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Tales from a Revolution
The Prize: Vermont
1775, The Biggest Heroes are Sometimes UnsungCaleb's father is serving with the militia as the longstanding tensions erupt into open war against the British, up and down the length of Lake Champlain. Between his duties on the family farm and constant worry about his father's safety, the young man's attentions are already fully occupied when a fateful encounter with an unlikely neighbor changes everything. Pulled into new intrigues and new friendships, Caleb finds himself on a path that changes his life - and which will affect the outcome of the whole war.
The Prize is the Vermont volume in the Tales From a Revolution series, in which each standalone novel explores how the American War of Independence unfolds across a different colony or future state. If you like stories such as The Deerslayer, or you’ve ever wondered how the Revolution affected the lives of ordinary people in out-of-the-way corners of America, you’ll love The Prize.
Read The Prize today and see how the American Revolution touched people all across the colonies!
The Prize is the Vermont volume in the Tales From a Revolution series, in which each standalone novel explores how the American War of Independence unfolds across a different colony or future state. If you like stories such as The Deerslayer, or you’ve ever wondered how the Revolution affected the lives of ordinary people in out-of-the-way corners of America, you’ll love The Prize.
Read The Prize today and see how the American Revolution touched people all across the colonies!
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2011
225 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Lars D.H. Hedbor
25 books59 followersWhat made the American Colonists turn their back on their King, and fight for independence? How were they different from us–and how were their hopes and fears familiar to our own hearts?
These are the sorts of questions that I think are important to ask in examining the American Revolution, and in the pages of my novels, I suggest some possible answers.
I am an amateur historian, linguist, cuckoo clock restorer, brewer, fiddler, astronomer and baker. Professionally, I am a technologist, marketer, writer and father of six.
My love of history drives me to share the excitement of understanding the events of long ago, and how those events touch us still today.
These are the sorts of questions that I think are important to ask in examining the American Revolution, and in the pages of my novels, I suggest some possible answers.
I am an amateur historian, linguist, cuckoo clock restorer, brewer, fiddler, astronomer and baker. Professionally, I am a technologist, marketer, writer and father of six.
My love of history drives me to share the excitement of understanding the events of long ago, and how those events touch us still today.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 30, 2011
On the border between New York and Vermont lies Lake Champlain, like a 125-mile-long wedge cleaving the two states apart. Its northern end has access to the all-important St. Lawrence River; its southern end nearly reaches the Hudson River. During the centuries in which water travel was far superior to overland, this waterway was invaluable. In years of conflict, a contest for control was inevitable.
Lars Hedbor has crafted a superb novel set on the Vermont shore of Lake Champlain at the outset of the American Revolution. As the first shots are fired, young Caleb Clark walks the tightrope between boyhood and manhood, but as the war sweeps northward, engulfing the waterway on which he’s spent his life, conflict and danger hasten his maturity. His wonderfully engaging journey takes readers through moments of grief and seasons of joy, all sparkling with lively humor. Through Caleb’s eyes, we’re treated to a glimpse of Colonial life and a local view of the battles of the Canadian campaign as well as the naval encounter at Champlain’s Valcour Island.
I’ve always been a history buff (as my first three novels will attest), so I particularly enjoyed "The Prize". It’s meaty, stuffed with historical details that provide a real sense of what went on in the war. Yet this is no text book – Mr. Hedbor has an excellent eye for story. It’s starts just a bit slow, with lots of farm chores and hearsay about far away battles, but the characters grow on you quickly, and the plot intensifies along with the tension. I especially loved the conflict that builds between Caleb and the young lady he’s always, ahem, bumping into. Mr. Hedbor also has a particular gift for the Colonial vernacular, and his characters’ quick wit kept me smiling.
This is definitely YA+. I wouldn’t rule out advanced middle graders, but the story contains some unapologetic, true-to-life moments of war. The language is clean, but includes difficult vocabulary. This isn’t a fluffy read. But adult and YA historical fiction lovers, you’re going to eat this one up. I did!
