In Ashes by Steven Manchester, two brothers heal the rift between them on a cross-country road trip to spread their father's ashes.

Corrections Officer Jason Prendergast and his college professor brother Tom have been estranged for the past fifteen years when they learn their abusive father has died. In order to fulfill the terms of his will, they must embark on a cross country trip to spread his ashes in Washington state. While neither of the brothers is overly enthusiastic about the request, they agree to follow through with his wishes. Their journey is fraught with tension as they disagree about everything from the route to take to the restaurants they choose but they also bond over shared memories from their dysfunctional childhood. Will Tom and Jason make peace with their fractured past by the journey's end?

Tom and Jason are complete opposites and their differences become even more obvious during their trip. Tom is controlled with plenty of self-discipline and he is quite health conscious. Jason, on the hand, is overweight and enjoys nothing more than a grease-laden meal and a couple beers at the end of a long day. Tom enjoys the finer things in life whereas Jason is more comfortable in a local diner. Despite these differences, both men have similar parenting styles and they have relatively good relationships with their children.

As they squabble their way across the United States, Jason and Tom are caught up in memories of both the good and bad things from their abusive childhood. They also catch up on the paths their lives have taken and they are surprised to discover they do have a few things in common. Both brothers are taken aback when their preconceived perceptions of one another are sometimes proven wrong. While some of their discussions do not end well, other conversations result in useful observations that are unexpectedly helpful. By the end of their journey, both Jason and Tom have made life-altering decisions that are a direct result of their time together. When they part ways, Jason and Tom have achieved a fragile peace between them but will this be the beginning or end of their relationship?

Ashes by Steven Manchester is an interesting journey of healing and forgiveness for both Tom and Jason. Some their interactions occasionally devolve into immature schoolboy shenanigans, but for the most part, their conversations are deep and meaningful. All in all, a remarkable story that will resonate with anyone who has experienced a rocky relationship with any of their siblings. ( )

I received a free ARC of this book from The Story Plant in exchange for my honest review.

[a:Steven Manchester|50437|Steven Manchester|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1348505595p2/50437.jpg] is a familiar name to me as a Story Plant reader; I read his book [b:The Changing Season|25159211|The Changing Season|Steven Manchester|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428630827s/25159211.jpg|44862774] almost exactly a year ago now, and reviewed it as well. I remember enjoying the book, though the details hadn't stuck with me, so I figured that I'd have a similar time of it with ASHES.

I was entirely right.

The book follows brothers Tom and Jason Prendergast--Tom is a college professor, Jason a corrections officer, and the two brothers have been estranged for a good chunk of their adult lives. But when their father passes (a loos neither man grieves for; their father was a grade-A jerk, and that's putting it lightly) his will insists that in order for them to earn their inheritance from his estate, they need to travel--together--from Salem, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington, by car, in order to spread his ashes. Needless to say, this isn't either brother's idea of a good time, but they agree begrudgingly, each hoping that there is a financial windfall waiting for them in the envelope the lawyers tell them contains their inheritance. Tom's marriage is falling apart, Jason's fizzled out years ago, and now his daughter is planning her own wedding--which he's agreed to pay for. In each of their minds, they have a thousand better things to be doing than wasting their time with their brother who they hate.

But as is so often the case, long car rides bring out secrets and truths long hidden and obscured, and the two begin to see that maybe...just maybe...the other brother is worth keeping around, at least for a while. They may have more in common than they ever realized.

I don't have a sibling, so I can't perfectly imagine the journey, and I've always been lucky enough to have good relationships with my parents. However, the themes in this book are universal: love, forgiveness, redemption. Self-reflection. Family and the dysfunction too often found within. That feeling when a problem you allowed to destroy your life in the past...just doesn't seem that important anymore. Watching Tom and Jason travel both physically and emotionally throughout the book is a brilliant insight into the life of the grown child, coming to terms with a past that didn't always do right by them, and the parents who might have been more than they ever knew--for better or worse.

