Betsy Ashton

If Not Now

I'm likely to catch hell for this post, but I don't care. I've written passionately about rape, bullying, drug violence. I don't think I've felt the anger I felt yesterday when 21 people, mostly children, were slaughtered in Uvlade, TX. Children who were days away...
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Who Can You Believe?

That's the primary question Clifford Garstang asks in his latest novel, OLIVER'S TRAVELS. I'm a long-time fan of his work. By far, this is his best work yet. I know him to be a solid writer with a strong grasp of craft, but the complexity of this novel blew me away....
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Staying True To My Roots

No, I don't mean the color of my hair. It's silver-white by nature. What I mean is I can't and won't walk away from the roots of what make me me. I discovered the world when I went away to college. Even with the Vietnam war lucking in the darkness of my senior year of...
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A Review of Anthony Doerr’s CLOUD CUCKOO LAND

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony DoerrMy rating: 5 of 5 starsWhen my book club decided to read Doerr's latest, I was skeptical. One, the book is a monster. 600+ pages. Two, I couldn't see why anyone rated it as high as they did. It was so disjointed. Then, I read the...
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