From the Fires Scattered There

by Kammeron Polverari

On the morning of December 14, 1943, two trains collide in rural southeastern North Carolina in one of the worst tragedies to ever strike the state.A local resident, burdened by the weight of a choice he must soon make, is startled by an explosion. He sprints across the fields to find a scene of terror and chaos that can never be erased from his memory.
Amongst the wreckage and mangled bodies lie a soldier returning home for Christmas, not knowing whether he'll be forgiven for the despicable decisions that caused him to leave in the first place, and a bride excited about her new life, yet fearful of spending it with the man she regretfully married.
From the Fires Scattered There shares the true story of the Tamiami Champion train wreck that claimed seventy-four lives. Through this expertly braided work of historical fiction, debut author Kammeron Polverari weaves the havoc, helplessness, and humanity of her protagonists' lives into our own.

166 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2023

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smooth transitions between events throughout the novel.

I chose this rating because the living details of the characters lives absorbed me into their activities. The book is written in such a favorable fashion that fact an fiction are latent and blended together. Left me with a remarkable sense of wonder as to how fate dealt with the lives of the many characters , especially the main ones. Historical fiction that I enjoyed and i recommend to others.

[Barbara Cruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling

For a first book the author did a good job creating a fictional account of the worst train wreck in NC history. As a resident of Robeson County I can attest to the veracity of various people and places. The Baker Sanitorium still exists although repurposed. As the author explained at a book reading, the characters are representations of people who would possibly have been passengers on the train. I especially appreciated the fact that Kammeron wrote the poem that began each chapter and that evidence of her Christian faith is woven throughout.

[Julie Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly spellbinding book that keeps you close in with the characters with the unfolding of each of their individual lives. Very well written with enough description to suck you in, but not so much as to drown you. Really truly a gem of a book. Quick read at less than 200 pages.

[Kyle Corley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish it didn’t jump around so much, but did end all the stories.

[Paul J]

Wonderfully written, well researched, really well done.