The Broomcorn Field: The Odyssey of an Army Ranger in World War II , the first book of MM Gibson’s historical fiction series, features Virgil Davis, a high school senior in 1941, whose life is suddenly upended by a rapid succession of tragedies that culminate with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By leaving high school early to enlist in the Army, Virgil seemingly extinguishes his last remaining glimmer of hope—to be Class Valedictorian. Yet things begin to look up for him when he falls in love with a pretty girl and is selected to become a U.S. Army Ranger—arguably the most elite fighting force of the War. But as the Rangers begin to fight across Africa, Sicily, and Italy, Virgil struggles to maintain his fragile relationship with his girl back in the States, his faith, and his very humanity, amidst the ugliness of World War II.