Ash is a potent and oblique novel, interspersed with stream of consciousness bursts of free verse. It's short, ingenious, angry, and follows Thea, a vet at a rural practice, juggling mothering, a toxic workplace, a detached partner and other daily challenges. A nearby volcano coats the countryside with ash, making life even more difficult. It's intense, very readable, and far bigger than its 150 pages would indicate.