Richard Ford Books

A trilogy of brilliant novels-The Sportswriter, Independence Day, and The Lay of the Land-that charts the life and times of one of the most beloved and enduring characters in modern fiction.When we meet Frank Bascombe in The Sportswriter, his unguarded voice instantly wins us over and pulls us into a life that has been irrevocably changed-by the loss of a marriage, a career, a child. We then follow Frank, ever laconic and observant, through Independence Day and The Lay of the Land."In Haddam, summer floats over tree-softened streets like a sweet lotion balm from a careless, languorous god, and the world falls in tune with its own mysterious anthems. Shaded lawns lie still and damp in the early a.m." - Independence Day

A trilogy of brilliant novels— The Sportswriter, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Independence Day, and The Lay of the Land —that charts the life and times of Frank Bascombe, one of the most beloved and enduring characters in modern fiction. When we meet Frank Bascombe in The Sportswriter, his unguarded voice instantly wins us over and pulls us into a life that has been irrevocably changed—by the loss of a marriage, a career, a child. We then follow Frank, ever laconic and observant, through Independence Day and The Lay of the Land, witnessing his fortune’s rise and his family’s fragmentation. With finely honed prose and an eye that captures the most subtle nuances of the human condition—all its pathos and beauty and strangeness—Ford transforms this ordinary man’s life into a riveting, moving parable of life in America today.

The story follows fifteen-year-old Dell Parsons, whose life is upended when his parents commit a bank robbery. After being smuggled into Canada by a family friend, he finds refuge with the mysterious Arthur Remlinger, whose charm conceals a darker side. As Dell grapples with the fallout from his parents' actions, he seeks to redefine his identity against the backdrop of the expansive prairie. His quest for understanding leads him toward a dangerous confrontation with Remlinger, highlighting themes of innocence lost and the search for redemption.

A new epic fantasy for fans of Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin.

The third novel in Richard Ford's magnificent fantasy series has enough thrills, valour, guts and glory to satisfy any die-hard fan of David Gemmell and Joe Abercrombie. FIGHT TO THE DEATH... The queen of Steelhaven has grown in strength. Taking up her dead father's sword, she must defend the city from the dread warlord Amon Tugha and his blood-thirsty army now at the gates. A vicious, unrelenting four-day battle ensues, the most perilous yet. ...OR BOW TO THE ENEMY No side is immune from danger as all hell breaks loose, with the threat of coups and the unleashing of the deadliest and darkest magick. Loyalty, strength and cunning will be put to test in the quest for victory. What fate awaits the free states?

In these ten stories, Ford mines literary gold from the wind-scrubbed landscape of the American West--and from the guarded hopes and gnawing loneliness of the people who live there. Rock Springs is a masterpiece of taut narration, cleanly chiseled prose, and empathy so generous that it feels like a kind of grace.

Exploring the complex lives of his parents, Richard Ford delves into their individual histories and the dynamics of their relationship. Edna, a spirited Catholic-school girl with a troubled background, and Parker, a gentle traveling salesman, navigated their lives in rural Arkansas during the early 20th century. Married in 1928, they experienced a life of solitude together, traveling across the South before welcoming their only child in 1944. The narrative reveals how parental identities shape our understanding of their existence beyond our own.

Steelhaven book 2: Blood oaths are sworn and broken in a city facing total annihilation as Ford's epic fantasy series continues.

In these ten stories, Ford mines literary gold from the wind-scrubbed landscape of the American West--and from the guarded hopes and gnawing loneliness of the people who live there. Rock Springs is a masterpiece of taut narration, cleanly chiseled prose, and empathy so generous that it feels like a kind of grace. "Beautifully imagined and crafted stories, by turns heartrending and wickedly funny; and just plain wicked. Richard Ford is a born storyteller with an inimitable lyric voice, and Rock Springs is the very poetry of realism."--Joyce Carol Oates

NATIONAL BESTSELLER National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist A New York Times Best Book of the Year A sportswriter and a real estate agent, husband and father –Frank Bascombe has been many things to many people. His uncertain youth behind him, we follow him through three days during the autumn of 2000, when his trade as a realtor on the Jersey Shore is thriving. But as a presidential election hangs in the balance, and a postnuclear-family Thanksgiving looms before him, Frank discovers that what he terms “the Permanent Period” is fraught with unforeseen perils. An astonishing meditation on America today and filled with brilliant insights, The Lay of the Land is a magnificent achievement from one of the most celebrated chroniclers of our time.