The Ash Museum

Travel across ten decades and three continents in The Ash Museum, a mesmerising intergenerational saga of loss, migration, and the search for home.

The year is 1944, and the Battle of Kohima claims the life of James Ash, who leaves behind two families - his wife and children, as well as his parents and sister who live in England unaware of his Indian family.

Fast forward to 2012, where Emmie is determined to raise her daughter in a world safe from the racism of her childhood. Her father, Jay, still haunted by his past, remains silent about his Indian life. One day, Emmie seeks solace in a local museum filled with another family's stories and artifacts. Little does she know that her own family's history is itself a treasure trove of secrets and mysteries awaiting her discovery.

'Extraordinary' Christie Hickman, Books Editor, S Magazine
'A beautifully written, multi-generational tale' Ella Dove, novelist and Commissioning Editor at Good Housekeeping, Prima and Red magazines
'Rebecca Smith's book demonstrates, yet again, her gift for vivid humour and deep empathy' Philip Hoare
'A timely and acutely observed novel about family and the circle of life' Carmel Harrington