The Whispering Bookworm: On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: An Echo of Ashes by Ron Allen Ames

An Echo of Ashes

By Ron Allen Ames

An Echo of Ashes is a story lost to time, then found again in century-old letters that lay in a tattered box.

Based on actual events taken from the pages, this story tells of when the Great War and the Spanish Influenza forever altered the lives of millions, including a family of subsistence farmers who also worked the oil fields of Pennsylvania.

Ella and Almon make their home in the backcountry. Almon and his sons work in the oil fields, just as their forefathers before them. As war and influenza break out, the parents seek to shield their family from the impending perils. Earl, the eldest son, is a gifted trombone and piano player. He is captivated by Lucile Lake, a girl from a higher social status. All he has to win her heart are his music and his words as the military draft looms in the foreground. Jack, a friend as close as a brother, faces the horrors of war at the Western Front. Albert's free spirit creates chaos as he searches for direction. Arthur's patriotism leads him to the Mexican border. Young Russell must suppress his fear to save a life, while Little Clara remains protected from the distress.

World War One and the Spanish Influenza Pandemic are most often documented separately, yet they intersected in 1918. For those who endured sacrifice and loss during this time, looking forward seemed their only choice. The sharp echo of tragedy, carried through the ashes of what once was, likely dulled but never vanished from their minds. This is just one of countless family stories from such a perilous chapter in American history.

Publication Date: March 25th, 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 247

Genre: Historical Fiction

Excerpt

Suddenly, the rattle of machine gun fire came from nowhere. Through the sheets of smoke, chaos broke out as soldiers darted in all directions. Gunfire was everywhere. The carefully orchestrated attack had come undone.

“They are shooting at anything!” Percy screamed. In his confused state, he rushed forward, straight toward the barrage. He will get too close! Jack lunged, chasing Persey. The foot race ended when Jack caught Persey and pulled him down into a shell hole. Both men lay on their bellies with their heads down as dirt splattered over them. The earth shook as the barrage stopped moving. It was now a wall of unceasing explosions, the sound of which had culminated into one continual, deafening, thunder. A semblance of hell was the only description for such a horrific tactic.

Suddenly, it ended. The incessant sound echoed down a nearby valley until it was gone. Smoke, and the metallic smell and taste of gunpowder was all that lingered.

After a time, Jack lifted his head. The dirt fell from his helmet as he peeked over the top of the hole.

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Ron Allen Ames

Ron Allen Ames is a history enthusiast who attributes his forty-six years of life experience as a hands-on business co-owner, for giving him insight into human nature, a benefit when portraying the lives of others. The information he received, dating from 1914 to 1919, is what prompted Ames to bring this history to light in An Echo of Ashes.

Ames lives with his wife Cathy in Pennsylvania. They have two grown sons.

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