Rebel Falls by Tim Wendel is the winner of the 2025 W.Y. Boyd Literary Award

CHICAGO — "Rebel Falls" by Tim Wendel is the winner of the 2025 W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for excellence in military fiction. The book was published by Three Hills, an imprint of Cornell University Press in 2024.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Novel Award honors the best American military fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. The $5,000 award and citation, donated by author W.Y. Boyd II, recognizes the service of veterans by encouraging the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction.

"Rebel Falls" is a riveting novel set during the American Civil War. The book was inspired by true stories of female spies who risked everything for the Union cause. The story is set against the misty, treacherous backdrop of Niagara Falls, which is a hotbed of Confederate plots and clandestine operations. Rory Chase, a determined young woman, goes undercover to disrupt enemy intelligence after accepting the mission from William Seward, Secretary of State. Posing as a Southern sympathizer, Rory infiltrates a web of spies, smugglers, and double agents that operate along the U.S.-Canada border. As she gathers critical information, Rory faces mounting danger. She is forced to outmaneuver ruthless Confederate operatives while also wrestling with the moral complexities of deception and war. With Rory’s every action, the treacherous falls themselves become a powerful symbol of both peril and possibility. This mystical, thundering water setting provides the stage for a high-stakes mission that could alter the war’s course. Wendel masterfully blends historical facts with gripping suspense. The author also illuminates the fearless women whose covert efforts helped shape American history.

Wendel’s novel will appeal to adults and teens. It provides a unique perspective of the American Civil War for further reflection.

The W.Y. Boyd Award Jury is delighted to have selected this work as its 2025 winner.

Members of the W. Y. Boyd Literary Jury are Chair Beth McGuire, Ph.D., Librarian, Maxwell and West Elementary Libraries, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Ann Crewdson, King County Library System, Teen/Adult Service; Theresa Jehlik, Strategy and Business Intelligence Manager, Omaha Public Library; Elizabeth Nelson, Cataloging & Collection Development Librarian, McHenry County College; and Ron Steensland, Lexington Public Library (retired).

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