Summary

The novel begins early on a Friday morning during Fourth of July weekend in Haddam, New Jersey. It is 1988 and the protagonist and narrator, Frank Bascombe, is a middle-aged divorced realtor. His son and daughter live with his ex-wife, Ann, in Connecticut. Frank and his son Paul have plans to go away for the weekend. First, Frank decides to visit his girlfriend Sally who lives at the Jersey shore, as he feels their relationship is struggling and they have not been seeing eye-to-eye.

Frank is also concerned about his son, Paul, because of his recent arrest for shoplifting condoms and for assaulting a security guard who apprehended him at the store. Bascombe has planned a father-son trip to the basketball and baseball halls of fame, and will return with his son before Paul’s court date on July 5th.

Analysis

Independence Day, written by Richard Ford...