The Norphlet Rangers and the Battle of Flat Creek Swamp
Richard Mason
Paperback
(Gibraltar Press, April 8, 2014)
It’s 1944 and in the little village of Norphlet, Arkansas, Richard and John Clayton are making plans for a quiet summer of fun. However, north of their town is a German Prisoner of War Camp, and just when everyone thinks the War with Germany is about over, there is an escape from the camp and a rabid, Gestapo Colonel leads five former SS Soldiers on a mission of destruction. As the POWs race south to attack the South Arkansas oil refineries, they end up camping in Flat Creek Swamp, just a few miles south of Norphlet. After stumbling upon their camp, the boys plot a daring capture of the POWs. However, that wild summer had a lot more going on than just German POWs on the run. A crazy vision by the boy’s good friend, Ears, has everyone in town changing their name to “Jasper”. And while all of that is going on, Homer Ray’s, bullying causes the boys to try and stop the bullying for good with a trick to end all tricks. Yes, all the Norphlet characters are still part of this wild summer, as Big Six, Doc, Bubba, and Marshal Wing fit right into the story. As the summer of 1944 passes, the escapades of the two boys seem to run together as the boys try to balance the startling events in the little village, while plotting to capture the German POWs.