Over a span of 30 years working in education, Raymond R. Rodrigues wrote more than a dozen textbooks.  But his dream of writing fiction was not fulfilled until he retired to Pownal.  "And one day I thought, 'there should be another book about Pownal," Rodrigues said, referring to a book in addition to fellow author Elizabeth Winthrop's novel, "Counting on Grace".

The leading character in "Memoir of a Green Mountain Boy" is Erastus, a teenager living in Pownal in the 1770's.  Erastus admires Ethan Allen, and dreams of being a Green Mountain Boy.

Rodriques devoted two years to writing the book with "one and a half years for revisions", says the author.

About the author:  Raymond Rodrigues grew up in New Jersey where his father was a gardener on an estate after immigrating from Portugal as a teenerager.  Although Rodrigues' parents were educated to only a fifth-grade level, young Raymond graduated from Rutgers and then earned a doctorate at the University of New Mexico.  As a professor of English, a director of academia and vice president of academic affairs, he worked in institutions of higher learning located in Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Vermont and Massachusetts.  He and his wife moved back to their home in Pownal in 2001 after they retired.

Source: Bennington Banner reporter Phyllis McGuire, "Re-discovering history: Pownal VT author's new book looks at Green Mountain Boys"