Ashes

Eva stumbles from a burning building unable to answer questions about anything that happened before the night that Dan rescued her. Lacking identity is particularly concerning for a child – who will look after her? The answer: until she can remember who she is, a string of foster carers, some more competent than others.

Dan would keep her, if he was allowed, but instead he must heal his strained marriage. His wife, Bea, is grieving, since their own child was born sleeping. Dan escapes his small, unhappy house, to investigate Eva’s past. With space to think, he realizes that any life without Bea is not an option he would consider. But will Bea agree?

Carrie-Anne lives behind the burning house where Eva was found in a grainy fug of depression, alcohol and denial, sleeping through days and drinking away nights. Does she want to remember how the past links her to Eva? During her recovery, this is the question that plagues her, without an answer as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

This beautifully written, deeply imagined novel explores these varied aspects of loss and relationships, while providing sometimes startling insights into the inner world of a sensitive, perceptive small child.

Sarah Mitchell-Jackson has been writing for as long as she can remember. Although she took a detour through the labyrinth of Psychology, words are her first love. She has had short fiction and poetry published in The Critical Pass Review, in Really System, on The Conium Review website and on the No Extra Words podcast. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Originally from Margate in Kent, she spent five years in total at the universities of Sheffield, York and Cambridge. As well as gaining three degrees, she also learnt to shoot – guns and cameras – took to the stage and wrote for campus magazines. Sarah can sell advertising space, find you your ideal job and then help you get it by pepping up your CV and teaching you how to interview like a pro. She can bring children and young people home alive after a residential trip and knows how to throw a party for a roomful of nine-year-olds. Sarah can also get you an A* in Psychology A-level and smooth over any difficulty with her customer service skills.