In 1866 Matt Draper is full of ambition but without money or family to help him succeed. On the western frontier of an ever-expanding America, toiling as a riverboat gambler seems like the best option to raise enough capital to realize his dream of opening a small-town bank. Though gambling is lucrative for Matt, it is also an unsavory enterprise fraught with danger.
Fortuitously, before any harm befalls him, Matt and his friend Charlie discover an abandoned Confederate gold cache in a fake grave, which gives him the stake he needs to leave the treacherous gambling world behind. From then onward his life’s purpose becomes evident as all roads lead to Neosho, Missouri, where he opens The Bank and becomes a major influence on its growth and prosperity.
Matt’s exciting and uplifting saga captures the day-to-day reality of life in the tumultuous post-Civil War era, including the hardships, relative lawlessness, and indomitable spirit of settlers bent on creating a good life for themselves and their neighbors.
About the Author
John Rayburn is a veteran of 62 years in broadcasting and is a member of a Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. He served as a news/sports anchor and show host, and his TV newscast achieved the largest Share of Audience figures of any major-market TV newscast in the nation.
His network credits include reports/appearances on The Today Show, Huntley-Brinkley News, Walter Cronkite News, NBC Monitor, NBC News on the Hour, et al. He recorded dozens of books for the National Library Service and narrated innumerable Radio/TV recordings. He had conversation/interviews with Ronald Reagan (then President of the Screen Actors Guild), John F. Kennedy (U.S. Senator at the time), Jimmy Carter on the campaign trail, special coverage with Presidents Richard Nixon and Harry Truman, and many more with major personalities in business, education, politics, sports, entrainment, literature, et al.
Rayburn has traveled extensively, gaining information and making observations about our national foibles. He is well suited to bring fascinating stories to life concerning the people, places and things that combine to present lively observations of our day-to-day lives.