The Coffin Quilt: The Feud Between the Hatfields and the McCoys

by Ann Rinaldi

Fanny McCoy has lived in fear and anger ever since that day in 1878 when a dispute with the Hatfields over the ownership of a few pigs set her family on a path of hatred and revenge. From that day forward, along the ragged ridges of the West Virginia-Kentucky line, the Hatfields and the McCoys have operated not within the law but within mountain codes of their own making. In 1882, when Fanny's sister Roseanna runs off with young Johnse Hatfield, the hatred between the two clans explodes.
As the killings, abductions, raids, and heartbreak escalate bitterly and senselessly, Fanny, the sole voice of reason, realizes that she is powerless to stop the fighting and must learn to rise above the petty natures of her family and neighbors to find her own way out of the hatred.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Teen, 19th Century, Young Adult Historical Fiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 1999

About the author

Ann Rinaldi (b. August 27, 1934, in New York City) is a young adult fiction author. She is best known for her historical fiction, including In My Father's House, The Last Silk Dress, An Acquaintance with Darkness, A Break with Charity, and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons. She has written a total of forty novels, eight of which were listed as notable by the ALA. In 2000, Wolf by the Ears was listed as one the best novels of the preceding twenty-five years, and later of the last one hundred years. She is the most prolific writer for the Great Episode series, a series of historical fiction novels set during the American Colonial era. She also writes for the Dear America series.

Rinaldi currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Ron, whom she married in 1960. Her career, prior to being an author, was a newspaper columnist. She continued the column, called The Trentonian, through much of her writing career. Her first published novel, Term Paper, was written in 1979. Prior to this, she wrote four unpublished books, which she has called "terrible." She became a grandmother in 1991.

Rinaldi says she got her love of history from her eldest son, who brought her to reenactments. She says that she writes young adult books "because I like to write them."

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting at 7-years old, Fanny, our protagonist and the youngest of 16 (?) McCoy siblings, tells, in journal form, the infamous, folkloric story of the violent feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. I didn't realize that this book was listed as "juvenile fiction" when I bought it; however, I really appreciated that it had a fast-paced chronological story-line without getting too bogged down by details and/or characters not central to the story - just perfect for someone like me who has heard of the feud but wanted to learn the "how" and "why" of it. As for the title, I Googled "coffin quilt" and discovered that these morbid-looking quilts (in my opinion) designed with fabric coffins (!) were made to celebrate the life of the deceased, especially a baby. These quilts were popular in frontier Appalachia, and I admire how the author incorporates one into this story. I recommend this book for young and old alike who wish to learn the basics of this unfortunate American saga.

[Bekah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was well-written but it was not to my taste. It is historical fiction about the family feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. And frankly- the characters are not nice people so I did not enjoy reading about them. The narrator is the youngest daughter in a McCoy family and she adds a little bit of hope. But overall I just didn't like the book. I think I've figured out that I would rather read factual accounts vs fiction when it comes to unpleasant accounts because I do not get enjoyment out of reading the fiction and I just keep wondering what is real and what is the author's ideas. I can handle a good amount of sadness if I like the characters, but I wasn't even that fond of the "hopeful" character in this book.

[Karen Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Angie Lisle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars because the topic interests me.

I'm from WV. 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 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.

[Kyle]

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 now want to know all I can about the Hatfield-McCoy feud and what led to it. 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! Crazy. 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.

[Tom Hooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rinaldi's fictional account of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, told from the POV of young Fanny McCoy, as she ages from seven to sixteen. 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. When the beautiful Roseanna McCoy runs away with the handsom Johnse Hatfield, everybody gets upset. 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.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 north (unbeknownst to them). I imagine that would magnify the PTSD.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. 'The Coffin Quilt: The Feud Between the Hatfields and the McCoys' by author Ann Rinaldi is intended as a young readers historical fiction novel based off of the true events of the infamous Hatfields and McCoys family feud. 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 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.

[Shaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

The Coffin Quilt is about the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. 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.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review Alexis Milbee
Introduction: The Coffin Quilt tells about life of the McCoy’s during the time of the Hatfield and McCoy feud from the point of view of Fanny McCoy, the youngest of the McCoy children. It all started with the dispute over the ownership of a few pigs, and ever since that day in 1878, the McCoy’s and Hatfield’s loathing for each other did not extinguish, but has grown.
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.
My Favorite part: My favorite part about the book was when Roseanna and Johnse tried to make their families see the situation is not needed and there’s no need to keep this century-long feud fueled. 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. The Hatfield and McCoy feud is important to the history of Kentucky and West Virginia.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most famous feuds in American history, the Hatfield and McCoy’s, is well represented and well enriched by a talented author, Ann Rinaldi. In this tragic tale, two star-crossed lovers are broken and consumed by hatred from the prying eyes of their forgotten family members. Furthermore, Roseanna McCoy, daughter of leader, Randolph McCoy, unexpectedly falls for Johnse Hatfield, fueling the feud even more then before. The McCoy’s did not approve of “Ro’s” affection for Johnse. 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 4.5 stars, due to the fact that in the beginning, this book was unable to hold my attention. 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.

[Cristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. Like Hunger Games, the violence makes me a little hesitant to recommend to a young adult--it is categorize as YA. The story itself is fascinating. It is historical fiction and demonstrates that fact is often stranger than fiction (the author's poetic license is not really the jaw dropping part(s) of the story). Fanny is a great story teller and her evolution during the feud gives you a lot to think about. Quick read and very enjoyable (in the reading sense, story is not..well, uplifting).

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowing that the feuds satirized in Huck Finn are based off of the Hatfields and McCoys makes me interested to know more about the real feuds.

When I first picked it up to read a couple of years ago, I was overwhelmed by the all the names of the McCoy children, but I just let them by this time and after a bit I knew who was who.

It was a fast read. I read it in my spare time in two days pretty much in two sittings.

I learned a lot about this particular even in history, about which I knew pretty much nothing before. I will say that I thought there would be more about the actual shootings and deaths, such as the narrator being there when they happened, but gore really isn't Rinadli's style. For me, that made the book a little less tense than it could have been, but I still walked away with a clear and deep sense of the tragedy.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great book by Ann Rinaldi. In telling the story of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, she uses the voice of Fanny McCoy, the youngest of the McCoy children, whose entire childhood was taken up by and destroyed by the feud. When she was born in 1873, tensions were already high, and renewed over a theft when Fanny was five. Two years later, when Fanny's favorite sister, Roseanna, has an affair with a Hatfield, tensions explode. Over the next ten years, Fanny loses numerous family members to the feud - a sister, several brothers, and Roseanna, who dies of grief - and she loses all chances of a happy and normal childhood as she alternates between grief and anger. More than just a story of this famous feud, THE COFFIN QUILT was also a portrait of a young girl who tries to rise about the hatred and violence she is surrounded by as she grows up.

[Anne Hawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was excellent. The feud is the background to the story of young Roseanna McCoy who meets and falls in love with Johnse Hatfield. It is told by Fanny McCoy who understand the futility of the feud an its terrible impact on everyone.

The tragedy of the relationship is made more poignant because of the coffin quilt Roseanna works on to preserve the memory of family who are killed over the feud. Coffin quilts were made in the Appalachian Mountains and contained a graveyard in the center of the quilt and an outer border of coffins. When a person is born or married into the family, a coffin with his or her name on it is appliqued on the outer border. When they die, the coffin is moved into the graveyard in the center.

Coffin Quilt: http://folkwaysnotebook.blogspot.com/...

[Victorianromantic · Rating 1 out of 5]

A morbrid tale of death is all this is, represented in a coffin quilt. Near everyone dies, and all anyone can put the blame at is the other persons feet. Not decent, not seemly, and not a very good book.

[Princess Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit sad, but good, fairy clean read. I think the author did a good job retelling the story of these two families feud.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book!! I wish I would have read this ages ago. It’s so crazy how bad and brutal this feud was. So happy to the know the actual story.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written from the perspective of the ill-fated Roseanna McCoy's youngest sister, Fanny, this is a 'young adult" book that holds the interest of adults that cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered young. If you are unfamiliar with the true story of the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys, google it. My father's family was from southern Indiana, and that close to Kentucky, the tale was legendary. My cousin even married a descendant of the McCoys, but the marriage didn't take. I can only assume that the McCoys are still difficult people.

[Havebooks Willread · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Coffin Quilt was an interesting take on the Hatfield and McCoy feud told from the perspective of Fanny, the youngest of the 14 McCoy children. It was a quick, easy read for our first day of summer break while the kids played and I had some back issues getting me down.

I enjoyed the colloquialisms scattered throughout the story such as:
--"Don't ever be pushed into a promise. Say you'll study on it." (86)
--"made everybody nervous as an ugly girl at a box-supper auction" (143)

I thought it was interesting to ponder the ways the different siblings reacted to the feuding. Some jumped right in, others thought they could make an alliance to end it, while another group retreated into denial, and still others literally physically escaped, leaving behind the observations that "They like it, Fanny, all the fighting. Get away. Stay out of it, Fanny, do. Or it'll destroy you. I love Ma and Pa, but they're crazy. This whole family is" (171).

I also thought it was interesting to consider the idea of someone being "overly religious" and "preaching prayer instead of action" to the detriment of the family. "The things we don't do are just as bad as the things we do in this life. It can drive you pure daft, if you think about it."

It wasn't a wonderful book, but I liked it fine for a little break.

[Tiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Coffin Quilt is a very interesting love story, with a historical feud. Rosanne is in love with Johnse, a Hatfield. The McCoy and Hatfield families don’t get along too well. But, Ro loves Johnse and has to keep it a secret, and the only one who knows is Fanny, Ro’s little sister. When they start sneaking around, things get suspicious, and soon everyone knows. And the feud begins. With arguing, fighting and killing, there is no peace anymore. The families are separated by the West Virginia and Kentucky state line. Fanny has always looked up to Ro, and will help her out in any way that she can. My favorite part of the book was everything,; it was all so intense, and breathe taking. Every page I read was something new, and made me get more and more into the book. The further into the book you read, the better it gets. If you like love stories, that have to be kept secret, but will do anything to make them work. Or if you like history and wars and reading about feuds and fighting, this is definitely the book for you.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book The Coffin Quilt, there is a feud between the Hatfields ,and the McCoys. Fanny, the little girl that was a Hatfield, was scared of the many things that could happen to her. There is a thing called yeller that lives in the woods, many people try to hunt it, but it is just too fast. No one has ever seen this yeller and Fanny sees it, but it is standing still. Yeller comes to warn Fanny of bad things that happen. Fanny has a sister that falls in love with a McCoy . Fanny’s father gets mad, and kicks her sister Ro out. Ro goes to live with the McCoys,and learns how to make a coffin quilt. The coffin quilt is a wired thing; there is a coffin in the middle and the names of the family on the out side; every time someone dies in their family, the name of the person gets moved into the middle of the quilt. In this novel many people die in many mysterious ways like sickness, getting shot or hanging. I think that this is a terrific book I give it 4 out of 5 stars

[♥mckinsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Coffin Quilt , was about a quilt that the family had for generations after generations. For every death in the family they would stitch a coffin into the quilt. There were several people in the family, but the main character was Fanny. She was a really nice girl and always tried to help everyone, but her sister, Alifair, on the other hand, was a very rude and obnoxious girl. A lot of things happened in the family. A lot of things in the book involve things between the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. My favorite part of the book was when Pa told Roseanna how he really felt and made it perfectly clear of how everything was going to be from now on. I recommend this book to anyone who likes, detailed scenery, family drama, and anything that involves the past.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Nicole

