Wanda Fries

Ash Grove Wanda Fries

Deana Perry, the daughter of a coal miner, and Will Brinson, the son of a wealthy coal operator, have tried to leave the shadows of their powerful fathers and the painful secrets of Ash Grove, Kentucky, far behind them. But now Cleave Brinson is dead and Wayman Perry is dying. Will, who wonders if his father was capable of murder, finds himself drawn back to Ash Grove determined to unravel the mystery of his mother's death. Deana has managed to build a life for herself and her daughter Sophie. But when she returns to Ash Grove, will their fragile happiness be able to survive the truth?

Lee Smith writes, "Wanda Fries goes straight for the heart in Ash Grove, a story of lost love and terrible secrets in an Appalachian mining town. Both gritty and poetic, real and transcendent, Ash Grove is a literary page-turner, heralding a major new talent. Wanda Fries writes from deep within the contemporary culture of Appalachia, and she gets it all just exactly right."

Silas House--"Ash Grove is a beautiful novel."