Be Mine

A Frank Bascombe Novel

By: Richard Ford

Narrated by: Richard Poe

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

From Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford: the final novel in the world of Frank Bascombe, one of the most indelible characters in American literature

Over the course of four celebrated works of fiction and almost forty years, Richard Ford has crafted an ambitious, incisive, and singular view of American life as lived. Unconstrained, astute, provocative, often laugh-out-loud funny, Frank Bascombe is once more our guide to the great American midway.

Now in the twilight of life, a man who has occupied many colorful lives—sportswriter, father, husband, ex-husband, friend, real estate agent—Bascombe finds himself in the most sorrowing role of all: caregiver to his son, Paul, diagnosed with ALS. On a shared winter odyssey to Mount Rushmore, Frank, in typical Bascombe fashion, faces down the mortality that is assured each of us, and in doing so confronts what happiness might signify at the end of days.

In this memorable novel, Richard Ford puts on displays the prose, wit, and intelligence that make him one of our most acclaimed living writers. Be Mine is a profound, funny, poignant love letter to our beleaguered world.

©2023 Richard Ford (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent

Wistful, poignant, timely. I want to go back and start the series all over again.

A masterpiece

How many times do I find myself listening to his profound insights? So many pages are worth reading again. This has been a wonderful reminder of what it’s like to read Richard Ford

A terrific insight into being the father in a separated family

Good for any boomer divorced father (or mother) with adult children—excellent perspectives told with honesty and depth of feeling.

magnificent

no adequate superlative comes to mind besides the above, as close as i can get

Another excellent novel from Ford

As expected, another wholly enjoyable Frank Bascombe novel adeptly narrated by Richard Poe. Any fan of Ford will find much to love here.

What a writer!

This is my first Richard Ford book, and I wasn't disappointed. I was stunned by Ford's incredible ability to observe the world and incorporate minute details of everyday life into the narrative. In this book, Frank Bascombe, 74, is caring for his 47-year-old son who has ALS. In my own familly, we witnessed a family member become slowly disabled by ALS, so for me the play by play descriptions of the daily life of the ALS sufferer as well as his caretaker dad were phenomenally, heartbreakingly, and at times comically accurate. For me, the son emerges as the most lovable character--quirky, individualistic, and completely authentic. But the dad was also beautifully drawn...honest, occasionally cranky, and ever aware of how short his remaining chapters in life are. This was a moving book. I was addicted to listening to it. I couldn't get enough.

Relatable story for me

I am a caregiver for my husband who has Parkinson’s and dementia which is not the same as ALS, but many of the things Frank went through with his son I can totally relate too. What a great story, well written with perfect narration. This is the only book I have read from the series and I wasn’t lost at all, this book gives just enough backstory to fill in, loved it.

Come, read and enjoy the Journey with Ford.

Richard Ford answers his Son’s question of what Good is by stating that his belief is that the Good is in the details and he demonstrates that faith by providing us with all the details.

Ford’s Gift is that he lets us see his World through all the minutia his Life can hold. In Be Mine he invites us along on a Cross-Country Road Trip with his Dying Son. The Sites, Sounds, and People that they meet come alive through the hundreds of little moments the Road contains and The Simple Reality of The Land and the Humanity of these everyday Americans that shine through his perfect prose.

It was a very easy and enjoyable Read, leaving me feeling quite good about the simple realities of Living. Four Stars. ****

My favorite

I ordered this based on AARP recommendation on good summer fiction! Richard Ford was new to me so I did a couple of his earlier books. BE MINE has been my favorite, possibly because I am in my seventies and also because it is shorter. Recommend it!!

Frank 4

Loved the first three, this one is much more heartfelt. But in the same voice. Narrator sounds a bit like Johnny Carson :)