What do you think?
Rate this book
Prairie Hill
In 1980, a troubled young stranger arrives in Prairie Hill, a small Wisconsin city. Jimmy Lathrop would like nothing better than to go about his business washing dishes at the popular local eatery, the Pullet Surprize. A fresh start. No questions asked. Then he begins moonlighting as the feathered mascot of the local minor league baseball team and meets someone who will change his life.Jenny Diggles bides her time serving the locals at the Pullet Surprize, struggling to come to terms with her lonely, eccentric mother, Lila. Should she chuck it all and marry Lance Kilgore, the ambitious general manager of the Cobb Kernels baseball team? Jenny’s passion for prairies and heirloom plants as well as her deepening friendship with Jimmy Lathrop lead to self-discovery. With its atmospheric backdrop of threatened tall grass prairie and a soon to be abandoned historic baseball stadium and through its cast of colorful, quirky characters, Prairie Hill explores themes of redemption and love.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2012
11 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Fred Burwell
1 book3 followersI was born into a family of readers and I gobbled up books from an early age. My father Basil Burwell loved wordplay and storytelling and published novels and poetry. I grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and remember trailing after my parents through the nooks and crannies of second hand bookstores and the crowded booths of flea markets in search of paper treasure. I became interested in writing when I was ten years old, started keeping a diary that I still write, and began creating my own tales. After college in Vermont and Wisconsin, I followed my interest in editing and served as Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Beloit Fiction Journal and as publisher and editor of Acorn Whistle magazine. I’ve published short fiction and non-fiction on a variety of topics, including baseball, rock ‘n’ roll and American history. I live with my wife and son in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 18, 2013
Author: Fred Burwell
Published by: Acorn Whistle Press
Age Recommended: YA - Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:
"Prairie Hill" by Fred Burwell is a wonderful contemporary read. Its story takes place in a small town in Wisconsin. I loved the way this author was able to produce a story from a from a small town life in the Midwest. "Mr.Burwell reveals the heart and soul of people who support local baseball teams, work in local diners, are without illusion and have no use for life in the fast lane. It's an America of few distractions where relationships matter and love is still possible if they have the will to pursue it." The story was very easy to get into where we find that the story will follow Jimmy and Jenny. Each one has there own story and along with the other beautiful setting, the descriptions of the prairie...flowers and then the characters...which for me were off the chart...being real, so alive and even likable. This novel was hard to put down until I had finished it completely. Be ready for some baseball and some dilemmas that Jenny had to face.
This novel may not be for everyone...but I enjoyed it....and if you are looking for a enjoyable read "Prairie Hill" would be recommended to you. For those of you who love clean books...this would be one for you...no murders and foul language! 'Just two people finding themselves.
Published by: Acorn Whistle Press
Age Recommended: YA - Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:
"Prairie Hill" by Fred Burwell is a wonderful contemporary read. Its story takes place in a small town in Wisconsin. I loved the way this author was able to produce a story from a from a small town life in the Midwest. "Mr.Burwell reveals the heart and soul of people who support local baseball teams, work in local diners, are without illusion and have no use for life in the fast lane. It's an America of few distractions where relationships matter and love is still possible if they have the will to pursue it." The story was very easy to get into where we find that the story will follow Jimmy and Jenny. Each one has there own story and along with the other beautiful setting, the descriptions of the prairie...flowers and then the characters...which for me were off the chart...being real, so alive and even likable. This novel was hard to put down until I had finished it completely. Be ready for some baseball and some dilemmas that Jenny had to face.
This novel may not be for everyone...but I enjoyed it....and if you are looking for a enjoyable read "Prairie Hill" would be recommended to you. For those of you who love clean books...this would be one for you...no murders and foul language! 'Just two people finding themselves.
January 29, 2013
I loved this story! The characters are all completely authentic, and the leads are endearing. The local minor league baseball team is tangential to the main plot, but baseball permeates the whole story. Baseball novels warm my heart, and this one is almost the one I wanted to write back in 1980 (when this was set) . The mystery man who used to play ball but also was a photographer - how did Mr. Burwell lift that character from my mind? I'll never know, but he created a beautiful story for him. Thank you!
February 15, 2017
Prairie Hill is delightful!
I loved this book! Well written and edited, but mostly a wonderful study of people. Country book its old fashioned feelings. I just loved this book from cover to cover!
I loved this book! Well written and edited, but mostly a wonderful study of people. Country book its old fashioned feelings. I just loved this book from cover to cover!
November 29, 2017
Prairie Hill is a "small-town book," the kind of sweet summer story you read and are not likely to forget.
It follows the stories of multiple individuals living in this town. Some have deep roots there and cling to their past, others are trying to bring about change or maybe even escape the small town, and still others are running away from their past and seek solace within the quiet nurturing of a peaceful modern-day settlement.
