Amazon.com Review
"My name is Dovey Coe, and I reckon it don't matter if you like me or not. I'm here to lay the record straight, to let you know them folks saying I done a terrible thing are liars.... I hated Parnell Caraway as much as the next person, but I didn't kill him."
Twelve-year-old Dovey has never had the slightest problem speaking her mind. But now, faced with a murder trial, she may just have to keep her mouth shut while the slick city lawyer takes care of things. It all started when the wealthy, vain, greedy Parnell takes a notion to win Dovey's older sister, trying to convince her she's too pretty to go off to college. But behind her back, he treats Dovey and her deaf brother Amos like dirt all summer long. Dovey gets in her jabs whenever she can--until the day she finds herself trapped in a back room with an irate, vengeful Parnell. Things don't look too good for Dovey when she comes to and finds her enemy dead on the floor next to her.
Southern courtroom drama, a sassy female protagonist, a misunderstood yet gentle neighborhood character, vicious and narrow-minded villains--sound familiar? Yes, there's a lot of Harper Lee's Scout in Dovey, and Boo Radley in Amos (To Kill a Mockingbird). But Frances O'Roark Dowell's absorbing, readable story of families, prejudice, love, and hate has a life all its own. Dovey is an impeccably drawn heroine, complete with Southern dialect, sturdy self-esteem, and down-home wisdom. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
This novel set in the 1920s uses lyrical first-person narrative to convey the fierce pride and family loyalty of a plucky mountain girl. Twelve-year-old Dovey Coe is determined to "lay the record straight" about the death of her sister's suitor, the wealthy Parnell Caraway, whom the townsfolk believe Dovey murdered. After declaring her innocence, Dovey describes the chain of events leading up to the tragedy. In doing so, she offers a vivid and amusingly one-sided portrait of each character involved in the drama: rich, snobbish Parnell, who courts Caroline, Dovey's flirtatious, strong-willed sister; and Dovey's austere parents, who resolutely stand by their younger daughter when the whole town turns against her. Most touching of all is Dovey's relationship with Amos, her deaf brother, who "some folks [think is] stupid... though it was a far sight from the truth." The first two-thirds of the story (tracing the ill-fated romance between Parnell and Caroline) unfolds with the leisurely pace of a carefree summer's day, but some readers may find the end of the book, recounting Dovey's courtroom experience with an inexperienced defense lawyer, too rushed. Despite the book's pat resolution, first-time novelist Dowell succeeds in capturing the essence of a young and unforgettable independent thinker, who uses honesty and common sense as her weapons against injustice. This is an author well worth watching. Ages 8-12. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
