Out of the Ashes

by A.E. Kayser

“I remember sitting in an alley in a pile of garbage, thinking that that was where I belonged—in garbage. I kept rubbing my thumb over the side of my knife blade trying to decide whether I had the guts to kill myself. I sat there a long time thinking about my old man and how he had ended his life. I visualized the same thing happening to me.”





“Then, I thought about my grandparents and all our dreams, all the hard work and how far I’d come. After a while, I decided it took more guts to live than to die. But at that point, I still wasn’t sure that I had the guts.”



The year is 1960. Billy Running Fox is a young Native American with dreams of becoming a medical doctor. From the reservation in New Mexico to ASU to Washington, DC to Vietnam and back, Billy’s quest takes him on a journey that is fraught with obstacles, some of his own making. How he handles those obstacles makes him stronger and wiser. Billy always reaches for the road not taken and in many instances, creates an entirely new road.





We are all on a journey

538 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2024

Reviews

[Mary Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best metaphor for this story is a mighty river...Annie is at the helm and navigates her craft with great skill and fluidity, and a sense of just what we need to know to love each of her characters the way she does. Her compassion for their stories is right there -- we feel safe with her story telling, and soon understand that she will protect them and forgive them. Her protagonist, Billy Fox, opens his heart to the world; a world filled with rehearsed emotions, and Annie guides us through his reality with a touching sensibility. She has an inherent respect for the challenges of the human condition and the shocking individual experiences that war lays out for us, and the irony of the common enemy we all share: war itself.

[Jessica Roland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.E. Kayser’s Out of the Ashes is a deeply moving and beautifully written story of resilience, self discovery, and the human spirit’s fight to rise above pain. Through the voice of Billy Running Fox a young Native American man determined to overcome poverty, prejudice, and his own inner turmoil Kayser crafts a narrative that is both intensely personal and profoundly universal. Spanning from the reservations of New Mexico to the battlefields of Vietnam, Billy’s story captures the essence of perseverance and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often seems determined to break him. The writing is raw yet graceful, the emotions honest and unflinching.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the Ashes by A. E. Kayser is a deeply moving and honest story about a young man standing at the edge of despair and choosing, again and again, to keep going. Billy Running Fox’s journey from a New Mexico reservation into a wider, often unforgiving world is shaped by grief, inherited pain, and the quiet weight of expectations. His struggles feel intimate and real, especially in the moments when survival itself feels like an act of courage. This is a thoughtful, emotional novel about resilience, identity, and the slow, hard work of becoming someone you never thought you were strong enough to be.

[Laura Sell · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This book was a joy to read from start to finish. It was amazing to see the protagonist grow and be a fly on the wall through his journey from undergrad, to med school, to serving in Vietnam, to working as an attending physician. Well-rounded characters, funny dialogue, and an ending that ties everything together... What more could you want from this historical fiction novel?

[Sandra L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The story is very engaging and you’ll find yourself rooting for Billy throughout this book’s entirety. He and all of the characters will be with me for a very long time. This one kept me awake into the wee hours to finish.

[Kelly Cardinale Crankshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book and I was not let down! I couldn't stop reading. Truly well written, great characters. Loved the details and the storyline. Made me tear up quite a few times 😊

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written characters and well integrated story lines.