit too much. The author went in to much detail. It just never sparked my interest. I did finish it. I wouldn't talk it up, but it certainly wasn't the worst thing I've read, either.

Would you ever listen to anything by Richard Ford again?

Oh, I'm not sure. Maybe, I guess I wouldn't rush too, but I might.

What does Holter Graham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is an excellent narrator. He made the boy seem more alive.

Do you think Canada needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

OH NO!! Not a follow up, skip to a new topic, Mr. Ford!

Interesting

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It's different from what I usually listen to, and interesting.

If you’ve listened to books by Richard Ford before, how does this one compare?

Have not.

Which character – as performed by Holter Graham – was your favorite?

Del

If you could rename Canada, what would you call it?

I'd keep it the same.

Fabulous writing

The plot of Canada isn't all that interesting as it would be described--"Two childrens' lives are changed forever when their parents rob a bank". However, the writing is wonderful and the plot lifts off into something out-of-this world. The narrator is so good that you don't think about him twice. Sometimes a narrator soars with accents and voices, but Holter Graham simply reads this so well, that you can't imagine anyone else doing it. I enjoyed Canada so very much that I might listen to it a second time. I recommend it without reservation.

I loved this book and the reader

This was a very good book; fascinating to listen to. The story moved along exploring the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, as he was trying to figure out what he WAS thinking and feeling, and how that related to what was actually happening. The narrator was first rate. Not many novels manage to investigate those wiggles in life which could move a person this way or that. I'd like to see the sister's story. Bravo. Thanks, guys.

A Great "growing up" Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, The book is a great story. It all rings very true.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Canada?

The pivotal scene where the boy witnesses the murder he has alluded to from the beginning of the book.

What about Holter Graham’s performance did you like?

I felt like the story was being told by the person who lived it.

Who was the most memorable character of Canada and why?

Dell. Dell is anyone. He is an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstance. When he reacts, I think that I would react that way too.

For The Rest of US

If you had a stable, secure childhood; skip this book-- its for the rest of us.

A beautiful, sad, tragic and hopeful story.

I have learned that I enjoy sad, haunting tales of dysfunctional families. I find these types of books more realistic and true to life. Life isn't easy and happy, as light fiction assumes. So this book is one I love. It is deeply resonant and human. I liked the narrator/protagonist a great deal. He is quirky, intelligent and resilient. These are all characteristics I like in real life so it isn't surprising that I liked him.

Although there is no way to really spoil the story because Dell tells of the major events early in the volume, I am going to tag it as a spoiler anyway: Dell's life falls apart when his parents choose to rob a bank and are soon arrested. He and his sister find themselves alone in the home with nobody to care for them. In today's world that would never happen as the appropriate agency in the state would take the children into custody before the police even left the house. But it is believable that it could happen in 1960. This one event in Dell's life could have been enough to cause longterm mental health issues such as PTSD, but for him the tragedy continued. His sister ran away. His mother sent him to live in Canada with a complete stranger who drug Dell into another tragic event. And soon his mother committed suicide in prison. Through all of this Dell continued to love his family, to like school and to have a positive view of his future. He was his own little light of hope. I found it beautiful.

Haunting and Sad

What made the experience of listening to Canada the most enjoyable?

The narrator was understated and very likeable. His interpretation complimented the story and tone of the novel. Holter Graham was born to read a Richard Ford novel. This story is less a page turner than an intensely realized portrait of ordinary people who have their lives blown up and their fumbling attempts to pick up the pieces. A very sad yet strangely uplifting book.