West Woodland neighbor and author, Molly Torres, has published a collaborative novel titled Ash Tuesday with her sister Peggy Nelson and niece Shawna Rengli.  Torres said, “Collaborating long-distance was a challenge. It often led us and our characters in unexpected directions, but it worked. As a first venture into fiction, I’m glad I didn’t have to go it alone!”

The story is set in 2018, and the world is being ravaged by climate changes, natural disasters and an insidious and fast moving virus. To escape, a group of loosely connected, but like minded individuals, travel to a 20 acre off-the-grid compound in Montana, where they attempt to survive a bitter winter and avoid the ever present societal lunacy. The story ranges from Washington and Idaho to Montana, with some very familiar scenes here in Ballard.

“The ending is bound to shock even the most seasoned reader,” Torres says. “It is far more than just a book about survival, it touches on the life and death issues that affect all of us.”

Ash Tuesday can be found at Ballard’s favorite independent book store, Secret Garden Books, 2214 NW Market Street and on Amazon.