How old is fanny mccoy in the coffin quilt

The author relies on cliches and stereotypes for her characters. I did feel offended at times and I'm not a person who feels that way often.

Rinaldi failed to grasp a good understanding of "Mountainese" - or that there are several dialects of it. The few times she did attempt a dialect, it was one that could've came from anywhere. Her use of this false Appalachian dialect was also inconsistent. Needless to say, this made it I gave this book two stars because the topic interests me. Needless to say, this made it very difficult to believe her authority on the subject.

I will give her credit for packing the book with tons of information about the feud, but there was so much information that this read like a history book. I didn't feel as though the author gave enough emotional development to the story - and emotion should have been present, as this is essentially a story about murder, justice, and love in an area that was far removed from the rest of America a plot not too distant from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet - but I doubt the author made this connection.

This brings me to another point: Romeo and Juliet would have been a good play for Rinaldi to have studied before writing this book, as those same attitudes and sentiments, as well as speech patterns, would have been prevalent in this period of Appalachian history - and anyone seriously dedicated to Appalachian study would have known that and not needed stereotypes for the basis of her characters.

View all 5 comments. Feb 09, Kyle added it Shelves: read-in , borrowed. I saw this sitting on the bookshelf in my coworker's classroom the other day and picked it up, despite never having heard of it before then.

I've read a couple other Ann Rinaldi books, but this one particularly seemed interesting because it is about the Hatfield-McCoy feud, which is pretty fascinating. It ended up being a quick and interesting read. I love when I read historical fiction and it makes me want to go spend hours doing research to learn more about the book's topic. Case in point here I saw this sitting on the bookshelf in my coworker's classroom the other day and picked it up, despite never having heard of it before then.

From what I gathered while reading, it was very violent and involved a lot of people. The McCoy family from The Coffin Quilt is huge and according to the author's note, she didn't even include all the kids! But anyway, yes. Must satisfy my knowledge thirst soon. I love history. Even though the novel isn't long, it takes place over about 10 years.

The narrator and youngest member of her family, Fanny McCoy, goes from 7 to 16, and it was neat to see how her understanding of the feud and her family changed as she grew. It was hard to be hopeful for anyone in the story, though, including Fanny, since it seemed like people just kept dying every other chapter.

I didn't dislike the book, but I think I would have like it more had I known more about the feud before reading it. Jan 29, Tom Hooker rated it really liked it. Powerful account of how family bonding and vigilante justice can result in a war just as deadly as one between two countries, instead of two famiies. Then Johnse's father, family patriarch "Devil Anse" Hatfield, forbids their wedding.

Roseanna continues to live with Johnse and the Hatfields, out of wedlock, because she believes, correctly that her father, family patriarch Ranel McCoy, won't accept her back. Roseanna winds up pregnant, and she goes to live with an aunt. While there she begins making a "Coffin Quilt" which was used by some as a family histoy. Others saw the coffin quilt as a harbinger of doom.

Roseanna quilted the names or her family on coffin shaped patches around the outside of the quilt. As a family member died, the coffn with his or her name on it wa moved to the center. Excellent story. Dec 28, Sydney rated it really liked it. Very interesting, especially since I am living very near where the feud took place though the raids and killings have long ago stopped.

I had never considered the idea that the Civil War conditioned men to believe it was okay to fight brother-against-brother and could be considered a catalyst for feuds such as this. Especially since the men who fought from West Virginia were on one side of the war to begin with with the south and came home to find out they had really been fighting for the no Very interesting, especially since I am living very near where the feud took place though the raids and killings have long ago stopped.

Especially since the men who fought from West Virginia were on one side of the war to begin with with the south and came home to find out they had really been fighting for the north unbeknownst to them. I imagine that would magnify the PTSD. Mar 06, Karen Hogan rated it really liked it.

I really enjoy Ann Rinaldi's historical fiction for young adults. Her fictional accounts of actual historical events make learning fun, and you do learn. We all know the phrase "feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys". This book offers some insight into the probable origin of the feud, the family members involved, and the repercussions of two families constantly at war.

Fascinating stuff. Feb 08, Jim rated it liked it. Only this time there is no Richard Dawson there to crack jokes and make the story enjoyable. Young Fanny McCoy grows up knowing nothing but violence and hatred as the youngest daughter of the McCoy family.

Her family has been in a literal war with another family, the Hatfi Meh. Her family has been in a literal war with another family, the Hatfields, most of her entire life. This was a grudge dating back to the time of the Civil War when bad blood started boiling between the two families. This story is told through the eyes of Fanny as she watches her sister, Roseanna McCoy, become romantically involved with the enemy, Johnse Hatfield. Their relationship fans the flames of an already deadly dispute and Fanny gets caught in the middle.

The book is well written in terms of its conventions, accuracy and sentence fluency. But it was extremely boring, frankly. As a male I suppose my point of view is one-sided, but the female perspective of this story was, well, very female.

Rinaldi focuses on the relationships rather than the events of the of the story - sisters sniping at one another, pregnancy, quilts, cooking, school, church groups, oh and a yellow demon who smells like rotting tilapias and looks like a repugnant run away mongrel that stalks Fanny whenever there's about to be a death, sort of like Benji might look after a rebellious stint in a Satanic dog cult.

Look, I didn't hate the story, or even dislike it. I just didn't like it, either. Oct 27, Shaya rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fiction , school-year This is another enjoyable book by Ann Rinaldi.

I really like her style of historical fiction writing. It is clear she spends a lot of time researching so that you can really learn something about history but the characters are still strong with enough details filled in to make it interesting. Her books usually have a clear theme running through them, instead of many smaller ones.

