Sweet Tea and Sweet Jesus (Paperback)

Through the fictional characters of Marine Lance Corporals John Edward Randolph and Josiah Forrest Parker, author Paul Michael Frazee' takes his readers from the halcyon days of the summer of 1937 in the historically-rich burg of Holly Springs, MS., to the steamy, enemy-infested jungles of Guadalcanal, to the brutal fight for Mt. Topatchau on Saipan. Interspersed with the desperate fight by the Marines, Frazee' straps his readers into the cockpit of a B-17 on the mission known as Black Sunday - the Army Air Corps' strategic bombing raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti, Romania - a mission in which five Medal of Honors were awarded. In a novel steeped in history, Frazee' explores the racial attitudes of African-Americans and white Southerners during the 1930's and 1940's; while also delving into the psyche of USMC Sergeant Josiah Forrest Parker as he returns from the war, highly decorated, but plagued with demons that he tries to drown in alcohol.