His twin sister Berner has run off, leaving him to a family friend who secrets him away to Saskatchewan, Canada.

[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.

[7] Critical reception for Canada has been overwhelmingly positive,[8][9][10] with The New Yorker comparing the book to William Maxwell's So Long, See You Tomorrow and Ford's previous novel Wildlife.

[11] 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]).

[12][13][14] 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".