Richard Ford: A Piece of My Heart. London, Collins Harvill, 1987. 1st edition. 1st printing. 9. ½ x 6. ¼ . Signed by Ford on title page. No other marks or inscriptions. Black cloth over boards & gilt. Price £10.95 to jacket flap.

Ford’s first novel issued in the UK after the The Sportswriter (1986). This is a dark story with comic sides, taking in violence, love and jealousy. A Piece of My Heart (1976) is set in the open spaces of Mississippi. It begins with a mysterious murder, two men vie for the attentions of a woman, and what follows is a brutal and explosive finale. The dialogue is tight and realistic, you feel the raw emotions. A dense piece of writing in which nothing much happens in terms of actual events or actions, but that keeps the reader rapt nonetheless with depth of description and the inner lives of the characters. Ford’s amazing career since (including a Pulitzer) is prefigured neatly in this excellent novel.

Condition: Reasonably clean and tight copy, bump to top corners, small stain to rear free endpaper o/w Near fine in Near Fine jacket.