Letters from Tomis

Note: This Novella collection is this month’s selection for Bill’s Book Club for Men–a reading group I highly recommend to those in the MetroWest area of Boston USA. Go here for more information:

https://www.wellesleybooks.com/BBGG

Richard Ford’s Let Me Be Frank With You is a masterful and deeply affecting continuation of the life of Frank Bascombe, one of contemporary literature’s most compelling narrators. Through four interconnected novellas, Ford delivers a poignant meditation on aging, loss, and the fragile nature of human existence, all set against the backdrop of post-Hurricane Sandy New Jersey.

What makes this book remarkable is Ford’s ability to blend dry wit with profound introspection. Frank, now in his sixties, has mellowed but remains as sharp and observant as ever. His musings on the past, his relationships, and the slow unraveling of the world around him are rendered with a clarity and honesty that make every page feel both deeply personal and universally resonant.

The writing is as elegant and precise as one would expect from Ford, filled with beautifully constructed sentences that carry weight without being overwrought. His ability to capture the subtleties of human emotion—grief, nostalgia, resignation, and even reluctant hope—makes Let Me Be Frank With You a quietly powerful read. The stories unfold with a natural, unhurried rhythm, allowing readers to fully absorb Frank’s reflections and the atmosphere of a world changed by disaster.

While this book is part of the Bascombe series, it stands well on its own, offering an intimate portrait of a man coming to terms with his place in life. Fans of Ford’s previous works will appreciate the evolution of Frank’s character, while new readers will be drawn in by the novel’s humor, wisdom, and undeniable poignancy.

For those who enjoy character-driven literary fiction that tackles big themes with subtlety and grace, Let Me Be Frank With You is a must-read. Ford proves once again why he is one of America’s greatest living writers.