Lars Hedbor has crafted a superb novel set on the Vermont shore of Lake Champlain at the outset of the American Revolution. As the first shots are fired, young Caleb Clark walks the tightrope between boyhood and manhood, but as the war sweeps northward, engulfing the waterway on which he’s spent his life, conflict and danger hasten his maturity. His wonderfully engaging journey takes readers through moments of grief and seasons of joy, all sparkling with lively humor. Through Caleb’s eyes, we’re treated to a glimpse of Colonial life and a local view of the battles of the Canadian campaign as well as the naval encounter at Champlain’s Valcour Island.
I’ve always been a history buff (as my first three novels will attest), so I particularly enjoyed "The Prize". It’s meaty, stuffed with historical details that provide a real sense of what went on in the war. Yet this is no text book – Mr. Hedbor has an excellent eye for story. It’s starts just a bit slow, with lots of farm chores and hearsay about far away battles, but the characters grow on you quickly, and the plot intensifies along with the tension. I especially loved the conflict that builds between Caleb and the young lady he’s always, ahem, bumping into. Mr. Hedbor also has a particular gift for the Colonial vernacular, and his characters’ quick wit kept me smiling.
This is definitely YA+. I wouldn’t rule out advanced middle graders, but the story contains some unapologetic, true-to-life moments of war. The language is clean, but includes difficult vocabulary. This isn’t a fluffy read. But adult and YA historical fiction lovers, you’re going to eat this one up. I did!
August 5, 2011
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
Since Ii have a camp right on Lake Champlain and have a perfect view of Carleton's Prize (The Prize) i could see everything unfold. I could see the battle here right on the lake. Who thought a 15 year old boy and a pirate could perform a friendship to become family, when the boy (Caleb) marries Captain Mallet's daughter, Lunette. I only reccommend this book if you have been to Lake Champlain, so you can get the full affect of the whole story. I could see Caleb, Lunette and Mallet all on this lake. MY imagination took me into this book. I never knew this lake had history behind it. I've been on Lake Champlain all my life every year, but never knew of the rich details it holds in it's depths. This book is HistoricalNon-Fiction, the characters were all real which made even better and more interesting to read. It's resourceful too! Who knew that you could make canoes so easily and so simple. I loved this book so much. Lars D.H. Hedbor grew up on this lake and meeting him was excitement! Now I know the history of Lake Champlain.
Since Ii have a camp right on Lake Champlain and have a perfect view of Carleton's Prize (The Prize) i could see everything unfold. I could see the battle here right on the lake. Who thought a 15 year old boy and a pirate could perform a friendship to become family, when the boy (Caleb) marries Captain Mallet's daughter, Lunette. I only reccommend this book if you have been to Lake Champlain, so you can get the full affect of the whole story. I could see Caleb, Lunette and Mallet all on this lake. MY imagination took me into this book. I never knew this lake had history behind it. I've been on Lake Champlain all my life every year, but never knew of the rich details it holds in it's depths. This book is HistoricalNon-Fiction, the characters were all real which made even better and more interesting to read. It's resourceful too! Who knew that you could make canoes so easily and so simple. I loved this book so much. Lars D.H. Hedbor grew up on this lake and meeting him was excitement! Now I know the history of Lake Champlain.
Read
August 13, 2016One thing I like best in the world is the ordinary. While fascinated with history and, indeed, some of the figures who played pivotal roles in certain events, I know too there were others whose parts, even when as witness alone, are precious in the memory of our nation. Imagine if others whose lives we know little about had somehow been able to record (or have recorded) events as they saw and lived them—imagine the greater understanding we would have of their time, how much closer we could be to those who came before.
Lars D.H. Hedbor captures the possibility of these moments in his Tales From a Revolution series, the first of which, The Prize, is set in Vermont and told from the point of view of Caleb, a boy on the cusp of manhood at a time when his colony is about to engage in open warfare against the British as the American Revolution is accelerating.
Though young, Caleb is savvy enough to understand the politics of events in his time, and the author presents American grievances succinctly as the book opens with the young man musing on current events and what led to them. Hedbor also layers the plot with familial conflict and distrust of a particular neighbor whose history we learn in bits over time, and why it matters to his neighbors and the revolution itself. These layers are threaded together so seamlessly that the effects in terms of relationships and lateral consequences play out smoothly and effectively as the narrative progresses.
