Middle-aged brothers Jason and Tom Prendergast thought they were completely done with each other. Perceived betrayal had burned the bridge between them, tossing them into the icy river of estrangement. But life - and death - has a robust sense of irony, and when they learn that their cruel father has died and made his final request that they travel together across the country to spread his ashes, they have no choice but to spend a long, long car trip in each other's company. It's either that or lose out on the contents of the envelope he's left with his lawyer. The trip will be as gut-wrenching as each expects it to be . . . and revealing in ways neither of them is prepared for.
At turns humorous, biting, poignant, and surprisingly tender, ASHES puts a new spin on family and dysfunction with a story that is at once fresh and timelessly universal.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER, 2017 LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER, GENERAL FICTION, GREAT NORTHWEST BOOK FESTIVAL
"When two middle-aged, estranged brothers hit the road with their father's ashes in the back seat of the car, what begins as a grueling test of opposites ends up as a heroic testament to love. ASHES is a story about disappointment, dysfunctional families, and male aging, filled with observations that are both painfully true and terribly funny. Sometimes raw, always engaging, Steven Manchester's novel is a wry and wise journey through the ruins of the American Dream."
- William Kent Kruger, New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of ORDINARY GRACE
"ASHES uses a poignant cross-country expedition to explore the shared history of an interesting pair of estranged brothers charged with fulfilling their father's bizarre last wish. The pilgrimage twists through childhood memories of comic misdeeds and bruising misunderstandings, detours into sibling squabbles, and bounces over the ruts of problematic marriages and ornery children to arrive at an unexpectedly wonderful destination. I loved it."
- Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author of ROCK WITH WINGS
"Steven Manchester has the enviable ability to capture the intricacies of the human heart through words. ASHES is a moving novel of two brothers and their journey back to one another. A must read."
- Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE and MISSING PIECES
"ASHES is a wonderfully character-driven, page-turning tale of two estranged brothers on a personal quest across the country. Their spontaneous road trip is a bumpy one, full of twists and turns and peopled with all sorts of colorful characters along the way, but it's also touched with humor - enough to amuse and delight the reader through a heartfelt, life-changing journey of self-discovery. Manchester's devoted fans will find much to love in his new novel, which proves he is an author who knows how to keep readers well-entertained, while touching their hearts deeply and profoundly at the same time."
- Julianne MacLean, USA Today bestselling author of THE COLOR OF HEAVEN
WINNER - LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER - GREAT NORTHWEST BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER - AMSTERDAM BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER - INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
WINNER - BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - PARIS BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - GREAT SOUTHEAST BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL
Genre: Literary Fiction
At turns humorous, biting, poignant, and surprisingly tender, ASHES puts a new spin on family and dysfunction with a story that is at once fresh and timelessly universal.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER, 2017 LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER, GENERAL FICTION, GREAT NORTHWEST BOOK FESTIVAL
"When two middle-aged, estranged brothers hit the road with their father's ashes in the back seat of the car, what begins as a grueling test of opposites ends up as a heroic testament to love. ASHES is a story about disappointment, dysfunctional families, and male aging, filled with observations that are both painfully true and terribly funny. Sometimes raw, always engaging, Steven Manchester's novel is a wry and wise journey through the ruins of the American Dream."
- William Kent Kruger, New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of ORDINARY GRACE
"ASHES uses a poignant cross-country expedition to explore the shared history of an interesting pair of estranged brothers charged with fulfilling their father's bizarre last wish. The pilgrimage twists through childhood memories of comic misdeeds and bruising misunderstandings, detours into sibling squabbles, and bounces over the ruts of problematic marriages and ornery children to arrive at an unexpectedly wonderful destination. I loved it."
- Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author of ROCK WITH WINGS
"Steven Manchester has the enviable ability to capture the intricacies of the human heart through words. ASHES is a moving novel of two brothers and their journey back to one another. A must read."
- Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE and MISSING PIECES
"ASHES is a wonderfully character-driven, page-turning tale of two estranged brothers on a personal quest across the country. Their spontaneous road trip is a bumpy one, full of twists and turns and peopled with all sorts of colorful characters along the way, but it's also touched with humor - enough to amuse and delight the reader through a heartfelt, life-changing journey of self-discovery. Manchester's devoted fans will find much to love in his new novel, which proves he is an author who knows how to keep readers well-entertained, while touching their hearts deeply and profoundly at the same time."
- Julianne MacLean, USA Today bestselling author of THE COLOR OF HEAVEN
WINNER - LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER - GREAT NORTHWEST BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER - AMSTERDAM BOOK FESTIVAL
WINNER - INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
WINNER - BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - PARIS BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - GREAT SOUTHEAST BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL
RUNNER-UP - HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Steven Manchester has the enviable ability to capture the intricacies of the human heart through words. Ashes is a moving novel of two brothers and their journey back to one another. A must read." - Heather Gudenkauf
"Ashes uses a poignant cross-country expedition to explore the shared history of an interesting pair of estranged brothers charged with fulfilling their father's bizarre last wish." - Anne Hillerman
"Ashes is a story about disappointment, dysfunctional families, and male aging, filled with observations that are both painfully true and terribly funny." - William Kent Krueger
"Manchester's devoted fans will find much to love in his new novel, which proves he is an author who knows how to keep readers well-entertained, while touching their hearts deeply and profoundly at the same time." - Julianne MacLean
"Ashes uses a poignant cross-country expedition to explore the shared history of an interesting pair of estranged brothers charged with fulfilling their father's bizarre last wish." - Anne Hillerman
"Ashes is a story about disappointment, dysfunctional families, and male aging, filled with observations that are both painfully true and terribly funny." - William Kent Krueger
"Manchester's devoted fans will find much to love in his new novel, which proves he is an author who knows how to keep readers well-entertained, while touching their hearts deeply and profoundly at the same time." - Julianne MacLean
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Steven Manchester's Ashes