An excellent piece of fiction, sadly this might be the only way people can get a little piece of protest in the near future.

Have you ever wondered what a secessionist movement would look like in Vermont? Suburus, biathalons, talk radio, and sabotage of Walmart, Starbucks, and a brand new sports arena. Fun, though a little less so in light of real-life allegations that Calexit and other secessionist movements were stoked by meddling Russians.

This was a cute fable with a good message but honestly I couldn't finish it. I don't know why. I thought it was well written and clever and even entertaining at parts. But I just didn't have interest in finishing it. I think the current political environment has taken a toll on me and though this book should serve as a refuge from that - It just wasn't for me. I wasn't in the mood to read this type of book at this time. I may go back to it at some point.

Before reading this book, I thought it would be a nice outlet for my anger about the current political situation. I had never read any books by Bill McKibben, the author of Radio Free Vermont. I downloaded it for free from Net Galley and read it now because one of the groups that I participate in on Goodreads selected it as the Book of the Month for January.

Although I really hadn't taken the premise of Vermont's secession from the U.S. seriously before reading this book, let me say that the advocates for Vermont secession in this novel were very persuasive. McKibben tells us that it wasn't his intent to encourage secession of Vermont or any other state. His purpose is to argue for sustainability and small scale economic activities. Both of these are excellent goals.

Yet in the process of making his case, he brings up the existence of some really small countries with lower populations than Vermont. San Marino provides an example of a small republic with the oldest constitution in the world which relies on another country, Italy, for its defense. This hasn't always been the best solution. During WWII San Marino's constitution was suspended, and it became a fascist dictatorship. A better approach might be to build a web of alliances with larger countries with treaty obligations to render assistance when needed. Ideally, this would allow for a choice among one's allies when a specific need arises.

One important objection to Vermont secession got demolished easily. It's not true that current Vermonters would lose their social security since Americans who choose to retire abroad can still collect social security. On the other hand, future generations in an independent Vermont may not qualify for social security. They would need to have applied for a social security number and have worked in the United States at some point in their lives.

Radio Free Vermont is fiction. The secession premise can be viewed as a thought experiment. As a thought experiment it looks more workable than it did at first glance, though there would be many details to iron out if it were ever to become more than a thought experiment.

I enjoyed finding out more about the Vermont revolutionary war hero, Ethan Allen. Allen's more controversial writings reminded me of Tom Paine, who is one of my favorite founding fathers.

There are also some wonderful fictional characters in Radio Free Vermont. I particularly loved Trance, the female Olympic bi-athlete.

This is my idea of a fun read. I got to consider some important issues and read some very effective satire of what I consider to be ripe targets for satire. This is also a good sign for 2018. I don't usually read a five star book right out of the starting gate, but this is definitely five stars for me.

This is an excellent and inspiring book which I very much encourage people to read. It's really heart-warming and funny but with a very serious message.

I have reviewed it on my blog, please click the link below for the full review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Vermont was gosh darn special the one time I drove through it; magnificent overlooks of the Green Mountains, smoke emanating from under my hood on the 7% downhill grade notwithstanding. I've read enough Howard Frank Mosher to become enamored with the landscape and fiercely loyal folk who inhabit those parts as if the state was one big small town, for better or for worse. Vermont was the first state to abolish slavery and the first state to legislate gay marriage equality. It's a safe bet for Progressivism, as it is also the state represented in the 2016 Presidential Election by Senator Bernie "college will be government funded" Sanders. It therefore, comes as little surprise, that the plot centers around a small group of rogue Vermont citizens who are fed up with the current political climate (who the hell wouldn't be) and have launched an underground broadcast determined to convince the rest of Vermont to effectively secede from the US. Naturally, the FBI doesn't take too kindly to this sort of thing, being illegal and all to encourage crimes just short of sedition against your country, but it's amusing that it's essentially 1) a non-stereotypical Boomer who had stereotypical tendencies in his past and actually stood down after realizing how ridiculous he was, 2) two middle age lesbians, and 3) a millennial computer geek with dreadlocks. This would be the new cast of Gilligan's Island if it were written in 2017. They make valid points for the people of Vermont and antagonize the local politicians and police, drop product endorsements for beer consistently (try Heady Topper, the legendary DIPA by the Alchemist if you haven't, it's a standard bearer), and ultimately get themselves into an inevitable pickle. Three stars for being a somewhat lumbering story, comical in parts yes, but a bit of a stretch particularly in the snowmobile scene. Four stars for being an unabashed middle finger to the epic administrative disaster that sits in the ivory tower in Washington along with all of his cronies. Each new day truly brings shame upon some new entity in this country in a previously unimaginable capacity. The way McKibben alluded to that metaphorically with this book did give me light-hearted pause to laugh momentarily. For that I am grateful. Overall 3.5 stars.

