About The Book

New author, Elna Fone Nugent shares her life story in Mountain Ash, an honest and dramatic memoir including many moments never before revealed.

Born after two disappointing miscarriages and a tense pregnancy, the author’s birth was considered a sheer miracle by her family. A fun-loving child, blessed with devoted parents and relatives, something peculiar in her thinking and feelings made her realize she was quite different from the rest of the family. The strong negative reaction of her family to her openly expressed perceptions quickly taught her to keep her thoughts to herself. Eventually her unusual awareness somehow helped her deal with sudden and serious difficulties and adversities.

During Nugent’s childhood a neighborhood tragedy close to home caused a deep trauma in her that initiated a life of relentless research into philosophy, religion, psychology and all phases of life and the human condition. She shares some of her personal discoveries.

Marriage and four children forced her to retire from her teaching career and face herself in terms never required of her before. A breakthrough occurred. She was eventually able to stand from the ashes of her former self after one of the darkest periods of her life and realize that something in her had been transformed.