Alice of Old Vincennes

by Maurice Thompson

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution Alice of Old Vincennes is the story of the orphan girl Alice Roussillon. In 1778 the French outpost of Vincennes, Indiana revolts against the British and swears allegiance to the American cause. Hoisting her hand-made American flag over the fort Alice provides the rallying symbol of the cause of liberty. The handsome Virginian Lt. Fitzhugh Beverly proves to be both a noble companion in arms as well as of the heart. When the British retake Vincennes the rallying cry Viva la banniere d'Alice Roussillon is heard throughout the land. The true battle for liberty and love has begun.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl, a priest, and a hunchback are standing under a cherry tree......Really, that's how it starts.

I was curious about what a bestselling and now obscure book from 1900 would be like, and it's....not too bad. The plot felt like a complete cliche, but the characters were distinctive and drawn with surprising subtlety, despite representing familiar archetypes. Thompson's writing is decent, and he knows how to write action scenes.

Unfortunately, the level of racism, mostly directed at Native Americans, struck me as somewhat exceeding the standards of the time and was both obnoxious in its pettiness and disturbing in its callousness.

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A most modern feminist view for the time, racist - especially against native americans - which was normal for the time, a bit too... well it seemed to fall in place too well and it was also a bit on the 'mushy' side. To save you time looking it up, Hamilton is not Alexander Hamilton, but a different character.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been fascinating to read the writing style of 1900, when this book was written -- highly descriptive yet not slow, as I expected, captivating in fact. This historical novel figures into my reading agenda of the past year focused on trans-Appalachia migration and the eighteenth-century history of Kentucky and Indiana. The book's historical peg: In 1779 George Rogers Clark expelled the British from Fort Sackville, in Vincennes, Indiana, claiming the Northwest Territories (Ohio, Indiana and Illinois) for the America colonies. (My sidelight: Clark put my ancestor in charge of Fort Sackville when he moved on to Detroit.) This little volume, highly popular in 1901, was republished in 2006 by Britain's Echo Library, a group devoted to preserving rare and out-of-print classics. "Alice of Old Vincennes" is listed by Karl Bridges among the “100 Greatest American Novels You’ve (Probably) Never Read.”

[Charles Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just have the comment that I went to Vincennes University as a freshman in 1974. I grew up not far from there. You can see there is a lot of history there . I finally read The book this year. The George Rogers Clark memorial is something. You can see the statue of Francis Vigo. We used to run down there to the memorial for bike team practice. The monument was where Ft. Sackville was. You can see old mansions of governors. The book has that Old French town charm. It has a quality of a by gone era. Chuck. ASEE.. 1977.

[John Updike]

I have read this book and it's free online and fairly much everywhere.
This is classic literature from the late 1800s and the story is robust and intricate.
I won't attempt to evaluate it on any other level. It's true to history amid a time when American readers evidently were keen on that sort of fiction. If you do nothing else with your reading outreach, pick up "Alice" and scan some of the chapters. Thompson was a master of telling the story.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The date when I finally took time to read this is approximate.
My paperback copy was purchased at Vincennes University when I was 11 years old. Cost was $1.50. It was published by the Vincennes University Press.
The name of the sports teams at Vincennes Lincoln High School has always been Alices. However, I have never known of a team mascot being named Alice and dressed as she is described in this book.

[Lorri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-researched and interesting novel of historical fiction that draws on primary and secondary resources. The novel depicts the perspective of the French community of Vincennes and their involvement in General George Rogers Clark's famous Revolutionary War Wabash campaign of 1779. Warning: the novel was published in 1900 and includes racist and sexist perspectives and language.

[JamieB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up an original 1900 printed copy from my local antique store. Didn't expect the book to be readable let alone interesting to read, but I was quickly corrected. I really enjoy this book and regret judging it by its cover.

[Susan C Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical. American Revolution in the interior of the country.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice of Old Vincennes was the number ten best seller in 1900 and jumped to number two for the following year. As soon as I started reading this book I was worried I had stumbled on another romance novel. We it is of sorts. But it's a very entertaining adventure book also. I really enjoyed it and looked forward to each chapter. Only the final two chapters turn to sentimental mush. Before that Alice is every bit the modern heroine I love. She shoots, she fences, she reads books, she's athletic. But at the end of the book she learns that she now has to be a mature lady. I'm surprised that the book isn't read today in high school. It's good representation of life in the Indiana territory during the Revolutionary War, when the Wild West was still this side of the Mississippi River. The complete disdain and contempt for Native American Indians is jarring but was probably exactly the general feeling not only in the late 1700s but also in the late 1800s when the book was written. I'm also surprised this book has not been turned into a movie. It would make a great period piece. The sword battle between the old French priest and the British governor would make the movie.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story involves a small town in Indiana during the Revolutionary War. Overall pretty good but got a little dry and slow towards the end. I also noticed that the author kept contradicting himself throughout the story regarding character details - In the beginning he said Alice was not traditionally beautiful but then spent the rest of the book describing all these men that fall over themselves because of her beauty. Also with the other main character, Fitzhugh Beverly, he starts off saying the man is a native of Virginia but by the end he is a native of Indiana moving to Virginia??? In the foreword, the author makes a quite apropos plea, "Accept then, this book, which to those who care only for history will seem but an idle romance, while to the lovers of romance it may look strangely like the mustiest history." For me, the story fell somewhere between the two.

[Amy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful historical account of the small town of Vincennes, Indiana during the Revolutionary War. The author describes accurate historical accounts of the Siege of Fort Vincennes, including dynamic characters that are real historical figures (the legendary George Rogers Clark, the wicked lieutenant governor Henry Hamilton, etc.) and precise records of when events occurred according to the historical time period of this epochal event. Although Alice Roussillon wasn't a real person, her character as developed throughout the story by Thompson fooled me into believing that she really did save an Indian's life and fall in love with a rich Revolutionary War soldier. Overall, it was a fantastic read and reminded me of several classics; it was tough to put down at times and definitely added to my knowledge of the town I live in and the epic history surrounding it.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bestseller in 1900 and 1901. The story is presented as historical fiction in very stylized writing. The stereotypes and prejudices are disturbing now but not in the time period it was written.
In the end it is a love story set during the revolutionary war in a tiny town on the Wabash River in Indiana among a French settlement.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a main stream book but told the story of Alice in the settlement of Vincennes, Indiana during the revolutionary war. Since I grew up in the area it afforded me insights into the culture of the area and its rich history. This is an old, old book so the writing style was somewhat unique to me, but that just made it more interesting.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting study in popular taste circa 1900. The tenth-highest best selling book in the United States in 1900, and the second best selling book in 1901, this is a romance novel with a revolutionary war backdrop. It's not particularly well written, and has a conflicted attitude towards native Americans, but still manages to hold your attention.

[Adam Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Vincennes. This book tells the story of Alice as she grew up in Vincennes during the founding of our country. The book gives an insight into what it was like to live in the frontier around 1776. It is also a love story.

[Lisa of Hopewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great young woman heroine--no wonder some books are labeled "classics...."

[MaryBeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great piece of historical fiction. There's adventure, war, romance all wrapped up in a fast paced story complete with interesting characters.

[Tammi Owens]

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