Between the Covers

Richard Ford is a wonderful writer. His first two books, A Piece of My Heart (1976) and The Ultimate Good Luck (1981 - poorly constructed, the rear hinge is almost always cracked - or repaired) are moderately expensive in fine condition. His breakthrough novel, The Sportswriter (1986) was published by Vintage Contemporaries in paperback, and in considerable numbers, so while it is not by any means rare, the paper tends to yellow easily, so copies with bright, white pages are harder to find than one might think. This novel set the state for his next novel to feature the same protagonist, Independence Day (1995) which won both the Pulitzer and the PEN/Faulkner awards. It is not particularly expensive.more