Be Mine is the fifth book that Richard Ford has written following the life of his great creation Frank Bascombe. Over the 40 year chronicle of Frank's life and thoughts, Ford has described America during that period in a way that few other writers, if any, have done. It's a masterful creation, and this new book is perhaps the most moving of the series, as Frank grapples with advancing age, and the necessity of caring for his son who has a diagnosis of a terminal degenerative illness. Their exchanges are both hilarious and bleak. It's a pretty confronting book, but intelligent, believable and poignant.