Curiously, many today have forgotten or never knew that not all colonists were in total agreement with the shift away from British control. In fact, the rebels were in the minority and in some cases households divided. Hedbor illustrates this in part when Polly, Caleb’s mother, rows with her husband over his service with Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys. Her family history haunts her, but her husband refuses to back down, citing the cost that always arises following submissive retreat.
“I’ll take no foolish chances, Polly. But I do not think it meet to stand idly by while my sons can manage the farm, and my service is needed […] I know this is hard … war always is. But peace purchased at the cost of capitulation is harder still.”
At just 187 pages, The Prize is a brief read, but Hedbor packs into it a fleet of detail about those living during the birth of a modern-day local Vermont legend of attempted trickery against the British, swiftly utilizing every sentence to provide historical and background information, simultaneously keeping the narrative on track. As in the dialogue quoted above, the author inserts period vocabulary to bring authenticity to characters’ speech, though sparingly enough to avoid affectation.
He also manages to bring readers into the story not only with his magnificently descriptive passages—
“There was the sour-sweet smell of rum and applejack, as well as the leathery aroma of tobacco smoke. The sharp reek of hard-working men competed with the more pleasant odor of a rich mutton stew, dark bread and sharp cheese set out before one patron at a nearby table.”
—but also those denoting real-world experience and understanding regarding the mechanics of action characters engage in.
“Once on the water, he reveled in the speed he could build up in the dugout. The air smelled of the rich soil and the fresh green leaves on the trees. Reaching forward with long strokes, he concentrated on pulling the water past him with his paddle, first on one side and then on the other, correcting his course as necessary with a twist of its blade as he drew it out for the next great pull.”
In this way Hedbor grants us the experience as close to Caleb might have lived it as we could get. His descriptions bring to life these elements, but also so much more as they trigger in our imaginations the feel of walking through a colonial restaurant pub, breathing in the smoke as we delight in the possibilities inherent in words such as applejack, hear the sound of leather and shifting chairs, contemplating what these people think and feel as to the revolution at their shores while they engage in ordinary pursuits such as a mutton stew. Their distance fades and they become individual personas with opinions, anxieties—perhaps even excitement.
With this Hedbor brings us to contemplate, more importantly, how did ordinary people perceive and move through the amazing changes taking place in their society, particularly when so much remained in question? We might consider the possibility that it was an exciting time in which to live, but did they?
“Mark this moment well, lad, for you shall never see another so filled with import as this, so long as you live. I know that I have not, in my many years.”
The author thus addresses the contemplation without losing sight of the ordinary that continues, as it must, to occur. A love story weaves through the novel as historical events keep on keeping on, with all having to face the accompanying realities: a relentless royal campaign to beat down the colonists, Hessian mercenaries, food and materials appropriated by British soldiers, loyalists, the distractions of war and necessary preparations removing people from earning a living, loss of friends and family.
As events move forward, Caleb keeping a close eye on them, he grows in his understanding and abilities to carry out his responsibilities to his family and community. This brings the greater weight of knowledge as he faces new alliances as well as unthinkable possibilities. Hedbor masterfully transitions his narrative through all this, mirroring the further reality that while Caleb unknowingly rubs elbows with some fascinating figures in the birth of a nation, we witness the same, bringing to bear the idea of the conventional cradling the extraordinary.
As Caleb’s mundane begins to heat up and helps to shape what will be the unparalleled, a nation governed as no other in history has ever been, we witness success and failure, love and loss; uncertainty leads many days. Hedbor presents the tale in a style appealing to grown-ups and young adults alike. The language is accessible and appealing, the book engaging and difficult to put down.
As readers close in on answers to mysteries and questions that arise through the book, though with some that will be left unanswered, there is a satisfying sense of connection upon reading certain familiar names, e.g. Benedict Arnold—despite what we know of how his days play out. But a deeper bond also emerges when we are witness to such events as depicted in The Prize taking place in Vermont, in an area close to update New York, that we don’t typically hear much about in common discourse, including our own school lessons. It lends such broad appeal that students of the Revolution and casual reader alike—American or not, child or adult—will revel in the great pleasure of reading such a captivating story of a mesmerizing time in American and world history, involving even the most ordinary of us all.
