Of Ashes and Dust

by Ron Roman

Overview

At the time of the Millennium three people struggle for survival in a small New Hampshire town as the world spins into chaos, not realizing that each harbors secrets that will eventually pit them against one another. The story evolves from the U.S. Government’s earlier two classified secret projects during the Vietnam War (the USAF’s revelation about UFOs and Project Sixty-Seven). Of Ashes and Dust is a no-punches-pulled apocalyptic tale of mesmerizing intrigue and gut-retching survival told as an alternate-history thriller during the Last Days of a global Armageddon, culminating in a totally unexpected and explosive ending.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592114269
Publisher:	Histria Books
Publication date:	06/25/2024
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Associate Professor of English, ESL, and Humanities Ron Roman has taught with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC- Asia) since 1996. He retired from full-time employment and later as an adjunct during the COVID-19 crisis. His hobbies include jogging, hiking, camping, weightlifting, roller-coasters—and his beloved 1968 Rambler American antique auto for which he received Third Prize in the Hemmings (Motor News) National Antique Auto Show in Bennington, Vermont shortly before returning overseas.

Editorial Reviews

12/05/2022

Roman’s debut is an apocalyptic story of anarchy and chaos upending America. Will Watson and Mark Mercotti are Vietnam vets and good friends, with a shared interest in UFOs and government secrecy—and at least one long-ago betrayal between them soon to be revealed. When Will lands a teaching job at Swenson College in Springvale, New Hampshire, he’s attracted to Kimiko Tanimoto, the new Korean-Japanese teaching assistant, in spite of the difference in their ages. With the government threatening to tighten gun laws, the residents of Springvale form the Liberty Militia to defend their right to own firearms, as the federal government lurches toward becoming a police state amidst a global conflict. The novel finds this trio, circa the turn of the millennium, striving to survive as their world dies.

Distinguished by sparkling prose and an immersive narrative style, Roman’s story of liberty and revolution offers readers more than a vision of an American dystopia and a terrifying global conflict, reflecting the faultlines of real-world politics. His descriptions of the state’s increasing encroachment on civil liberties have persuasive power, as does his plausible portrayal of the failure of governance and a gradual descent into anarchy. The subtle hints of Mark’s attraction for Will and Kimiko’s understated disapproval, perhaps instinctively sensing him as a rival, highlight a nuanced, even elegant portrayal of a relationship. Also delightful is the author’s depiction of petty rivalries in the English department.

“This is the story of survival, consummate survival,” narrator Watson announces early on, and Of Ashes and Dust assuredly is that, though its interests range widely, digging into UFO conspiracies, shocking secrets from the Vietnam era, and the urgent pain of facing grief and guilt. The novel's unclassifiable, memorable, and offers, by its jolting end, surprisingly definitive answers about great coverups of the late 20th century. Will’s not always likable, but he is compelling.

Takeaway: A realistic and captivating novel about three people and their struggle to survive an apocalypse.

Great for fans of: Ben H. Winters’s The Last Policeman, Omar El Akkad’s American War.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

"Of special appeal to fans of dystopian novels, Of Ashes and Dust is a compelling read that showcases author Ron Roman's genuine flair as a novelist with respect to his impressive originality and narrative driven storytelling skills." — Michael J. Carson, Midwest Book Review

Global Thriller Book Awards Finalist. The Global Thriller Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in High Stakes Thriller Fiction. The Global Thriller Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

From the Publisher