It is approaching Thanksgiving weekend and Frank Bascombe has arrived at a state of optimistic pragmatism that he calls the 'Permanent Period' of life. Epic mistakes have already been made, dreams downsized, and Frank reflects that now at least there are fewer opportunities left in life. But the tranquility he anticipated is not to be. In fact, as Thanksgiving dinner with his children and first wife nears, the Permanent Period proves as full of possibility as life has ever offered. Graceful, expansive and filled with pathos, The Lay of the Land is a modern American masterpiece.