| River of No Return - Tennessee Ernie Ford and
the Woman He Loved |
|
By Jeffrey Buckner Ford |
“William
Somerset Maugham said “It is dangerous to let the public
behind the scenes. They are easily disillusioned and then they
are angry with you, for it was the illusion they loved.”
I expect there will be a sizeable number of
people who will take issue with one part or another of this
book. Those who will contradict certain events, those who will
disagree with my portrayal of certain people -fringe and
central- and those who will question the wisdom of exposing
certain aspects of the lives of Betty and Ernie Ford that have
never been shared until now. They will see what I’ve done as a
betrayal, and they will say so. My intention was not to shatter
illusions, nor was it to preserve them. I had to tell the truth
of who they were, so I might discover the truth of what they
were, and face the truth of what they became.”
--Excerpt from Ernie and His Lovely Wife,
Betty by Jeffrey Buckner Ford
In the first book written chronicling the lives
and marriage of the legendary entertainer Tennessee Ernie Ford
and his wife, Betty, author Jeffrey Buckner Ford paints a
heartfelt, honest and intimate portrait of a celebrated couple
whose lives have never been fully revealed until now. In a
narrative that moves across nearly half a century, from their
first meeting in 1942 to the studios of Hollywood at the peak of
its second Golden Age, to their last moments together,
Ernie and His Lovely Wife, Betty …
|
-Recounts the complete history of
Ford’s meteoric, unprecedented and unrivaled rise
from virtual obscurity to international stardom --
never fully told until now. |
|
-Takes an unflinching look back at
the hardship, abuse and alcoholism that marked
Betty’s family, and the jealousy, bitterness and
loss that separated Ernie from his only brother. |
|
-Chronicles a simple family’s plunge
into a storied life of privilege and records in
detail the cost that life exacted from them. |
|
-Tells the full story of Ford’s
controversial flight from Hollywood at the peak of
his career, and the untold story of the
unprecedented millions Madison Avenue and network
television offered him to stay. |
|
-Shines an unblinking light on the
truth about faith in the Ford family, and in the
lives of Ernie and Betty Ford. |
|
-Shares personal letters, photographs
and moments kept private until now, that illuminate
four people bound by love, and records the
unforgettable passage of an ordinary family changed
forever by an extraordinary life. |
“The
work is heartfelt, raw and the
pacing is fantastic. You manage to tap into what made your
father so flawless in the public eye, yet lends an honest look
into his flaws and the reasons that he and his Betty ultimately
fell apart. The prose makes the reader ultimately adore,
empathize with and disapprove of Ernie Ford. The story reveals
Betty's squelched talent, the ridiculous pace of the life
together, and how their family slowly despaired in the
spotlight. You are a very gifted writer, and I like how you
avoid idolizing or glorifying the subject
of your bio - a difficult task for both a biographer and a
son..”
Literary Group International
