Start reading Whispers from the Ashes on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

 
 
 

Try it free

Sample the beginning of this book for free

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Read books on your computer or other mobile devices with our FREE Kindle Reading Apps.
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

Whispers from the Ashes [Kindle Edition]

Patricia Hester
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)

Digital List Price: $4.99 What's this?
Print List Price: $14.60
Kindle Purchase Price: $4.99
Prime Members: $0.00 (borrow for free from your Kindle) Prime Eligible
When Purchased, You Save: $9.61 (66%)

  • Includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet

For Kindle Device Owners

Borrow this book for free on a Kindle device with Amazon Prime. Buy a Kindle today and start your Amazon Prime free trial to borrow this book at no cost.

With Prime, Kindle owners can choose from over 300,000 titles to borrow for free – including all seven Harry Potter books and more than 100 current and former New York Times best sellers. Borrow a book as frequently as once per month, with no due dates. Learn more about Kindle Owners' Lending Library.

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $4.99  
Paperback $13.14  
Summer Reading
Summer Reading
Browse the best books of summer including blockbusters, beach reads, and editors' picks in our Summer Reading Store.

Book Description

Pennsylvania coal country, 1955.
A community struggling with economic collapse, religious differences, and an encroaching underground mine fire.
A mysterious entry in a dead man’s diary.
A father with a troubled past.
A daughter's innocent curiosity.
A house filled with secrets.
A debut coming-of-age story that will tug at your heart-strings.


Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Whispers from the Ashes is based on true events in Pennsylvania history.  Underground mine fires have become a fact of life for many mining regions.  The one highlighted in this book is the Red Ash fire, located in the borough of Laurel Run.  It continues to burn to this day.

About the Author

PATRICIA HESTER, who grew up in Pennsylvania, presents her debut coming-of-age novel, Whispers from the Ashes, semi-finalist in both the 2005 James Jones First Novel Fellowship and the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Patricia, a Registered Nurse and freelance writer, lives in Washington State. Her short story "The Light of Life" placed first in Nursing2009's annual story contest.

Product Details

  • File Size: 582 KB
  • Print Length: 418 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0984561609
  • Publisher: Patricia Wiggins; 2 edition (October 29, 2010)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0049U4W7Y
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Lending: Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,724 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • Would you like to give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

I am not finished reading yet but this is a very well written book. GrannyG  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
I found the book tedious and uninteresting with too many characters. marty  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement
The book is very well written, using beautiful poetic descriptions. mountainmama  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
133 of 137 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Whispers from the Ashes September 29, 2010
Format:Paperback
What a delightful coming of age novel by a new author. It is a fast moving story about Molly, a young girl searching for answers from the past as she moves forward to the future. Molly is a member of close knit family in the 1950's. She has a loving mom who has so much love to give that she shares it with her children as well as the children of other family members. She has a warmhearted dad who is probably an alcoholic but she constantly forgives his binges because of her deep love and respect for him. Molly's stories of family hardships and good times are entwined with a family secret she is attempting to solve by eavesdropping on private family conversations and trips to the library searching old newspapers. This appears to be is an innocent novel but at times there are shocking revelations. A very good read.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
64 of 67 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Whispers from the Ashes took me home. November 3, 2010
Format:Paperback
Loved this novel. I was born and raised in the Wilkes-Barre area and moved away. Whenever I would go back to visit my family I would say I am going home. My husband heard about this novel from a friend and bought it for me for my birthday.
He wrote on the gift card, "Going Home". And that is exactly what this novel did. It took me home. It took me back to Northeast Pa. It took me back to the fifties and how simple life was then. I fell in love with Molly Branigan. As she narrates her story she reminds me of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. The story moves quickly and each chapter is just as interesting as the last. This would be a good choice for a Christmas gift for anyone who calls Northeast Pa home.
Was this review helpful to you?
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant November 18, 2010
By chaky
Format:Paperback
Loved that this story unfolded through the eyes of a 5 yr old...made it more real because of using a child's voice to describe the family goings on before she was born that still affect her. And she knows there is more to unfold as she uses all that is available to her as a child to learn it. There was so much family loyalty that prevented the truth from coming out...people moved and kept secrets to protect the family. Amazing how it all came together with all the twists and turns as life kicked in. Was able to visualize the area from the author's description without ever being in similar environments. For me it was a mystery until the end .... loved how the truth caused her to become even closer to her dad. Was hard to put down .. brilliant book. A must read.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars A nice Story
A very nice book to read on holiday, or in fact anytime. Very easy to get into, and hard to put down.
Published 12 days ago by Rosemary Barton
4.0 out of 5 stars I have recommended this book to friends
I found this books interesting and liked the Mother & Daughter connection.

My Father worked in the mines in Wales, so that part of the story was very informative to me
Published 1 month ago by Donna Fraser
1.0 out of 5 stars Could not finish.
My wife tried to read this. Story was disjointed and uninteresting in her opinion. So slow she could not finish the book.
Published 1 month ago by Westside
4.0 out of 5 stars Mid Century Living in the Pennsylvania Coal Country
Interesting story told by a young teen girl who sets out to learn some family secrets. This takes place while the family is struggling to survive during the toughest of economic... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Derald Rudd
3.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Whispers from the Ashes is a good story, but it lacks character development and it got confusing at times trying to keep track of how all the characters were related.
Published 1 month ago by Gail R. Kulp
4.0 out of 5 stars Local story
I live in the Wilkes-Barre PA area and was interested in learning a bit more about the local history. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Joan Pauley
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read!!
Held my interest right from the beginning. Good story line. Gives insight into how hard people struggle to keep what belongs to them. Would read another book by this author.
Published 2 months ago by Cathy
2.0 out of 5 stars Just ok
This book started slowly and was written at about a fourth grade level like Reader's Digest. Do not recommend. The best part: when it was over. Read more
Published 2 months ago by T. Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Easy to read. Plot moves along well.
Interesting historical facts.
Brought the area back to life.
All in all, very enjoyable!
Published 2 months ago by Carolyn M. Burke
1.0 out of 5 stars Whispers From the Ashes
Wasnt keen on this story in fact l couldnt finish it lt had no thrilling parts to it,not keen to try her books again
Published 2 months ago by Valda
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

More About the Author

Originally from Pennsylvania, now living in the Pacific Northwest, Patricia Hester has served as a Registered Nurse in states from Florida to Alaska,served as an officer in the United States Air Force, owned and operated a bed and breakfast, organized investment clubs, worked in the only female corrections center in Washington State, and guided three children into adulthood.

Her debut novel, Whispers from the Ashes, previously titled Giant's Despair, was a semi-finalist in both the 2005 James Jones First Novel Fellowship and the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Her story The Light of Life took first prize in Nursing2009's short story contest. Currently Patricia combines work as a substance abuse/mental health nurse in a small county jail with authoring full length historical and mystery novels.

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?



Forums

There are no discussions about this product yet.
Be the first to discuss this product with the community.
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Customers Who Highlighted This Item Also Highlighted



Look for Similar Items by Category