Manchester's writing, while evocative, is a little odd: over-descriptive in some aspects, while glaringly less so in others. (I mean, I know the old joke about action heroes never going to the bathroom, but we were kept more apprised of Tom's bathroom habits that we truly ever needed to be, even with the bit of plot that it eluded to. Also, there is a tendency to repeat full names--something I've picked at in thrillers frequently--which I find irritating and unnecessary. But that's just me.) Both characters were believable--important with they are essentially the only two characters in the book. Real and touching, with an ending that brought a tear to my eye, Manchester has provided another poignant slice-of-life book to the shelves.

Rating: **** (Recommended) ( )

I’ve always been dubious about road trip books, mainly because I hadn’t read one I truly enjoyed. Ashes by Steven Manchester proved to be the exception.

Two estranged brothers must travel across America to spread their hated father’s ashes before they will learn if he left them anything. But Jason and Tom haven’t spoken for fifteen years – and neither has the desire to rekindle their relationship. Stuck in a car with each other, however, has an interesting effect and the two brothers start to reconnect.

To start with, I didn’t like Jason or Tom – one was too aggressive, the other too weak. But as their journey progressed and emotions began to be displayed (other than calling each other names), they grew on me. Behind the aggression, Jason is genuine in wanting to help people. Tom is slightly naïve, but has his heart in the right place and he cares about his brother. By the end, I wanted to give them both a hug!

Ashes touched me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Maybe I was in just the right mood to be receptive to it? Living for yourself and being happy is the most important thing in life – and the thing that often is overlooked. Ashes displays a powerful message about looking after yourself and striving for contentment.

It also focused on abuse and how fear, anger and hate can dictate our lives. It’s made clear that it didn’t have to be that way for everyone, that there is an escape and a chance to be happy.

The fact that Ashes got to me on an emotional level shows that Manchester is a strong writer. His characters were well-established and certainly three-dimensional – the two brothers discovered they had a lot of emotions to deal with.

There were a few too many meals being described but in general, the focus remained on the plot rather than the road-trip.

A short but enjoyable read that makes you think about your life choices. I would recommend it. ( )

Every once in a while an author comes along who writes novels that are so powerfully compelling, poignant, and thought provoking, that they pull at the heartstrings and stir the soul. For me, that author is Steven Manchester and his latest novel, Ashes.

Ashes is a wonderful story about the complicated dynamics of family relationships that will simply pull at your emotional heartstrings. Author Steven Manchester weaves a richly descriptive tale that follows the cross country journey of estranged middle-aged brothers Jason and Tom Prendergast, when they are forced to travel together to fulfill their father's last wishes of scattering his ashes in Seattle, Washington. Traveling from Salem, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington, the brothers' journey is filled with humor, sibling rivalry, animosity, unresolved dysfunctional family issues, regrets, and an emotional chance to renew the bonds of brotherhood.

The reader will be easily captivated and drawn into the brothers' sentimental and touchingly realistic journey. The author does a wonderful job of intertwining the brothers' traumatic childhood past with the difficulties that they face in their present lives. You can't help but get swept away and experience the full gamut of emotions as the brothers face a crossroad in their lives as they hash out their unresolved dysfunctional family dynamic, while considering the intense and difficult choices of how to deal with their current life issues.

Ashes is an powerful and compelling story written from the heart. It is a must read that will make you ponder your own family dynamic, stir your soul, and resonate with you for a very long time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Providence Book Promotions.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2017/04/ashes-by-steven-manchester-aut... ( )

Ashes by Steven Manchester
Have read other works by the author and know I will enjoy this one also as storyline sounds very interesting, something I'd like to do one day.
Jason and Tom have one mission after their father has passed away-to deliver his ashes to a location in Seattle. They do leave the Boston area and we find them on the road.
It's a very angry hateful ride but they do find some insistence they remember from their past years when they were younger, living at home.
Lessons are cruel. Language is cruel at times but necessary to get you in the frame of mind of the scenes.
Jason is the guard at the prison and Tom is a professor. Love bantering between the two as they are able to laugh at one another...
Love travel along the way and the places they stay-learning a bit about them.
End of the journey was quite a shock to me and they learn so much about their life. Like also that the story continued on as we see the changes they each made. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
I received this from the author and this is my honest review. ( )