Lars D.H. Hedbor captures the possibility of these moments in his Tales From a Revolution series, the first of which, The Prize, is set in Vermont and told from the point of view of Caleb, a boy on the cusp of manhood at a time when his colony is about to engage in open warfare against the British as the American Revolution is accelerating.
Though young, Caleb is savvy enough to understand the politics of events in his time, and the author presents American grievances succinctly as the book opens with the young man musing on current events and what led to them. Hedbor also layers the plot with familial conflict and distrust of a particular neighbor whose history we learn in bits over time, and why it matters to his neighbors and the revolution itself. These layers are threaded together so seamlessly that the effects in terms of relationships and lateral consequences play out smoothly and effectively as the narrative progresses.
Curiously, many today have forgotten or never knew that not all colonists were in total agreement with the shift away from British control. In fact, the rebels were in the minority and in some cases households divided. Hedbor illustrates this in part when Polly, Caleb’s mother, rows with her husband over his service with Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys. Her family history haunts her, but her husband refuses to back down, citing the cost that always arises following submissive retreat.
“I’ll take no foolish chances, Polly. But I do not think it meet to stand idly by while my sons can manage the farm, and my service is needed […] I know this is hard … war always is. But peace purchased at the cost of capitulation is harder still.”
At just 187 pages, The Prize is a brief read, but Hedbor packs into it a fleet of detail about those living during the birth of a modern-day local Vermont legend of attempted trickery against the British, swiftly utilizing every sentence to provide historical and background information, simultaneously keeping the narrative on track. As in the dialogue quoted above, the author inserts period vocabulary to bring authenticity to characters’ speech, though sparingly enough to avoid affectation.
He also manages to bring readers into the story not only with his magnificently descriptive passages—
“There was the sour-sweet smell of rum and applejack, as well as the leathery aroma of tobacco smoke. The sharp reek of hard-working men competed with the more pleasant odor of a rich mutton stew, dark bread and sharp cheese set out before one patron at a nearby table.”
—but also those denoting real-world experience and understanding regarding the mechanics of action characters engage in.
“Once on the water, he reveled in the speed he could build up in the dugout. The air smelled of the rich soil and the fresh green leaves on the trees. Reaching forward with long strokes, he concentrated on pulling the water past him with his paddle, first on one side and then on the other, correcting his course as necessary with a twist of its blade as he drew it out for the next great pull.”
In this way Hedbor grants us the experience as close to Caleb might have lived it as we could get. His descriptions bring to life these elements, but also so much more as they trigger in our imaginations the feel of walking through a colonial restaurant pub, breathing in the smoke as we delight in the possibilities inherent in words such as applejack, hear the sound of leather and shifting chairs, contemplating what these people think and feel as to the revolution at their shores while they engage in ordinary pursuits such as a mutton stew. Their distance fades and they become individual personas with opinions, anxieties—perhaps even excitement.
With this Hedbor brings us to contemplate, more importantly, how did ordinary people perceive and move through the amazing changes taking place in their society, particularly when so much remained in question? We might consider the possibility that it was an exciting time in which to live, but did they?
“Mark this moment well, lad, for you shall never see another so filled with import as this, so long as you live. I know that I have not, in my many years.”
The author thus addresses the contemplation without losing sight of the ordinary that continues, as it must, to occur. A love story weaves through the novel as historical events keep on keeping on, with all having to face the accompanying realities: a relentless royal campaign to beat down the colonists, Hessian mercenaries, food and materials appropriated by British soldiers, loyalists, the distractions of war and necessary preparations removing people from earning a living, loss of friends and family.
As events move forward, Caleb keeping a close eye on them, he grows in his understanding and abilities to carry out his responsibilities to his family and community. This brings the greater weight of knowledge as he faces new alliances as well as unthinkable possibilities. Hedbor masterfully transitions his narrative through all this, mirroring the further reality that while Caleb unknowingly rubs elbows with some fascinating figures in the birth of a nation, we witness the same, bringing to bear the idea of the conventional cradling the extraordinary.
