Chris Stevenson Wins Grateful American Book Prize

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Updated June 30, 2019 | Social Share

The 2016 Grateful American Book Prize was awarded to author and WKW attorney Chris Stevenson for his first novel, The Drum of Destiny. Chris was awarded the prize during a presentation and reception in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress on October 6, 2016.

David Bruce Smith, education advocate and co-founder of the Prize said that “Chris epitomizes the spirit of this award. His passion for history came to him later in life, but it made him realize how much he had missed while in school and that is the whole point of the Prize.”

The Drum of Destiny is a story about a twelve-year-old orphan named Gabriel Cooper. Gabriel finds a discarded drum, dodges Tories, and overcomes sickness as well as and the perils of a patriot as he journeys on foot from New York to Boston along the Post Road to join the fight for freedom.

Asked how he came up with the idea for Gabriel Cooper, Stevenson says, “I had been listening to hours and hours of non-fiction books about the American Revolution, and wanted my sons to learn more about this rich history. I started telling them bedtime stories about a boy named Gabriel Cooper. They liked them, and so I decided to share them with everyone in a book.”

Congratulations on the prestigious award, Chris! Your family at WKW is proud of you.