Lead Review (Mrs Nash’s Ashes)
- Book: Mrs Nash’s Ashes
- Location: East Coast USA, Key West
- Author: Sarah Adler
This is a cute friends to lovers odyssey, as Millie (Millicent) and Hollis embark on a road trip together, travelling from Washington DC to Key West – the ultimate destination is Boca Chica Key. They are thrown together when the plane from the capital is delayed and Millie is on a mission, and doesn’t quite have a deadline but there is an urgency. She is taking (some of) the ashes of her recently deceased and elderly friend, Rose Nash to hook up with the love of her life, who has just been traced by Millie – but Elsie, too, is elderly, with only days to live.
There are flashbacks to 1940/50s which sets the context for Rose’s history.
Hollis and Millie know each other through connection to her ex, Josh, who let her down badly by publicising her life on Instagram. She knew nothing of this. As a teen she appeared on TV which made her famous and she still garners interest from fans. Josh, she says, is simply a “douchecanoe” (whatever that is, but it doesn’t sound good). She has a naivety about her, a determination to see good where she can and Hollis says of her “I have met babies that are more worldly than you”. They don’t get off to a particularly positive start, but soon they are joshing (pun totally intended) and much more awaits them down the line.
Their caper continues from DC, through Virginia and NC and on to Florida, staying in curious accommodation and eating at a variety of places. Millie is clear that she is falling for him at the point he lifts her up so she can put her hand down the throat of a large stuffed bear (don’t ask). There are broccoli festivals along the way (the heaviest broccoli on record was grown in 1933 and weighed 35lb) and run-ins with animals on the road….
Think Peewee’s Big Adventure, with a sprinkling of ashes, some fun and sadness along the way. Overall a good romp through East Coast America.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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