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  • Published: 15 April 2017
  • ISBN: 9780399165047
  • Imprint: Putnam
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $38.00

Ashes To Asheville




Two sisters take off on a wild road trip to fulfill their late mother's dying wish in this poignant middle grade tale.

Two sisters take off on a wild road trip in this poignant tale for fans of Counting by 7s and Fish in a Tree

After Mama Lacy’s death, Fella was forced to move in with her grandmother, Mrs. Madison. The move brought Fella all sorts of comforts she wasn't used to at home, but it also meant saying goodbye to her sister Zoey (a.k.a. Zany) and her other mother, Mama Shannon. Though Mama Shannon fought hard to keep Fella, it was no use. The marriage act is still a few years away and the courts thought Fella would be better off with a blood relation. Already heartbroken, Fella soon finds herself alone in Mrs. Madison's house, grieving both the death of her mother and the loss of her entire family. 
    
Then one night, Zany shows up at Mrs. Madison’s house determined to fulfill Mama Lacy’s dying wish: to have her ashes spread over the lawn of the last place they were all happy as a family. Of course, this means stealing Mama Lacy’s ashes and driving hundreds of miles in the middle of night to Asheville, North Carolina. Their adventure takes one disastrous turn after another, but their impulsive journey helps them rediscover the bonds that truly make them sisters.

A heartrending story of family torn apart and put back together again, Ashes to Asheville is an important, timely tale.

  • Published: 15 April 2017
  • ISBN: 9780399165047
  • Imprint: Putnam
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $38.00

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Praise for Ashes To Asheville

Three Stars Among Raves for Free Verse:
"Sasha and her extended family are depicted with a sweetness reminiscent of Cynthia Rylant--a southern soulfulness that is warm even as it reveals the downtrodden struggles of a mining community." - Booklist, starred review

"The changes in [Sasha's] life, the anguish she feels, and her journey forward are expertly portrayed through Dooley's use of first-person narration, which is sensitive and gentle without being soft or sentimental. The poetry is wonderful and feels authentic to Sasha's years..." - School Library Journal, starred review

"In this gripping story, Dooley balances a clear-eyed depiction of families wrestling with addiction, financial stress, and trauma with the astonishing resilience of children and the human capacity for love." - Publishers Weekly, starred review