THE ASH FAMILY

THE ASH FAMILY

By Molly Dektar

My girl, my girl, don’t lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don’t ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, where will you go
I’m going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don’t ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through – American Folk Song (Leadbelly version)

This book was intriguing, a curiosity. It tells of a young woman’s introspection and confusion as she leaves her life behind and joins a different kind of “family” – a commune, a cult. As her mind absorbs her new environment and she tries so hard to fit in, her inner self continues to question and to desire things she’s no longer supposed to want. Her brainwashing is almost total, with “almost” being the key word. She has both feet planted in her new world (the “real world” as her new family calls it), but is still dangling her toes in the waters of her former life.

With lyrical details and a darkness blanketing the story (no spoilers, but I couldn’t help but wonder throughout the book how this could possibly end well), the writing kept me engrossed until the end. I wanted more at the end, but I think it wouldn’t have served the story well if I had gotten what I wanted. And now I sound like one of the “family.” Eek.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewed October 2018