A Light in the Desert by Anne Montgomery

The Amtrak Sunset Limited crashes in the desert under strange circumstances in Anne Montgomery’s novel A Light in the Desert. A teenager who is pregnant, a veteran with PTSD, and a group of Pentecostal zealots waiting for the events predicted in Revelations to occur are all in the accident site. The people who were present at the event are the focus of A Light in the Desert.

A Light in the Desert is a work of fiction based on the actual occurrence of the derailing of the Amtrak Sunset Limited on October 9, 1995, in Hyder, Arizona, on its route from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Los Angeles, California. The catastrophe was caused by the removal of railroad ties, albeit the real offenders were never found, A Light in the Desert is a fictionalized version of the events.

Novel with a strong focus on characters and social commentary is A Light in the Desert. Among the main characters are a pregnant teen, a traumatised Vietnam veteran, an abused kid who keeps repeating the same mistake, and a gang of Pentecostal zealots who name themselves “The Children of Light” who are anticipating the end of the world.

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Montgomery uses brief chapters with gradually revealed events to showcase the characters. We first encounter the pregnant girl while she is in a cemetery placing flowers on baby graves, and we next encounter the Vietnam veteran when he is rescuing a tortured dog. Before the individuals truly begin to bond, there are indications that keep us interested.

Reading The Children of Light piqued my curiosity because I was raised a Pentecostal. Members of the church where I was raised addressed one another as “brother” and “sister.” Their title, “Elect,” which is gender-neutral in A Light in the Desert, is gender-neutral. The poem exhibits a reverence for religion, but it does so in a way that radical Christianity frequently does not. Although the author in no way shies away from the darker aspects and the wounds that darkness left, A Light in the Desert is a novel about humanity, and the author makes it obvious that faith and those of extreme faith are a part of that humanity.

The article, in my opinion, suffers from Montgomery’s frugal yet lyrical wording, which is perhaps what makes it fall flat. A Light in the Desert may be challenging to follow for readers who need to put the book down and pick it up again because our glimpses into the lives are brief. As a reward for reading more, motivations are revealed. Montgomery is a very skilled writer who comes across as very aware; she pays attention to the formalities of writing.

A Light in the Desert is, above all else, a piece of literary fiction that serves as an example of good practises for aspiring authors. The plot itself moves along really rapidly. The setting was natural to the true story on which A Light in the Desert is based but brilliant for the isolated feel of the characters. A Light in the Desert is a great read. If you’re looking for a great story about human nature, pick A Light in the Desert up today.

About The Book

As a Vietnam veteran and former Special Forces sniper descends into the throes of mental illness, he latches onto a lonely pregnant teenager and a group of Pentecostal zealots ? the Children of Light ? who have been waiting over thirty years in the Arizona desert for Armageddon.

When the Amtrak Sunset Limited, a passenger train en route to Los Angeles, is derailed in their midst in a deadly act of sabotage, their lives are thrown into turmoil as local and state police, FBI investigators, and a horde of reporters arrive on the scene.

As the search for the saboteurs heats up and the authorities question members of the cult, they uncover more questions than answers. And then the girl vanishes. As the sniper struggles to maintain his sanity, a child is about to be born deep in the wilderness.