Mud Men
by J. A. Nunn
Publisher
GFB
Publication
Mar 24, 2026
Format
Paperback/Softback
Illustrated
No
Price
$19.95
Dimensions
5.5 x 8.5 in
ISBN
978-1967510221
ASIN
B0FYHVZZQF
Pages
294
Age
Adult 18+
Category
Coming of AgeGeneral FictionHistorical Fiction
Rights Sold
🌍 World Wide Rights Available
Description
Awards & Endorsements
Reviews
Author(s)
J. A. Nunn
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| Publisher | Girl Friday Books |
| Publication | Mar 24, 2026 |
| Format | Paperback/Softback |
| ISBN | 978-1967510221 |
| Pages | 294 |
| Age | 18 - 99 |
| Price | $19.95 |
Categories
Coming of AgeGeneral FictionHistorical Fiction
Mud Men
by J. A. Nunn
Author J. A. Nunn returns with a sequel to his debut novel, The Stuff What Actually Is, chronicling the new adventures of young GI Mervyn Gower as he navigates his World War II posting to the Jim Crow South.
Mervyn Gower, a naive young Army draftee from an all-white immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles, believes the best way to prove he’s a “real” American is in combat. Assigned to a segregated Army base in the Jim Crow South in 1942, Gower soon finds himself in hot water after a drunken brawl. Instead of being demoted or dishonorably discharged, however, he’s given a post that not enough qualified Black GIs can fill and that few white soldiers want—leader of a squad of Black recruits.
After a false start, Gower impresses his company commander who then nominates Gower’s squad as the only Black troops to participate in field maneuvers in the desolate Louisiana bayou—an almost unheard of opportunity for Black GIs—where they’ll be filmed “in action” as part of a War Department effort to encourage more Black soldiers to volunteer and more white soldiers to accept them. But when one of his men goes AWOL, the search to find the runaway—dead or alive—brings Gower’s understanding of his men into focus and builds toward a shocking and brutal encounter he will never forget.
Inspired by real-life stories and backed by author J. A. Nunn’s thorough research, Mud Men picks up where The Stuff What Actually Is left off, continuing to weave together the threads of race, social inequity, and American identity that shaped a generation.
Mervyn Gower, a naive young Army draftee from an all-white immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles, believes the best way to prove he’s a “real” American is in combat. Assigned to a segregated Army base in the Jim Crow South in 1942, Gower soon finds himself in hot water after a drunken brawl. Instead of being demoted or dishonorably discharged, however, he’s given a post that not enough qualified Black GIs can fill and that few white soldiers want—leader of a squad of Black recruits.
After a false start, Gower impresses his company commander who then nominates Gower’s squad as the only Black troops to participate in field maneuvers in the desolate Louisiana bayou—an almost unheard of opportunity for Black GIs—where they’ll be filmed “in action” as part of a War Department effort to encourage more Black soldiers to volunteer and more white soldiers to accept them. But when one of his men goes AWOL, the search to find the runaway—dead or alive—brings Gower’s understanding of his men into focus and builds toward a shocking and brutal encounter he will never forget.
Inspired by real-life stories and backed by author J. A. Nunn’s thorough research, Mud Men picks up where The Stuff What Actually Is left off, continuing to weave together the threads of race, social inequity, and American identity that shaped a generation.
Reviews, Awards & Endorsements
Reviews
“Meticulously researched historical fiction that doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. Nunn has crafted a story that is as much about the internal battles of the soul as it is about the global conflict of the 1940s, making it a compelling choice for anyone looking for a novel with grit, heart, and historical depth.” —Seattle Book Review
“Mud Men is a moving historical novel that follows an immigrant soldier as he learns to cope with racism in the military.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews
“A compelling, realistic, extraordinary story of a young man coming of age. Evocative and thoroughly thought-provoking." —Midwest Book Review
Author
J. A. Nunn
J. A. Nunn was born in Pasadena, California. After earning an MA in literature at Southern Illinois University, Nunn returned to California to teach. He later accepted a position in Tokyo, switched to marketing, and was appointed Washington State’s Japan-based trade representative. He returned to the US in the 1990s, and after a second career in marketing, he and his wife retired in Seattle.
Current Licenses
🌍 World Wide Rights Available