As Caleb’s mundane begins to heat up and helps to shape what will be the unparalleled, a nation governed as no other in history has ever been, we witness success and failure, love and loss; uncertainty leads many days. Hedbor presents the tale in a style appealing to grown-ups and young adults alike. The language is accessible and appealing, the book engaging and difficult to put down.
As readers close in on answers to mysteries and questions that arise through the book, though with some that will be left unanswered, there is a satisfying sense of connection upon reading certain familiar names, e.g. Benedict Arnold—despite what we know of how his days play out. But a deeper bond also emerges when we are witness to such events as depicted in The Prize taking place in Vermont, in an area close to update New York, that we don’t typically hear much about in common discourse, including our own school lessons. It lends such broad appeal that students of the Revolution and casual reader alike—American or not, child or adult—will revel in the great pleasure of reading such a captivating story of a mesmerizing time in American and world history, involving even the most ordinary of us all.
May 21, 2012
When it comes to Historical Fiction, I always wonder how much of the novel will be historical facts.
This novel had the perfect mixture of fact and fiction to create an entertaining story and at the same time piqued my interest in learning more about the Revolutionary War.
I highly recommend this novel. It grabbed my attention from the start and kept it. Now I can't wait until the next book comes out.
This novel had the perfect mixture of fact and fiction to create an entertaining story and at the same time piqued my interest in learning more about the Revolutionary War.
I highly recommend this novel. It grabbed my attention from the start and kept it. Now I can't wait until the next book comes out.
November 21, 2013
This book was absolutely wonderful. Having grown up in that area or Vermont I found it extremely easy to picture the settlement and the lake which created a lot of nostalgia for me. Great balance of fact and fiction. I was slightly disappointed in the ending but perhaps I just wasn't ready to let the characters go so quickly.
October 27, 2013
Overall, this was a very good book. I absolutely loved the characters, and the author's use of historical context was incredible. Since the historical context was what I was searching for, and the author made me feel like I was in Vermont during the American Revolution, I gave it five stars.
However, I wasn't a huge fan of the plot of the book. One problem with historical fiction in general is that there's only so far you can stray from history. Even given that concession, though, I felt like the author could have done a lot more with his characters. It felt like there was almost no conflict in the book. What was arguably the main action of the story didn't involve the main character as much as it should have.
If you're looking for a book that will take you back in time, get this book. If you're looking for a book with crazy twists and turns and unpredictable plot twists, skip it. If you can't decide, get it - it only takes one night to read!
However, I wasn't a huge fan of the plot of the book. One problem with historical fiction in general is that there's only so far you can stray from history. Even given that concession, though, I felt like the author could have done a lot more with his characters. It felt like there was almost no conflict in the book. What was arguably the main action of the story didn't involve the main character as much as it should have.
If you're looking for a book that will take you back in time, get this book. If you're looking for a book with crazy twists and turns and unpredictable plot twists, skip it. If you can't decide, get it - it only takes one night to read!
February 10, 2022
The Prize is an enjoyable story that focuses on a small settlement on Lake Champlain at the beginning of the American Revolution. It starts out as a sweet romance with the war brewing in the background, but in the second half the war is brought to the forefront as British and American ships clash in battle near our protagonist's home.
My favorite part of this book was the details of daily life - how to build a canoe, farm chores, and similar details that are easy for writers to skip but add so much authenticity to the story. Hedbor does an excellent job of creating the setting and atmosphere of 1770s Vermont.
The end became a bit rushed, and I would have liked more of the story rather than a brief epilogue, but that is only evidence of how much I was enjoying reading about Caleb and his family.
A wonderful read that makes me want to download more of Hedbor's books!
My favorite part of this book was the details of daily life - how to build a canoe, farm chores, and similar details that are easy for writers to skip but add so much authenticity to the story. Hedbor does an excellent job of creating the setting and atmosphere of 1770s Vermont.
The end became a bit rushed, and I would have liked more of the story rather than a brief epilogue, but that is only evidence of how much I was enjoying reading about Caleb and his family.
A wonderful read that makes me want to download more of Hedbor's books!
