★ "Powerfully poetic...a testament to American virtues--and flaws."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A deeply moving family story unfolding in richly evocative prose and a poetic portrayal of a town in decline during the final decades of the American century, Ashland is a book of metamorphoses--of the dance between permanence and transformation.
In Ashland, New Hampshire, Carolyn, born of a teenage pregnancy, grows up alongside her mother Ellie, her aunt Jennie, and her cousins. Ashland is the type of place that most people plan to leave, but few do. Beauty can be found in small things--the trees in the wind, the sky's particular shade of blue, a swim in the river, love, and family. But life can often be unforgiving and solace hard to come by. Carolyn reconciles the losses in her own life with an education at Plymouth State, the local university, and then by capturing in words her world and the people who inhabit it.
Recalling the novels of Richard Russo, Paul Harding, Marilynne Robinson, and Elizabeth Strout, Ashland is a debut novel of great intensity and poetry told in the voices of many vivid characters and, through them, in the voice of Ashland itself.
About the Author :
Dan Simon is the founder and editor-in-chief of Seven Stories Press. Ashland is his debut novel. He lives in New York and New Hampshire.
Review :
"Like a modern Thornton Wilder with a touch of Faulkner... With quiet lyricism and deep compassion, Simon brings to life the complexity, melancholy, and hope that are braided into the human spirit."--Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree
"It is often the stories that go unspoken which carry the most weight and influence in our lives. Dan Simon captures this ethos brilliantly in Ashland, his restrained prose belying the rich undercurrents of the characters who reside in this titular, halfway town. Simon is a bright, attentive new voice in the pastoral canon."--Shannon Bowring, author of The Dalton Novels
★ "Multilayered and richly evocative... Powerfully poetic, this novel serves as a cross section of the Granite state, a testament to American virtues--and flaws."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"A poetic, psychological, original take on the ways we are all affected and connected by how and where we live."--Beverly Gologorsky, author of The Things We Do to Make It Home
"Ashland is remarkable for its range of acutely observed characters and its rich evocation of the landscape and weather of New Hampshire. Simon creates a tapestry of voices and tones with extraordinary skill and emotional resonance."--Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn
