Be Mine – Richard Ford

This is the fourth and final Frank Bascombe novel, and it did not disappoint.  Ford and his protagonist, Frank, are both dealing with the indignities of old age (often in very funny ways), but Bascombe has learned that his son, Paul (with whom he has had a prickly and distant relationship), has ALS and he is now serving as his primary caregiver. They travel to the Mayo Clinic for experimental treatment and make a side-trip to Mount Rushmore, with somewhat disastrous results. A touching, often funny, and deeply profound look at life, death, family and what it means to be human.