LET ME BE FRANK WITH YOU Frank Bascombe, Book 4

A visit with Richard Ford’s fictional doppelganger, Frank Bascombe, continues to provide insight into the ever-changing American middle class, their hopes, dreams, and frustrations. Narrator Richard Poe is a gifted interpreter of Ford’s vision, with his sonorous tone and casual but engaging pacing. This latest check-in with Frank depicts the ordinary frustrations of life that everyone has to deal with, mixed with the disheartening and inevitable problems of growing older. Poe’s subtle narration is filled with nuance, along with a nod to both the character’s and the author’s maturation. The conclusion, the summing up of all that has happened to Frank, boils down to a universal truth that all of us find out if we live long enough. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2014]