Ashes

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.

"Artfully written and full of essential truths"  – Meredith Wild, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“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…. I loved it.”  – Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author, Rock with Wings

“Sometimes raw, always engaging, Steven Manchester’s novel is a wry and wise journey through the ruins of the American Dream.”  – William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author, Ordinary Grace