Fireball, a Historical Novel by Matthew Rowland

Francis “Fireball” McNamara navigated some of the most seismic events of the 19th century. A refugee of the Irish potato famine, he lived in the United States’ antebellum south, frontier west, and urbanizing north. He saw the promise and the cost of the technological revolution. He was drawn into the bloody “Indian” and Civil Wars, survived deadly epidemics, and was witness to one of the most violent instances of civil unrest in American history. The economic forces of his era gave him hope at times, but more often left him destitute and resorting to crime to sustain himself and his family.

Yet, even in the darkest of days, Fireball found humor, love, deep friendships, and was the beneficiary of selfless acts of kindness. His story had once been lost to time but resurfaced in the oddest of ways. It was as if fate decided we needed to hear it. Fireball humanizes a period in history that is often understood only through sweeping and impersonal generalizations. In addition, Fireball’s wit, resilience, and impact on others notwithstanding his humble social status remind us that no one is inconsequential and that we all, eventually, leave a legacy.