Few contemporary novelists have analysed American culture with the detail that Richard Ford has done in his trilogy on Frank Bascombe: 'The Sportswriter', 'Independence Day' and 'The Lay of the Land'. A triptych on the idiosyncrasies of American society set out by one of the nation's most meticulous storytellers. This book ventures into uncharted territory, revealing how the uniquely American flavour of Frank Bascombe's novels also emerges from peculiar settings and marginal characters, who propose alternative models of identity. This work rediscovers the essence of Ford's major novelistic project, revealing it as an infinite source of insights for any reader interested in the people, myths, and narratives that construct the American self.