Want to read
June 2, 2022Want to know more about the Tales from a Revolution series? Check out this series interview with Lars D.H. Hedbor: https://historicalfictionreader.blogs...
April 18, 2024
So glad to have discovered this historical series on the American Revolution, from the perspective of what happened in each colony. Learned more about the area around Lake Champlain the the early days in the war. Had no idea that ships could sail from the Saint Lawrence seaway to Lake Champlain!
There are good reminders in here of all the little ways people help one another and help make a difference in conflicts.
There are good reminders in here of all the little ways people help one another and help make a difference in conflicts.
May 21, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️
Quick, fast paced read!! I loved the American history, the regional setting and believable characters!!
Looking forward to THE LIGHT!!
Quick, fast paced read!! I loved the American history, the regional setting and believable characters!!
Looking forward to THE LIGHT!!
May 22, 2012
This takes place around the time the colonists are starting to settle America. Caleb and his family live on Lake Champlain. His father, Elijah, has joined the Green Mountain Boys and is helping fight off the British. That has left Caleb, his brother Samuel, and mother Polly to run the family farm. Caleb has taken to watching Lake Champlain for British activity and reporting it to the local town.
On one of his trips, he runs into the French Captain Mallett. Captain Mallett wants to know what Caleb is doing and offers a better lookout place on his land. Unfortunately, Caleb’s mother refuses anything to do with Captain Mallett since he is French.
The story follows Caleb as he continues to keep the farm running, his trapping to provide for his family, and bringing news to town. On one of these occasions, he runs into a beautiful young lady. With a couple more encounters, he finds himself taken with her. She is Lunette, Captain Mallett’s daughter. Caleb is torn between his mother’s wishes and his desire for Lunette.
While this is going on, the Declaration for Independence is drawn up and submitted to the king of England. This leads to a great navel battle on Lake Champlain in which Caleb, Captain Mallet, and Lunette become part of the fight.
I liked this story. It’s rich with history. I liked how Caleb keeps everything going along with stumbling upon his love of Lunette. I have to admit that I was a little lost with how much time had taken place between different events. It felt like a couple weeks when it was really several months.
I do think this is a good story to help people get interested in this time period. I also think that if you like this time period you would really like this story. It was a good story and I do think many people would like it.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
On one of his trips, he runs into the French Captain Mallett. Captain Mallett wants to know what Caleb is doing and offers a better lookout place on his land. Unfortunately, Caleb’s mother refuses anything to do with Captain Mallett since he is French.
The story follows Caleb as he continues to keep the farm running, his trapping to provide for his family, and bringing news to town. On one of these occasions, he runs into a beautiful young lady. With a couple more encounters, he finds himself taken with her. She is Lunette, Captain Mallett’s daughter. Caleb is torn between his mother’s wishes and his desire for Lunette.
While this is going on, the Declaration for Independence is drawn up and submitted to the king of England. This leads to a great navel battle on Lake Champlain in which Caleb, Captain Mallet, and Lunette become part of the fight.
I liked this story. It’s rich with history. I liked how Caleb keeps everything going along with stumbling upon his love of Lunette. I have to admit that I was a little lost with how much time had taken place between different events. It felt like a couple weeks when it was really several months.
I do think this is a good story to help people get interested in this time period. I also think that if you like this time period you would really like this story. It was a good story and I do think many people would like it.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2013
Lars Hedbor is a dear friend of mine, so I have to admit that my own reading may be a bit biased, but I don't really think so. I received nothing in exchange for my review. As a lifelong reader, I am very critical of books with unfounded backgrounds, or poor grammar, or a lack of subject knowledge. While my primary interests are mystery and the paranormal, I have really enjoyed this foray into historical fiction. The characters read as very real, and the situations in which they find themselves either actually did happen (he did lots of historical research on this piece and has a passionate love for Colonial America) or are very plausible given the era, the constructs of society, and the geography.
It's been a number of months since I've read the book, but I was also privileged to have read it in its birthing stages, too. I was enchanted with the characters - simple people with integrity and dignity - two things missing all too much in the world of today. It brought to mind a much simpler time (or at least that's how it feels to me) when morality wasn't quite so grey and ill-defined, at least by the standards of the average citizen.
