In Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, Millicent Watts-Cohen seeks to posthumously reunite her late best friend—the eponymous Rose Nash, a World War II veteran who served as a pigeoneer—with Elsie Brown, a nurse, and the love of Rose’s life. After her flight to Key West is grounded, Millie shares a rental car with Hollis Hollenbeck, an acquaintance from DC. As the miles fly by and hijinks ensue, Millie shares Rose and Elsie’s love story with Hollis, who is growing fond of the former child actor despite his skeptical stance on love. This heartwarming debut novel by historian and former AU staffer Sarah Adler, CAS/BA ’13, MA ’18, features a dual timeline, a rollicking road trip, and heaps of romantic comedy.
What led you to write this book?
I heard an interview with a musician on the radio who took his mother’s ashes with him on tour and would sprinkle a little bit on every stage he played to let her fulfill her dream of being a performer. I was touched [by his story], but at the same time I couldn’t stop thinking, “Who’s cleaning up at the end of the night? Is somebody just vacuuming the stage and then this poor woman’s ashes are in random vacuums?” I had too many questions. I also thought about what an updated version of the 1934 film It Happened One Night might look like. Eventually—probably in the shower—I was like, “Wait, I can combine these two things.”
Do you have a favorite scene from Mrs. Nash’s Ashes?
The opening scene came to me very quickly. I was finding Millie’s voice, discovering the characters. My first impressions carried over into the final draft, [so] it’s also the moment that readers meet the characters.
What makes a road trip an effective setting for a romantic story?
Within the starting point and the destination, there’s a lot of wiggle room for things to go differently, whether for better or worse. You might see an ad along the side of the road for something that looks cool and stop somewhere you didn’t plan to. In a love story, a road trip’s an exciting breeding ground for feelings and attractions because it’s so unpredictable. It forces you to see the best and worst of each other—and work together to get to where you’re going when things go wrong.
Was it challenging to balance two timelines?
It wasn’t too hard for me. I kept separate documents until about three-quarters through drafting. Once I started thinking strategically about how they slotted together, it felt more like a whole.
Where did your research take you?
I wrote this in winter 2020 and 2021, so I wasn’t able to travel or do anything hands-on. The coolest thing I found was the actual pigeoneer manual from World War I about where pigeons live and how to feed and train them.
Your protagonist was a child actor, and Mara Wilson, whose breakout role was in Mrs. Doubtfire, narrates the audio version of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. How did that happen?
That was something Millie told me about herself—it felt more like that than me making her up—as I wrote that first chapter. I was kind of surprised. Then, after I was done writing, I read Mara Wilson’s memoir [Where Am I Now?], and I was shocked by how similar her story was to Millie’s. I asked my audio producer to reach out to Mara Wilson about narrating, and thankfully, she agreed.
What’s next for you?
My second book, Happy Medium, comes out in April 2024. It’s about a fake spirit medium, a skeptical farmer, and a ghost. I’m currently working on a third book [with] a treasure hunt and a childhood friends–to–lovers situation.
Epilogue
Do you gravitate toward a particular genre when you’re reading for pleasure?
Historical romance. And cozy fantasy romance is trendy right now. I’ve really enjoyed that.
What was the last great book you read?
I just finished reading Charm City Rocks: A Love Story by Matthew Norman. It’s a feel-good story set in Baltimore, so it’s fun to get that local flavor.
Favorite bookstore or library?
Curious Iguana in Frederick, [Maryland].
Best time and place to read?
My husband and I have this routine where we read a book aloud together in bed at night. A lot of the time we do historical romance or romance. Oftentimes, it’ll be something I’ve already read. I guess it’s kind of mushy, but I really like our joint reading time. It’s like a little two-person book club.
If you’re struggling to finish a book, do you push through or put it down?
Very few books I don’t like enough to keep going till the end. There’s usually something about it I’m finding interesting or worthwhile, even if I’m seeing something else in it that I’m not a fan of. Usually, if something’s not going to click for me, I know it either before I pick the book up or within the first chapter or two.
Any guilty pleasures?
I don’t really believe in guilty pleasures, but Elizabeth Hoyt’s historical romance series—it’s called Maiden Lane—is just super-fun. Very escapist and over-the-top.
Is there a book you’ve reread often?
Jennifer Crusie’s Welcome to Temptation is my go-to. I love everything about it. When I’m stuck in my own writing, it’s what I read to scrub on my brain to get it working again.
You’re hosting a dinner party for three writers—dead or alive. Who’s on the guest list?
Amor Towles, Lily King, and Hilary Leichter. I’d want to see what they can teach me.