Reading and Signing with Ashby Jones

Hub City is excited to welcome author Ashby Jones to the shop for a reading and signing of his new book The Crossing. A powerful and haunting love story that combines elements of history and surrealism, the novel tells the story of Irish-born Johnny Flynn, a British soldier who is banished from his homeland and sent to America during the Prohibition era, eventually being made to walk the plank into the Hudson River! Perfect for fans of historical fiction and adventure alike, Ashby's novel is sure to interest and excite. The event is free and open to all, but save your seat and your copy of the book at the link! 

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About the Book 

A haunting love story that straddles history and surrealism

“When love is trapped in the maelstrom between then and now, the crossing cannot be made”

Ashby Jones is back with a powerful and haunting love story of surprising discovery that takes place in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen during Prohibition. It combines history and its doubt, surrealism and reality into an ever-recycling boost of the human spirit. Get ready to fall for The Crossing, a story of love and loss, that forces its characters to learn and heal from past troubles while falling in love and trying to decide who they are and what they stand for.

Irish-born Johnny Flynn, a former British soldier, is banished from his homeland and sent to America on a ship so riddled with disease that he realizes the voyage was meant to murder him. When he survives the trip, the captain forces him to walk the plank into the Hudson River. Miraculously, Johnny survives and is given a job running whisky in Hell’s Kitchen, which, he discovers, is thronged with people whose damaged hearts ache for revenge, repentance and love.

Johnny is plagued by the memory of his lost lover, Nora. But when he meets the ghostly Esme, an Irish singer who has suffered from unspeakable horrors at the hands of the British Black and Tans, he is dazzled. From Esme Johnny learns how to overcome the desire for revenge, only to discover that she, too, clings to her own dark dream of retribution. As Johnny grapples with taking responsibility to help others resolve this overwhelming dilemma, he learns that Nora is coming to New York to advocate for Irish independence. As he confronts her and soon thereafter receives a piercing letter from Esme, the story comes to a turbulent climax.

The Crossing seeks to reconcile love and guilt, grief and promise. Is it possible for those burdened with such perplexity to find satisfaction and comfort in a time full of danger and uncertainty?

About the Author

Ashby Jones's passion is writing romantic, literary fiction that attempts to understand mankind’s never-ending battles with irony, tragedy, blatant contradiction and the anomalies of love. Such is the focus of 'The Crossing', a stand-alone sequel to 'The Angel’s Lamp', his first novel, which was well received and favorably reviewed by the Irish Times. In addition to his educational background in English literature and clinical psychology, Ashby studied under such notables as William Hoffman, a best-selling author, and years later at U.C.L.A. under Leonardo Bercovici, a highly regarded screenwriter.