The Lay of the Land

Richard Ford's latest novel represents the long-awaited completion of the trilogy he began with The Sportswriter (1986) and continued with the Pulitzer Prize- and PEN/Faulkner Award-winning Independence Day (1995). Fans of Ford's writing and of his protagonist, Frank Bascombe, will find their patience amply rewarded by this rich and mature work.

Like its predecessors, The…