I recently saw Ann Patchett and Daniel Pink making book recommendations on PBS NewsHour and she said, "the number one thing that people come into my bookstore and ask for is a book that is smart and funny and has an uplifting ending." That immediately made me think of the recently released RADIO FREE VERMONT by Bill McKibben. The environmental activist's newest work of fiction is subtitled "a fable of resistance" and relates the story of long-time radio host, Vern Barclay, aged 72. Living in Vermont and valuing the lifestyle there, he inadvertently starts a succession campaign when some sewage is re-routed to flood a new big box store and politicians make him a wanted man.

This book is smart – providing snippets of information like referencing "the U.S. of Lincoln’s day – a population of thirty million, already ten times larger than at the Revolution, but ten times smaller than out total today." Vern emphasizes the value in small and local; his speeches are heartfelt and well-researched – like when he encourages everyone to go to local town meetings: "... be reminded that democracy isn't just voting for president every four years and then trusting him to fix things. Democracy is about getting together with your community to think together about your future."And it's funny – there's a beer heist and a contest for a Vermont National Anthem as well as some great song choices to fill the radio waves.

This book will make a great holiday gift especially since it advocates for less shouting and more listening, plus "the one thing no one ever says anymore in our public life: 'I think you’re wrong, but you may be right.'" RADIO FREE VERMONT received starred reviews from both Booklist and Library Journal.

Live link in online post: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-best-reads-of-2017-from-ann-patchett-and-daniel-pink#transcript

When is a country just too big to be accountable to all of its citizens? Former radio host, seventy-two year old Vern Barclay believes that the United States is just that and is out of control.

So he wants to do something about it in order to save his home state, Vermont—where “neighbors are more than decorative” and politics is local. He wants to keep its progressive and friendly nature. He notes that Vermont was the first sovereign nation to outlaw slavery, doing so before joining the Union. Vermont was also the first state to legalize civil unions.

Barclay now delivers podcasts from undisclosed locations. He is assisted by Perry Alterson, a nineteen year old techie with limited social skills. Newspapers started the idea of secession and Barclay is simply expanding the conversation. He and Alterson conduct contests for a national flag and song for Vermont. Alterson, who is a huge fan of the old Memphis sound of the 60’s and 70’, pushes that a song from that genre be chosen.

Even though Radio Free Vermont, “underground, underpowered, and underfoot” has quite a following, Barclay has been labeled a “terrorist” and is on the run. He has been accused of orchestrating various antics such as reversing the sewage system in a Walmart. Soon his three cohorts will also be dodging authorities.

Through satire, Radio Free Vermont turns feelings of hopelessness in this current political and social era into those of empowerment and action. The characters are fully developed and the action never stops. Each seemingly minor situation adds to the plot and we never stop rooting for our rebels.

I recommend Radio Free Vermont to all Americans who feel angry with the current state of affairs.

In a time when resistance is absolutely necessary, Radio Free Vermont is a welcome addition to the fuel that keeps us going. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel.

Described as a fable, this novel tells the tale of Vern Barclay, well-known Vermont radio personality, who has joined forces with a young computer whiz to promote the secession of Vermont from the union. They go into hiding to broadcast their messages of subversion, and are joined by two women, and then followed by thousands as their message continues to resonate. The more popular they become, the more dangerous their situation, since the governor is threatened enough to declare that they are terrorists. With great humor and fondness for his characters, McKibben strikes just the right chord of dissatisfaction leading to action, certainly an important message for our times. Highlighting some of Vermont's best beers adds to the fun.

I liked the idea but the "free" part was really left leaning; I should have thought that when Bernie Sanders liked it. My bad. next time. It is an okay read

Lighthearted and comical with concepts that make you think.