And she almost always has strong female protagonists. I had heard a teacher mention the feud six months ago and hadn't known what they were referring to. I'm glad that I now know about this particular even in history. Fanny McCoy is the main character and the narrator. She tells the story through a child's perspective from the beginning. Her sister Roseanna was one of the causes to start off the feud. Roseanna agreed to start dating a Hatfield boy. They think that if they get married it will unite the two families and they won't be able to hold a grudge because they love their children too much.

Except his father won't allow them to get married and Roseanna's father doesn't want to speak to her again. Everyone in the family deals with the crisis and horrible acts in their own way. Some turn to religion, some to folklore, some revert inside themselves.

I think the most striking thing about the book is how it seems so senseless that their was so much fighting and violence. Or just how it escalated to such levels. If there had been grudges and little acts like not speaking to one another at parties that would have seemed reasonable.

But killing people and burning houses takes it way too far. But, once someone has started the other party wants revenge. May 16, Alexis rated it really liked it. About the book: The Coffin Quilt is a book that will not leave you disappointed.

This morbid tale of hate and love follows the McCoy and Hatfield families as years and years go by at an agonizingly slow pace. As you read, you find yourself in the center of the madness; as you read from the point of view of fanny McCoy.

Sadly, the tale of forbidden love did not quite work out the way they planned. Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. View 1 comment. May 17, Samantha rated it it was amazing. In this tragic tale, two star-crossed lovers are broken and consumed by hatred from the prying eyes of their forgotten family members.

Blinded by love, Roseanna defies her family. So after, she is impregnated by Johnse. The baby girl, Cora soon dies of measles, absent of her father. Johnse later marries first cousin, Nancy McCoy.

Heartbroken and distressed, the feud is fueled by an ongoing hate created by the two, very different families. In my personal opinion, my favorite part of the book was when Fanny McCoy is surprised to see Johnse approach Roseanna, seeing the love in his eyes, or so she thought. I rate this book a high 4. Subsequently, I kept reading. I was very interested when I got past the first few chapters. This was a very well thought, put together, book; overall easy to understand.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, action, and adventure, mixed with just that right amount of fictional history. Jul 10, Cristine rated it really liked it. How often have I made the comment about people fighting like Hatfields and McCoys? I had no idea what I was talking about, until I read this book.

The narrator, Fanny is a young McCoy girl who sees and experiences things no child should. Her favorite older sister develops a relationship with a Hatfied boy and starts making a "coffin quilt" a Hatfied tradition. Each family member's name is captured on a coffin on the outside of the quilt and is moved to the middle when they die. Fanny tells us about this and we see how she is used as a confident, interlocutor and carries the burden of her family's baggage. The author shows that how this is a pattering, when Lavinia finally reveals and actually feels appropriate talking about what happened to her the play becomes not just violent but it becomes more violence and it goes downhill from their.

From her rape it emphasis both natural and human systems. The Oresteia is a political trilogy touching the topics of patriarchy and sexism. Even though, Agamemnon's death had happened years before, his essence is still evident in the hearts and minds of the people specially his children Orestes and Electra. His murder filled their minds even disregarding the fact that their father instigated the Trojan War and murdered their sister Iphigenia. Women in Ancient Greece were expected to be hung up on revenge and deception but to stay at home and take care of the family household.

At this moment the reader is unaware of why but later discovers the social prejudices that plague the ranch. Our short story unit was about conflict, characterization and plot elements including the theme. Empathy can create a stronger and more just society because people would understand the things that people are going through or gone through. The Nazis didn't have any empathy for the people that they killed and how they destroyed their families. The first assignment.

Tate was right Scout plainly said that Boo Radley is a mockingbird and the events in the story prove it to be true. They had persuaded the jury to believe that George Zimmerman had killed Trayvon believing he was a danger to himself or others. If only they would hear my argument on why I believe in what we did to them was very horrible,we were killers. They are just holding a deaf ear, but we can come to conclusion that it was our fault for this act that was once supposed to be a way to make America a land of opportunities, but instead turned it to a land of.

Those that fight and those that don't," he said. You think Ma's stupid? One thing Tolbert wouldn't hold with was my sassing Ma or Pa. Even though he knew they were both wrong about things sometimes. So I said no. Because I didn't ever want to earn myself the rough side of Tolbert's tongue. Our sheep come home at least once a month. You open your eyes one morning and there they all just are, come for salt.

Pa or one of the boys would give them some, and then they'd be gone again. All on their own. I was kind of hoping that's the way it would be with Roseanna, that I'd just open my eyes one morning and she'd be there in the bed next to me. I missed her something powerful. He looked at me. Tolbert was the tallest and he was fair of hair and eyes, but it was what was in those eyes that held you. He didn't say much. But when he did, you listened.

The house and us, I mean. He didn't say anything for a minute. Just kept his eyes on the trail ahead, like he does sometimes. She hates herself. Hates that she's lived twenty-two years and don't know what she's about. Hates that you're just a young 'un and still have the chance to find out. My guess is once she forgets about this healing business and pays mind to that young Will Bectal who wants to court her, she'll be a happier woman.

When she comes at me I want to kick her or bite her. But how can I if she's got it? She should have got out from under Ma's shadow and been married years ago. Ma's a good woman, but she's trying to make Alifair into herself all over.

She's got no light and no holiness, and the sooner she finds it out, the better we'll all be. So you kick and bite her all you want to defend yourself. Onliest reason I tell you this is because Alifair's been so hard on you. Not so you don't reverence Ma. You understand?

I said yes. And since he was explaining things so good I thought I'd push further. He grunted. Ma says no, before that even. Everybody says it was old Devil Anse Hatfield and his Wildcats. You see, in , Virginia's western counties broke away and became West Virginia. When men from that area got to come home on leave, they just didn't go back.

They'd been fighting for their own ground, and now it was Union blue ground.