All in all, an excellent, easy read, but by no means lightweight fare. I'm looking forward to seeing the next one in print!
It's been a number of months since I've read the book, but I was also privileged to have read it in its birthing stages, too. I was enchanted with the characters - simple people with integrity and dignity - two things missing all too much in the world of today. It brought to mind a much simpler time (or at least that's how it feels to me) when morality wasn't quite so grey and ill-defined, at least by the standards of the average citizen.
All in all, an excellent, easy read, but by no means lightweight fare. I'm looking forward to seeing the next one in print!
January 10, 2021
I love this series as it brings the realities of the time to life in a very personal way. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and the story deserves better than a recap or spoilers. Despite our family's involvement in the military reenactments here in the Northwest Territory, I think that it is important to read about the things about civilian life as well as naval skirmishes that can't be brought to light any other way.
I have come to trust the author's diligence in thoroughly researching the factual matters and appreciate the humanization of all of his remarkable characters.
As this tale was told through the perspective of a teenaged boy, the narrator this time is Shamaan Casey who is very effective in his interpretations, and has a most compelling voice.
Of course I loved it!
I won this audio in a giveaway. Yay me!
I have come to trust the author's diligence in thoroughly researching the factual matters and appreciate the humanization of all of his remarkable characters.
As this tale was told through the perspective of a teenaged boy, the narrator this time is Shamaan Casey who is very effective in his interpretations, and has a most compelling voice.
Of course I loved it!
I won this audio in a giveaway. Yay me!
August 23, 2025
4/5 🌟
Every day life is highlighted here with great detail, enthusiasm, and emotion. The characters all came to life and were distinct and developed, even the secondary and background townspeople and soldiers who make up the heart of the region and army. The story and characters develop naturally, with all coming to a genuine endpoint, taking them further from where they were at the start of the novel. History comes and goes in poignant moments that cannot be ignored. Overall, this book met and exceeded many of my expectations, and serves as a solid introduction to Vermont and the role the state and its people played during the Revolution.
Every day life is highlighted here with great detail, enthusiasm, and emotion. The characters all came to life and were distinct and developed, even the secondary and background townspeople and soldiers who make up the heart of the region and army. The story and characters develop naturally, with all coming to a genuine endpoint, taking them further from where they were at the start of the novel. History comes and goes in poignant moments that cannot be ignored. Overall, this book met and exceeded many of my expectations, and serves as a solid introduction to Vermont and the role the state and its people played during the Revolution.
November 28, 2023
Caleb and his brother Samuel are helping their mother apply keep the farm running while their father is off at war. Caleb is watching on the lake for signs of what the British are doing. His information has helped the war effort of the colonies. He meet Lunette at the tavern where she works for her father. It is a live story and a story of the American Revolution on Lake Champlain.
October 21, 2023
An intriguing look at a little-known incident during the American Revolution in Vermont. The author uses historical detail and dialogue to tell a story of a young man living in frontier Vermont who steps up to the challenge when the war comes to his home.
November 17, 2024
Enjoyed this story that is deeply rooted in history. Takes place in the Revolutionary war era, but the special part is that the action takes place in an area not told about much: Lake Champlain!
July 2, 2018
A well depicted tale interwoven with the fabric of true, historical facts. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
March 8, 2025
While a short story, it reminds of us what people of what people had to do to survive. There were sweet moments and sad.
December 21, 2020
Caleb's father, Elijah, is off fighting the British, while he tends the farmstead and looks after his mother and younger brother. He also keeps a regular lookout on Lake Champlain, where he can watch the movements of the British and the American "rebels," the Green Mountain Boys among them. He meets an unlikely ally in the Frenchman, Captain Mallett, and together they forge a way through the early days of the American Revolution.
The Prize is one of a series of Revolution-era stories by Lars H. D. Hedbor, and it reminded me again that YA fiction is often underrated. (I had a similar thought when I read The Book Thief earlier this year.) I like YA because the story moves along briskly: one virtually never encounters page-after-page of finely written but ultimately unnecessary prose. Characters are developed, action commences, the story is resolved. Don't get me wrong, the prose can be nice, but at the same time, The Prize was a nice respite from my usual reading.