Radio Free Vermont is a charming book in the same way that folksy stories are charming when you're a child listening to your grandfather tell them. There's a bit of humor, a bit of danger, and always a moral at the end of the story. I like the basic message of the book as far as prioritization of local over national goes, from your politics to your beer. Taking care of your own house first instead of getting sucked into a 24/7 national news cycle that just leaves you feeling exhausted and powerless while not terribly changing much about your everyday.

The characters were fun and the ride enjoyable. It wasn't really a can't-put-it-down kind of book but charming nonetheless. I'm not about to start preaching CalExit here in California but local <i>is</i> good and I think that's something most Americans can get behind.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Penguin Group - Blue Rider Press, and the author Bill McKibben for the opportunity to do so.

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!

Vern Barclay is the host of Radio Free Verrmont and is broadcasting from a secret location. Should Vermont secede from the United States? Eccentric characters, an interesting premise about a resistance movement.

As a long-term former Vermonter, I found this book hilarious. It is hard to caraciturize Vermont politics, the unique values that seem to collectively exist there, and the community involvement in local goings on. Bill McKibben does a great job of getting that nuance. He is a Vermonter, after all, and currently teaches at my Alma Mater. I lived on what used to be Ethan Allen's property.
The story of succession in this book works well as satire, but is ultimately forgettable. It is fun to see a caper story that completely avoids any violence. The story was not entirely believable but entertaining in its fantasy.
The inside jokes about Vermont life were dead on - drink good beer, support local farms, help your neighbors.
Lots of fun, but ultimately forgettable.

If the state of the nation has you down, Radio Free Vermont just might (momentarily) cheer you up. This account of a grass-roots secessionist movement in Vermont is a modern-day fable, complete with good guys, bad guys, and a very clear moral. Resistance is possible, and even mandatory.

This one might make you laugh out loud- and also shake your head. The concept of a positive resistance is a good one but seceding from the US, well that's something else. The merry band of revolutionaries, led by Vern with assistance from Perry, is believably well intentioned. A quick read. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

Sub-titled "a fable of Resistance", Bill McKibbens Radio Free Vermont is a quick and entertaining read about a band of stalwart Vermonters who inadvertently start a successionist movement. Vern Barclay, 72, a radio host on one of the sole remaining local radio programs, works with Perry, a much younger tech wiz, after they meet at an on-location broadcast of a WalMart opening, which Perry disrupts by reversing the sewer systems flow . . . an auspicious beginning to an interesting relationship and tale. They are assisted by an Olympic biathalete, a volunteer fire chief, and Barclay's mother - women who do not suffer fools lightly and have serious thoughts on the current state of Vermont and the current state of the United States. Their escapades move quickly, are amusing and thought provoking, and provide much fodder for thought and discussion. The Authors final chapter constitutes the fable's moral - well worth considering.

Be sure to read the cover blurb by Bernie Sanders. With thanks to the author and the publisher for the advanced readers copy.

Vern Barclay is done watching big box stores and large out of state corporations ruin the local character and charm of his beloved Vermont. He has enjoyed hosting a radio show for many years, until the station is sold to a conglomerate, with managers who want to censor what Vern can and cannot say. Vern decides the time has come to open people's eyes to what is going on in their state and to encourage them to buy local. When he hosts a live radio broadcast from a newly opened Walmart, his idea to highlight the negative aspects of this type of store goes awry and he is labeled a terrorist and becomes a fugitive.
Vern and his zany band of fellow resisters, orchestrate some high profile capers and his underground radio podcasts focus on why not all change improves quality of life. It was a fun read that took me away from the reality of the world that is currently so full of violence, hate, abuse of power and negativity. I grew up in a small, rural town where the nearest mall was 30 miles away and going there and getting to eat at a fast food restaurant seemed like paradise to me as a child. Life took me far away from what I now realize was an idyllic little town, where I knew all my neighbors and had a real sense of community. When I get to go home and visit, I really appreciate the simpler way of life and the mom and pop stores that sell locally produced goods, so I definitely could relate to many of the points the author made.
Buzz Books introduced me to this book and it was on my TBR list. I was fortunate to receive an ARC, so thank you, Bill McKibben, NetGalley and Penguin Group Blue Rider Press & Plume. I read that this was the author's first fiction book and I certainly hope it won't be his last. A solid 3.5 stars.