Chelsea is tired of her worn-out life, aimless in a city many only dream of living. She longs for something she cannot pinpoint. So, taking a tip from total strangers in a cafe’ to do a workshop in an impossibly too-hip small city in the mountains of Western North Carolina, she finds her tribe and embarks on an adventure. As with any Hero’s Journey, she needs something bigger than herself, which she finds in her uncle on the verge of homelessness.

What ensues is a delight for the senses, drawing parallels to Memoirs of a Geisha with a touch of a Tom Robbins tale. Rich creates a story that is hard to put down. With exquisite pacing and all the reminders within the writing itself for the characters to be in the moment, the reader feels right there with them. This mystical, road-tripping experience will have you giggling and possibly even provide revelations about your way of being.

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Chapter One – Read by the author

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REVIEWS

A must read! A compelling mystery filled with unforgettable people.
Filled with familiar places and oddly relatable people, Trouble at the Ashram is a delightful read. Each character has a universe of their own and together weave a story both intriguing and beguiling. I often felt as if I knew many of them in my own life and the locations used as the environment for the story were filled with streets I have walked in my past.
–Robert Pease

Andrea is a new voice.
Andrea is a new voice with a gift for weaving a compelling story of diverse characters with varying ages. Further, these complex characters remain real and grounded as they lay aside some defenses if only to reveal more. TROUBLE AT THE ASHRAM had my full attention. Now, I look forward to continuing the “hero’s journey!”
–JSanders

A carousel, a cartwheel & an oracle in book form
Rhythmic, playful prose that reads like a screenplay and sweeps you up in a galloping, immersive adventure. A serendipitous collection of characters are joined by the plight of lovable Uncle Harold who needs a little help living at an ashram in the Sonoran Desert.

I found the dialogue between the characters to be so real and dimensional that I felt like I was sitting in the back seat accompanying them on their road trip to/from an Ashram, through the corridors of the infamous Chelsea Hotel, and dropping into decadent fiestas in tropical Havana.

There is a quality of spontaneity and excitement interwoven in the decisions of the Ashram gang that recalibrated my thinking along similar lines: back into the ever-present, ever-expanding here-and-now.

My favorite works of fiction are alchemical in nature, transforming my thinking and being. Trouble at the Ashram is one of those creations. The inner transformation of each character awakened a seed of alternate living and perceiving in me, putting me in the way of more flow, magic, and FUN.

Highly recommend this delightful read and I’m hoping we have a sequel!
–Lydia

A fun and compelling adventure
A fun and compelling novel written by a gifted author! A coming of age adventure, set amongst a transformational global pandemic, which reflects a great trans-generational respect amongst the rich cast of characters!!
–W. Arthur Toogood

An inspiring reminder to take action when an adventure presents itself!
There is so much in this book to think on and digest, I absolutely must read it again. Not only for the story but for all of the pearls of wisdom and insight left for the reader like little gifts.

It wrapped up so nicely in a way I did not see coming! I want to live with James!
–Donna G

A magical mystical adventure!
A fantastic first novel by author Andrea Rich, Trouble at the Ashram is a unique, layered story with a cast of endearing characters. You won’t want to put it down until you find out how it all comes together! Highly recommend.
–L. Carol

About the Author

Trouble at the Ashram is my first book of fiction~

As a storyteller, there are many ways to tell a story. I had great times creating stories and characters when I performed in small clubs with my group in NYC. It was radical guerilla theater.

A huge part of my life has also been spent redesigning spaces. It’s the art of transforming a place. It, too, has a narrative. It has its own mis-en-scene. This arrangement of beauty is central to my work. As is symbiosis with nature.

What seems to drive my chariot is emancipation. Creating characters that become more of who they are meant to be. That’s why I am a fan of pre-Code films, where the protagonist is often female, multidimensional, and dealing with complex life situations. They are savvy, self-aware, and jaw-dropping—as we are not used to them. Since we don’t move back, we move on, the narratives that interest me now, include humor and a new code—one that is not predictable. My passion is to rock the narrative. As a new voice for a new code, one that is about absolute and total emancipation, especially for women. So much has been hijacked, and it’s time to tell stories as beautiful as they are expansive. I rally for writers who blow my mind.