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Mrs. Nash's Ashes

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023!

A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.
She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.
After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.
But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.
A Most Anticipated Summer Read by Today Barnes & NobleBookRiot ∙ GoodReadsCulturess ∙ and more!
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 20, 2023
      Debut author Adler combines heat and sweet in this charmingly offbeat rom-com. Former child star Millicent Watts-Cohen is determined to fulfill the dying wish of Rose Nash, her elderly landlady and dear friend. She sets out for Key West, Fla., to reunite Rose—or rather, some of her cremains—with Rose’s long-lost love, Elsie Brown, who is in hospice. She hopes to deliver the ashes before Elsie dies, but a major airport computer meltdown may foil those plans. Enter an acquaintance of her jerk ex-boyfriend, writer Hollis Hollenbeck, who is also stranded at the airport en route to Florida. The pair decide to drive together, and though perpetually sunny Millicent and curmudgeon Hollis make an odd couple, they bond quickly as the trip progresses. The author adds emotional depth by toggling between the present day and WWII, when Rose and Elsie’s forbidden queer romance first blossomed. Adler’s well-drawn characters leap off the page, and she handles difficult topics with grace. She also shows off her comedy chops in some laugh-out-loud road trip mishaps, including the leads booking a room at a Jesus-themed bed-and-breakfast and Millicent stumbling into the role of grand marshal at a small-town broccoli festival. This delightful debut is sure to find fans. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Mara Wilson delivers an engaging performance of Adler's charming debut rom-com. With a smile in her voice and pacing that matches the action, Wilson introduces us to Millicent, who's taking the ashes of Mrs. Nash, her elderly best friend, to Key West to be reunited with Mrs. Nash's long-lost love. Forced to catch a ride with standoffish Hollis, who doesn't believe in happily-ever-afters, Millie contends with road trip mishaps and a growing attraction to her reluctant companion as she considers Mrs. Nash's ill-fated first love. Wilson differentiates tellingly between characters, whose moods heighten listeners' emotions. Flirty, sad, angry, giggle-happy, and va-va-voom hot--it's all here and all fun. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from September 1, 2023

      This grumpy-meets-sunshine contemporary rom-com features a woman on a race against time to reunite her best friend with her first love. After her friend Mrs. Nash dies, Millie is determined to take some of her ashes to Key West, where she's discovered that the woman Mrs. Nash thought had passed away decades ago is still living, though not for much longer. When Millie's trip is derailed by air-travel issues, she hitches a ride to Key West with an acquaintance--her ex-boyfriend's frenemy, Hollis. He's looking forward to his long weekend in Miami, visiting a friend for their semiannual affair, but his plan changes as he and Millie drive from DC to Florida. Mishaps along the way add to their growing friendship and attraction. Mara Wilson showcases a stellar ability to take listeners into Millie and Hollis's world. As she follows the couple's misadventure-filled yet frequently humorous path, she fully captures Millie's exuberant personality, quirks and all. Expressive and entertaining, Wilson imbues her performance with a range of emotions--humor, hope, anxiety, sorrow--and fully immerses listeners into the story. VERDICT Wilson's skillful narration of Alder's debut is sure to delight listeners, making this a must-have production.--Amanda L. S. Murphy

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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