Shortgrass

by John J. Dwyer

Mennonite farm boy Lance Roark's faith is as big as the challenges he faces on his family's drought-ravaged Dust Bowl spread on the old Chisholm Trail. He can also run over, around, and away from people on the football field and is a natural-born aviator. These abilities lead him to college gridiron glory and bring him into contact with famed aviators Charles Lindbergh and Wiley Post, entertainment icons Will Rogers and Bing Crosby, best-selling young author John F. Kennedy, and President Franklin Roosevelt. As war clouds gather across the seas, Lance finds romance first with teenaged Chickasaw cowgirl and stunt flying sensation Sadie Stanton, then with beautiful oil heiress Mary Katherine Murchison, whose mesmerizing voice carries her to the heights of Big Band Era stardom. Nearly all of this crashes against his pious, peaceable ways. And it leads him into the dangerous world of America First, the Lindbergh-led organization that opposes the popular Roosevelt's covert drive toward American involvement in World War II, now ablaze in both Europe and the Pacific. When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Lance, with his lifelong commitment never to raise his hand against another human being, faces his ultimate decision--whether to accept command of a B-17 Flying Fortress in which he would face, and inflict, mass slaughter in Nazi-occupied Europe amidst history's most fearsome war.

350 pages, Hardcover

Published May 19, 2017

About the author

John J. Dwyer is a popular author and speaker and is Adjunct Professor of History at both Southern Nazarene University and Oklahoma City Community College. He is former history chair at a classical college preparatory school, newspaper publisher, and radio host. His books include the new novel When the Bluebonnets Come and the non-fiction historical narrative The War Between the States: America's Uncivil War, both from Bluebonnet Press; the historical novels Stonewall and Robert E. Lee from Broadman & Holman Publishers; and the upcoming historical narrative The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People.

Reviews

[Rhonda Elfstrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at the Oklahoma mennonites before and at beginning of WW2. However, too many anachronisms prevent me from giving it a higher rating.

[Jeff McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Dwyer's for years, but mainly due to his historical material. His massive work on the War Between the States being the main love. His historical fiction writings like Lee and Stonewall I have owned but never read. Well, many moons ago, I don't recall how it came about, but I acquired the position as John's web site guy. So for the past few years, we've been involved in promoting his newer writings, The Oklahoman's (a huge massive work akin to the WBTS volume) as well as this, his most recent historical fiction writing, Shortgrass.

I finally decided one day to grab it off the shelf and give it a read. At first, I admit, it was a struggle. The first couple chapters presented me with many things that caused me to read and reread to try to grasp. Whether it was just the strong country/southern speaking dialect that was presented, or the scenes and politics of the day being spoken of, it was a tough start. I almost gave up and put it back on the shelf, but I pushed on.

By the time I hit around chapter four, the smoke began to clear, and familiarity with the characters, the language and the historical settings started to fall into place. From then on I devoured chapter after chapter. The main character Lance started to get depth, and his life and struggles, and those of his family became real as I read. As we follow him from high school and into college, the inner thoughts and struggles with his faith and women, will probably be easily relatable to most any man of faith.

Set in a pre WWII world, Lance is a Mennonite, and they refuse to pick up arms and fight in any war, and it causes tension. FDR is president, and is pushing for war to help the economy out of the depression, but the country and Christian folk don't like him or his politics. The book is filled with common names of our past like "Pretty Boy" Floyd, Will Rogers, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindeberg, Frank Sinatra, and Harry James to name a few.

Just recently, I ran across and watched a documentary on Frank Sinatra, and I was not previously aware of how much of a huge swooning teen heart throb he was back in his early days when singing for the Harry James big band. We get a taste and feel for the excitement of this and the music scene at the time in one place of the book. And while in real life, the Harry James band was known for the female vocalist Helen Forrest, in this story, the overnight sensation singer with Harry James (taking over after Sinatra left) was one apparently breathtakingly beautiful Mary Katherine, the love interest to main character Lance.

Lance and MK met in college and began dating. My initial feelings on Mary Katherine found me not fully trusting her. Unlike Lance who was from a poor farming family, her father was an oil tycoon, so she was high society. She came across as snobby and demeaning most of the time. Her relationship with Lance seemed solid enough and growing as she started to see and experience his faith in action. By the end, I found myself rooting for her and the relationship, and hope she reappears in the sequel.

This book is great if you love history, and it makes you feel like you are there and experiencing the tension of the struggling farmers during the depression, the frustrations of living under the regime of FDR (who many would consider the second president in history — Lincoln being the first — to take America down a road further from a Constitutional republic and orchestrating the way for large leaps into big government control), and the coming war that is looming overhead. Great reading for sure.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good look at life in Southeastern Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl days and just before
World War II. A young boy who is a good football player finds himself playing for the OU
Sooners. He meets the love of his life there. But here is where things began to take on a
life of its own.. She is a "rich" girl and he is a "poor" farm boy. Life isn't easy. He really
loves flying and his hero is Lindberg who becomes his mentor. Because this young man
is a Mennonite and war is coming he has to face all kinds of hard decisions. This is a very
good book and I recommend it highly.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, well written novel. Great character development and storyline. Various key social issues and events of the early-mid 20th century provide a vivid backdrop for a fascinating story. Highly recommended!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual genre. Books and Brews Club read. Enjoyed the Oklahoma setting and history but way to preachy for me.