A review by brimelick
The Coffin Quilt: The Feud Between the Hatfields and the McCoys by Ann Rinaldi

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ann Rinaldi was one of my go-to authors when I was younger, I read her books at the library because they were so quick and enthralling. I saw this book second-hand and I grabbed it and a few others of hers just so I could have some nostalgia on my bookshelf. I never read this one when I was younger so I thought it would be a good one to try out. It is definitely an older elementary/early middle school book but it was still a great quick read. I am not very well versed in the story of the Hatfields and the McCoys feud so I thought this might be a great place to start knowing that Ann does a fantastic job with her research. Keep in mind, this book is HEAVILY fictionalized and she explains what she fictionalizes at the end in the author's note so make sure you read that as well. From a story perspective, it flows pretty well. You are seeing the story from the perspective of one of the youngest children at the time of the feud so other than Fanny being a McCoy, she doesn't grasp what the nitty-gritty details are so she gives quite an unbiased viewpoint. That is until she begins to lose family members due to the fight. Her family is full of over religious and abusive people so be very aware of that when reading either yourself or with children. I recommend this for anyone who is interested in this folklorish feud and isn't going to be upset that it is fictionalized.
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