LitPick Review
The Prize, takes place in 1777 in Vermont, on the banks of the Champlain River. This historical fiction is depicted in the eyes of a young man, as both he and his family live on the banks of the river near a small settlement. News of the war and ships seen out on the river, happen throughout the book. Battles won or lost by the British find their way to the small settlement’s tavern. Historical events as well as the mood of the men in the settlement are portrayed as they drink and talk together. Toward the end of the book the main fictitious character, Caleb Clark, along with other characters do what they can to aid the Green Mountain Boys and General Arnold in their fight with the British.
Opinion:
The Prize is an historical fiction. You hear news of the battles that take place, mixed with a nice fictional story. Compared to other Historical fiction I’ve read this one isn’t really for me. I prefer to be more up close to the historical events or at least learn a lot more about the time, place and the people.
The characters were wonderfully made and portrayed though, fitting perfectly in their time, place, and state. The book is in first person, written in Caleb Clark’s point of view, easy to read and simple to comprehend. It gives just the right amount of detail, not too much, not too little. I applaud the author’s ability to paint the mood, scenery and people in the story. The history is good; if you pay attention you can learn a good bit about the war, from a settler’s point of view. To me this book wouldn’t be my first choice of an historical fiction, due to the distance from the setting that most of the historical events take place.