The Prize is one of a series of Revolution-era stories by Lars H. D. Hedbor, and it reminded me again that YA fiction is often underrated. (I had a similar thought when I read The Book Thief earlier this year.) I like YA because the story moves along briskly: one virtually never encounters page-after-page of finely written but ultimately unnecessary prose. Characters are developed, action commences, the story is resolved. Don't get me wrong, the prose can be nice, but at the same time, The Prize was a nice respite from my usual reading.
June 21, 2015
I was anticipating more of an historical and detailed accounting of what was going on at the time and I chose this book based upon others' reviews inferring the same, so I was somewhat disappointed. It was a nice story nonetheless, just not the story I thought it would be; it read more like a love story between Caleb, the young Vermont man in the story, and Lunette, the French settler's daughter.
March 2, 2023
A fun journey back in time to a place that's unfamiliar to a lot of Americans. The presentation of the characters, setting and action all seemed well-grounded in an authentic perception of the late eighteenth century.
The story relates very much to the local geography of a particular region on Lake Champlain. Personally, I would have appreciated a means to form a more accurate picture of the waterways, islands, and shore lands that were the settings for the action.
The story relates very much to the local geography of a particular region on Lake Champlain. Personally, I would have appreciated a means to form a more accurate picture of the waterways, islands, and shore lands that were the settings for the action.
April 22, 2020
Three-and-a-half stars, more correctly.
This is a cute little tale wound around a portion of the history of the American Revolution that it seems to me gets less play than other events.
The characters are likable and the setting interesting, but shedding light on the importance of Lake Champlain during the war is the short novel's most redeeming quality.
This is a cute little tale wound around a portion of the history of the American Revolution that it seems to me gets less play than other events.
The characters are likable and the setting interesting, but shedding light on the importance of Lake Champlain during the war is the short novel's most redeeming quality.
October 21, 2021
New History for Me
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I enjoy learning about parts of history that I do not know. This novel fit the bill even though the author acknowledges historic license. I can't think of a better way to learn. Bravo! I look forward to reading more of his works.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I enjoy learning about parts of history that I do not know. This novel fit the bill even though the author acknowledges historic license. I can't think of a better way to learn. Bravo! I look forward to reading more of his works.
July 29, 2023
Set in Vermont and Lake Champlain, this book may be fiction but the story line was not. Growing up in Vermont, I could easily picture the locations as I read. The historical events are solid but made even more interesting from a boy's point of view.
Read the book, buy a copy for a school or neighborhood pocket library. Make history interesting for children with good books - this is one.
Read the book, buy a copy for a school or neighborhood pocket library. Make history interesting for children with good books - this is one.
Read
August 11, 2015I think it's time to admit that I'm just not going to finish this one. Perfectly decent historical set in the days of the American Revolution--but too much talking and not enough battle for my taste. (There was a ship on the cover, see, so I was hoping for some awesome nautical warfare.)
September 7, 2021
Caleb and his family during the revolutionary war.
Caleb is watching the lakes around his home , watching for British ships. In the process he meets the woman he will eventually marry. During the ensuing struggle Caleb's brother Samuel was killed. Pretty good story.
Caleb is watching the lakes around his home , watching for British ships. In the process he meets the woman he will eventually marry. During the ensuing struggle Caleb's brother Samuel was killed. Pretty good story.
October 7, 2022
Loved it.
I loved the history of this story. The characters were vivid and real. The emotions common and raw. I would like to pick this up for our library. I'm a board member there and would recommend it to a variety of readers.
I loved the history of this story. The characters were vivid and real. The emotions common and raw. I would like to pick this up for our library. I'm a board member there and would recommend it to a variety of readers.
March 26, 2023
excellent story about the revolutionary war in Vermont
I lived this book. The characters were well defined and likeable and the Lake Champlain setting gave the story extra pizazz. I’ll ckeck out more books in this series!
I lived this book. The characters were well defined and likeable and the Lake Champlain setting gave the story extra pizazz. I’ll ckeck out more books in this series!
May 18, 2015
Too short for my taste, but good period history that I didn't know much about. I didn't find the dialogue very realistic, which is why the 3 stars.
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