Finally published in 1915, Poole's "The Harbor" was well received by critics and the reading public and his place in the American literary scene was thereby firmly established. He followed the book up with a new novel in 1917 dealing with intergenerational conflict, "His Family." This book was also warmly regarded, resulting in Poole being awarded the first Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1918, an award which at least one 21st Century literary critic has argued was awarded to Poole as much for his previous effort, "The Harbor."