Sweep Out the Ashes

Mary Clearman Blew is the author or editor of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including the novels Ruby Dreams of Janis Joplin (Nebraska, 2018) and Jackalope Dreams (Nebraska, 2008), and the memoir This Is Not the Ivy League (Nebraska, 2011). She is professor emerita of English at the University of Idaho and has won numerous awards, including the Western Literature Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award.

“Sweep Out the Ashes ingeniously weaves surprising narrative strands into a single powerhouse story. It’s a brand-new kind of western novel, and if ever there was a serious page-turner, it’s this book.”-David Huddle, author of The Faulkes Chronicle and My Immaculate Assassin“Smart, witty, hard-hitting, tender, and compelling. . . . Much more than a saga about women struggling for their rightful place in the world, though, this book stages a fascinating love story, a fresh look at ethnic relations, and an exciting exploration of history and its surprising revelations. It’s a damned good read.”-Joy Passanante, author of Through a Long Absence: Words from My Father’s Wars  “Sweep Out the Ashes is a poignant and often funny portrayal of ignorance and growth. Blew invites readers to discover that this conglomeration of people we call a nation is far richer than we thought, and maybe more promising.”-Kent Meyers, author of Twisted Tree