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Average rating3
"A book that's also the beginning of a movement, Bill McKibben's debut novel Radio Free Vermont follows a band of Vermont patriots who decide that their state might be better off as its own republic. As the host of Radio Free Vermont--"underground, underpowered, and underfoot"--seventy-two-year-old Vern Barclay is currently broadcasting from an "undisclosed and double-secret location." With the help of a young computer prodigy named Perry Alterson, Vern uses his radio show to advocate for a simple yet radical idea: an independent Vermont, one where the state secedes from the United States and operates under a free local economy. But for now, he and his radio show must remain untraceable, because in addition to being a lifelong Vermonter and concerned citizen, Vern Barclay is also a fugitive from the law. In Radio Free Vermont, Bill McKibben entertains and expands upon an idea that's become more popular than ever--seceding from the United States. Along with Vern and Perry, McKibben imagines an eccentric group of activists who carry out their own version of guerilla warfare, which includes dismissing local middle school children early in honor of 'Ethan Allen Day' and hijacking a Coors Light truck and replacing the stock with local brew. Witty, biting, and terrifyingly timely, Radio Free Vermont is Bill McKibben's fictional response to the burgeoning resistance movement"--
Reviews with the most likes.
Vern, Perry, Sylvia, and Trance give us options for resistance in troubled times. Thanks for this fable Bill McKibben and these humorous, quirky, intelligent characters!
Is “Radio Free Vermont” a fable? I'll say no. It was far too referential to very specific events right now and won't age well. A true fable would like be quite relevant in a few years.
The chase scenes were downright silly, which may have been intentional. Overall, while it was easy to finish the book, I didn't find it all that enjoyable, despite being a bleeding heart liberal that this book is likely aimed towards.