I became utterly enthralled with the characters. They felt real to me, as if I was reading letters from a distant friend giving me updates on her life. This town could be yours or mine. The struggles could be something we're facing right now, or stories our grandparents used to mutter about, shaking their heads at the curse of time marching ever onward.
5 Stars for a book for all ages, male or female. Sometimes you just need a small-town book to help you escape your life for awhile.
It follows the stories of multiple individuals living in this town. Some have deep roots there and cling to their past, others are trying to bring about change or maybe even escape the small town, and still others are running away from their past and seek solace within the quiet nurturing of a peaceful modern-day settlement.
I became utterly enthralled with the characters. They felt real to me, as if I was reading letters from a distant friend giving me updates on her life. This town could be yours or mine. The struggles could be something we're facing right now, or stories our grandparents used to mutter about, shaking their heads at the curse of time marching ever onward.
5 Stars for a book for all ages, male or female. Sometimes you just need a small-town book to help you escape your life for awhile.
September 13, 2012
One of my finds on the free books offered by Kindle. This was a gentle story which tells of change and some good some bad. I really enjoyed the story and hope to hear more from this author.
July 13, 2013
Loved the characters and the story. I would love to read a sequel to this book to find out what happens to the characters...
May 4, 2012
Jenny Diggles is a waitress at Pullet Surprise. She likes her job, loves her boyfriend Lance, and is passionate about her garden. Her boyfriend Lance loves green things too, but his love of green things is reserved solely for grass. Any type of grass. He is the groundskeeper at Cobb Stadium, home to the Cobb Kernels a Class A minor league team.
On the way to her shift at Pullet Surprise she has her first meeting with Jimmy Lathrop. Jimmy, dressed up in a chicken costume, is on the sidewalk waving at people and cars, trying to drum up business for the Pullet Surprise. Norm Cobb has given this job to Jimmy as a favor to an old pal. Norm has plans to make the giant chicken the new team mascot for the Kernels. Even though Norm doesn't think Jimmy is very funny, he believes he can grow into the job of funny team mascot.
Jimmy Lathrop has come to Prairie Hill to start over. No one knows what his past is and he's not talking. Wearing the chicken costume to drum up customers for the Pullet Surprise soon turns into a gig as the mascot for the Cobb Kernels.
As Jenny and Jimmy slowly become friends, Jenny's thoughts about her future are confusing. Should she stay in the boring but stable relationship with Lance or should she start looking at other options suddenly opened to her with the advent of Jimmy's arrival.
Set in 1980's Wisconsin, this is an interesting novel of love and acceptance from debut author Fred Burwell. There is a cast of interesting, engaging characters including Hulda, the grumpy, elder hotel maid who has taken a liking to Jenny; Jenny's mom weird mother Lila, who seemed to just give up on everything after Jenny's older brother Owen took off; and of course Jenny and Jimmy. The story is at times amusing and sad, with some interesting trivia mixed in.
I recieved this copy through LibraryThings and my review was unsolicited.
On the way to her shift at Pullet Surprise she has her first meeting with Jimmy Lathrop. Jimmy, dressed up in a chicken costume, is on the sidewalk waving at people and cars, trying to drum up business for the Pullet Surprise. Norm Cobb has given this job to Jimmy as a favor to an old pal. Norm has plans to make the giant chicken the new team mascot for the Kernels. Even though Norm doesn't think Jimmy is very funny, he believes he can grow into the job of funny team mascot.
Jimmy Lathrop has come to Prairie Hill to start over. No one knows what his past is and he's not talking. Wearing the chicken costume to drum up customers for the Pullet Surprise soon turns into a gig as the mascot for the Cobb Kernels.
As Jenny and Jimmy slowly become friends, Jenny's thoughts about her future are confusing. Should she stay in the boring but stable relationship with Lance or should she start looking at other options suddenly opened to her with the advent of Jimmy's arrival.
Set in 1980's Wisconsin, this is an interesting novel of love and acceptance from debut author Fred Burwell. There is a cast of interesting, engaging characters including Hulda, the grumpy, elder hotel maid who has taken a liking to Jenny; Jenny's mom weird mother Lila, who seemed to just give up on everything after Jenny's older brother Owen took off; and of course Jenny and Jimmy. The story is at times amusing and sad, with some interesting trivia mixed in.
I recieved this copy through LibraryThings and my review was unsolicited.
August 18, 2013
I enjoyed this easy-to-read book. While I'm not much of a baseball fan, I love to garden and hate to see industrial growth for the sake of the almighty dollar. Like a few other Reviewers, I would love to read a sequel!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews