Downright Dencey [Hardcover]

Caroline Dale Snedeker (Author)

Book Description

This treasure of a novel is set on the island of Nantucket just before the War of 1812. Much more than a tale of whaling ships and gentle Quaker eccentricities, it is a tale of friendship-the kind most truly espoused by these 'plain' folk, with all the struggle and complexity one should expect. Dionis (Dencey) Coffyn is a mystery to her mother, Lydia, whose stern exterior hides a heart that breaks every time her husband Captain Tom goes to sea. Within a context of outward simplicity of living and inward intricacy of relationship, Dencey matures from the little girl who, in unquakerly violence of temper, throws a rock that wounds the town outcast. She becomes a young woman ready to bear her part in life with grace and courage. A probing portrayal of the power of love to overcome social barriers and religious strictures.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Doubleday (June 1927)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385072848
• ISBN-13: 978-0385072847
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,286,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story For Everyone, June 15, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Downright Dencey (Hardcover)

"Downright Dencey" tells the story of Dionis (Dencey) Coffyn and Sammie Jetsam. The story begins when Jetsam is insulting Dencey's family. Dencey gets mad at him and throws a stone at him. The stone cuts his arm and injures him badly. When Dionis asks for forgiveness, Jetsam says that she must give him her one and only storybook, "Pilgrim's Progress" and teach him to read it. This becomes a problem. Dencey's mother won't let her teach him if she asks for permission, so she must lie to teach him. More than once, Jetsam's care giver, the one and only drunk Injun Jill, tries to capture Dencey and force her away, and more than once, Jetsam stands up to Injun Jill and distracts her, while Dencey safely gets away.
During this time, Jetsam begins to learn to read and learns what respect is. Finally he grows up to be a great young man, and as a young man, he falls in love with Dencey. But will the rest of the town accept him the way Dencey does?
This book is for everyone. It's part love story, part adventure story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. It's no wonder that it was a 1928 Newbery Honor Book! For ages 10-17.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book, March 6, 2008

By 

Kasey Sabin (VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Downright Dencey (Young Adult Bookshelf) (Paperback)

Well written and sweet. The target age is 9-12 but I didn't read it until I was in my mid-teens, but still managed to be caught up in it. It was a little distracting when the author discussed how the parents met, etc., but that part was short and the rest of the story was worth it. Part friendship, part bittersweet falling-in-love, and overall very good. It has a solid place on my bookshelf of favorites.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All that I remembered, October 17, 2009

By 

Jacquelyn Koeppen "JKRN" (Sedro Woolley WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Downright Dencey (Hardcover)

I'd read Downright Dency in the 6th grade and loved it. Somehow or another, I've kept a memory of it's enjoyment for 60 years and one day decided I'd try to find a copy of it. I'd forgotten what the book was about but remembered that I'd read it over and over again. I so wanted not to be disappointed in that memory and started reading with apprehension. But it was still there: a stubborn, determined young girl caught between her feelings and moral upbringing. And I wanting to be more like her. At one time in my life I attended a Quaker school and enjoyed that aspect of the story, I'm so glad I have it in my library. It's a friend that's found it's way home.