Final Review:
I recommend this book if anyone loves love stories, killings, history stories; then you would love this book.
Summary:
This book is about a girl named Fanny McCoy; she has lived in fear ever since 1878 when a dispute with the Hatfields over the stealing of a few pigs set her family on a path of hatred and revenge. The feud was along West Virginia-Kentucky line.When Fanny's sister Roseanna runs off with Johnse Hatfield, the hatred between the two families explodes. As the killings, abductions, raids, and heartbreak continue, Fanny, realizes that she cannot stop the fighting and must learn to rise above her family and neighbors to find her own way out of the Hatefield and McCoy fued.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the coffin quilt because it is an informative book that provides wholesome and useful information of the feud, families, and the psychology behind the feuding. i was also pleasently surprised with the accuracy portrayed throughout the book and the mini series on t.v. Ann Rinaldi also does an extremely good job in her descriptions of not onl;y the feud but also the scenery of the battling and the emotional affects it had on each character.

It was fun to read the dialects in the book and found them as spot on. If you liked the mini series then you should definitly read this book. the story is addictive in itself and the writing style makes it hard to put down and easy to follow along with.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This juvenile historical fiction book helped me understand a little bit behind the "Hatfield/McCoy" feud. Did I spell that right? I still don't know how to spell check on these reviews...Anyhow, the book is from the perspective of the youngest McCoy daughter. Interesting times, interesting families, interesting love story that started it all...The romance between Johnse Hatfield and Roseanna McCoy and the illegitimate daughter that was born brought the family feud to a head. (The guy was a jerk in the end...no surprise there). Anywhoo, quick and easy read on the feud (there's that word again!)

[Roger]

I am writing about the book named the “Coffin Quilt” by Anne Renaldi. This famous book introduces to viewers information about the Hatfield and McCoy feud in the late 1800’s. This book well describes events that have happened in WV history. For the book, my interest was low. Most of the time spent on the book was generally just about Roseanna and how she and Johnse were doing. Nearly all of the hatred in this novel is based on Roseanna and her wrong-doing. I would have to say my favorite part of the book would be when the Hatfield’s raided the McCoy home. I would not strongly recommend this book, but if you are somebody who is into West Virginia history, this book could be good for you.

[Heather Salsbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt compelled to finish this book as Fanny took me through years of fears and toutures. Living a life I couldn't imagine, knowing more than any young girl should. More responsibilities and mature thoughts then should need be. I can relate to her in many ways, but I would never hope to face the same chanlenges she did. Through the fighting between the Hatfields and Mcoys to the fighting in thier own families, this was a trecherous time. I would recomend this book to history person, or someone looking for a good story. This is one I surly won't forget!

[Patrick Davis Davis Davis]

I thought the Coffin Quilt by Anne Rinaldi was a very impressive and informative book. Often times, I felt like I was being taken on a trip through the Appalachian Mountains alongside Fanny McCoy as we struggled to end the extreme and terrible fighting between the Hatfields and the McCoys. However, I sometimes felt like she was getting a little carried away with the mentioning of “yeller thing.” I think everyone knew that it was a made-up character and should never have been written in the book.

I would give this book four out of five stars, and yes, I would recommend it to anyone.

[Kathleen McKim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is great. The writing isn't. The first two pages were stuffed with colloquialisms and an attempt to capture Appalachian language with such phrases as "fair hand", "middling well", "recollect". The stereotypes only get worse, a Primitive Baptist mother who prays all the time, a brother who uses copper for his stills, a well-meaning school teacher and a prostitute named, of all things, "Belle Beaver". I reckon I cain't stand this kind of characterization. It's a vexation to me. They's far better writers from the region doing it better'n this novel.