"This is a novel that echoes an old Scot-Irish ballad, a story of indiscretion, murder, good intentions gone awry, and ultimate judgment. Lee Smith calls this "a classic tale of passion and tragedy" where each "voice rings as true as the sound of an ax in the cold early morning air." It is likewise a coming-of-age story, where a young man learns the truth about family and his roots. Rash weaves into the tale his own indictment against the confiscation of Appalachian land by government eminent domain laws and environmental issues. The narrative method poignantly relies on multiple focus point of view, where the sheriff, the wife, the husband, and the son reveal their perception of the story, allowing Rash to demonstrate the complexity of human existence and morality.

A child is drowned in the Tamasssee River, her body trapped in the eddy. A grieving mother and father want to retrieve the body to bury their child. On opposing sides are environmentalists who believe that the rescue attempt will cause permanent damage to this remarkable, wild river and townsfolk who support the parents. In the middle is a young news photographer who grew up in the town and who is covering the story. Returning after 10 years to cover these tragic events, Maggie Glen must resurrect old wounds and make a moral decision about individual rights and the rights of a larger group. Like most of Rash's books, there are no easy answers, particularly in the complex environmental issues associated with the mountains and mountain communities.

This is a coming-of-age story set in a mountain community of Madison County, North Carolina, a story that has something to say about the drug world that has begun to plague Appalachia. It is a contemporary story about a young man, Travis Shelton, who sets out to rid his community of a rural, drug-dealing deadbeat, and in the process resurrects the truth of a Civil War massacre that comes back to haunt the community. Past and present interplay in this fascinating tale, where corruption doesn't belong to any one generation. Serena (2008), 2011 WV One Book, One Community: Rash has created in Serena an Appalachian Macbeth, as he takes us to turn-of-the-century North Carolina timber empire of George Pemberton. Pemberton has found his match in the Boston beauty Serena, whom he brings back to the mountains to share his life, his empire, and his power. Serena is equal to any man in this hard and gritty "man's world" of timber and big business. Her ambition and George's ruthlessness are unbounded until an innocent child appears to stand in Serena's way and in George's affection. The tragedy and valor at the end of the story, the shear suspense and excitement, are worthy of Sophocles or Seneca.

Serena (2008), 2011 WV One Book, One Community: Rash has created in Serena an Appalachian Macbeth, as he takes us to turn-of-the-century North Carolina timber empire of George Pemberton. Pemberton has found his match in the Boston beauty Serena, whom he brings back to the mountains to share his life, his empire, and his power. Serena is equal to any man in this hard and gritty "man's world" of timber and big business. Her ambition and George's ruthlessness are unbounded until an innocent child appears to stand in Serena's way and in George's affection. The tragedy and valor at the end of the story, the shear suspense and excitement, are worthy of Sophocles or Seneca.

Burning Bright (2010) is Rash's newest collection of stories.

Chemistry and Other Stories contains some of Rash's best short stories, including O. Henry Prize winner "Speckled Trout" and "Pemberton's Bride," the donneé for Serena.