Be Mine

‘Ford’s Frank Bascombe series stands as one of the finest achievements of modern American fiction. A fittingly mordant and brilliant conclusion’ INDEPENDENT In the run up to Christmas, we meet Frank Bascombe in the twilight of his days. He is a man who has occupied many colourful lives – sportswriter, father, husband, ex-husband, friend, real estate agent – but now Frank finds himself in the most sorrowing role of all: caregiver to his son, Paul, diagnosed with ALS. On a shared winter’s odyssey to Mount Rushmore, Frank faces down the mortality assured each of us, and confronts what happiness might signify at life’s end. 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. ‘A literary project matched in ambition only by John Updike’s Rabbit series’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Ford’s finely hewn prose remains an endless pleasure’ DAILY MAIL ‘Ford creates a reading experience that feels truer than your own experience ... Think of Be Mine as a chance to spend a last few hours with a friend’ THE TIMES

‘Ford’s Frank Bascombe series stands as one of the finest achievements of modern American fiction. A fittingly mordant and brilliant conclusion’ INDEPENDENT In the run up to Christmas, we meet Frank Bascombe in the twilight of his days. He is a man who has occupied many colourful lives – sportswriter, father, husband, ex-husband, friend, real estate agent – but now Frank finds himself in the most sorrowing role of all: caregiver to his son, Paul, diagnosed with ALS. On a shared winter’s odyssey to Mount Rushmore, Frank faces down the mortality assured each of us, and confronts what happiness might signify at life’s end. 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. ‘A literary project matched in ambition only by John Updike’s Rabbit series’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Ford’s finely hewn prose remains an endless pleasure’ DAILY MAIL ‘Ford creates a reading experience that feels truer than your own experience ... Think of Be Mine as a chance to spend a last few hours with a friend’ THE TIMES

People assume gifts and flowers are the way into their girl's heart, but they're wrong. It's all about baring your soul and proving your obsession-that it's not only about owning their heart, but the rest of them too. My obsession began with my pen pal, whose letters became my entire world while locked behind bars. Then she visited and I was a goner. She becomes my sweetheart. My newest fixation. My everything. Until, on Valentine's Day, she ends our relationship through another letter and forces me to be without her. One year later, I'm free. Free and ready to prove how I'm the man meant to protect, cherish, and love her. Sweetheart, I'm back... Be Mine is the fourth book in Twisted Holidays, a series of dark-themed holiday novellas. The series can be read in any order.

People assume gifts and flowers are the way into their girl's heart, but they're wrong. It's all about baring your soul and proving your obsession-that it's not only about owning their heart, but the rest of them too. My obsession began with my pen pal, whose letters became my entire world while locked behind bars. Then she visited and I was a goner. She becomes my sweetheart. My newest fixation. My everything. Until, on Valentine's Day, she ends our relationship through another letter and forces me to be without her. One year later, I'm free. Free and ready to prove how I'm the man meant to protect, cherish, and love her. Sweetheart, I'm back... Be Mine is the fourth book in Twisted Holidays, a series of dark-themed holiday novellas. The series can be read in any order.

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.

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.