Customer Reviews

Feather Crowns

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Feather Crowns is a memorable novel that made me feel I had been transported to the Kentucky of 1900. I highly recommend it as an accurate "slice of life" as well as the story of a remarkable woman. The subject matter, the birth of quintuplets, is both the central theme and yet could be any unusual event in an individual's life. The language used is what one would expect to hear from the characters of that time, much as Twain's language in Huck Finn. I congratulate Bobbie Ann Mason for an outstanding book

A wonderful story of a family struggling with the overwhelming consequences that result from becoming parents of quintuplets at the turn-of-the-century. The births cause a nationwide sensation and send hundreds of strangers (sometimes by the trainload) into their simple home to witness the "miracles." The babies bring Christie and James much pride, and Christie even revels in the attention. But it is short-term. The story then turns to examine the effects of grief. Christie and James become distant with one another and their large, supportive family. They set out on a lecture tour. James' purpose in the tour is to raise money to pay debts; Christie's is to educate the public. The tour turns side-show in nature and, yet, serves to bring the couple to terms with their grief.

I read "Feather Crowns" a few years ago, and I recommend it to anyone who is absorbed in fears about the whole Y2K situation. I remember thinking when reading the book how sad it was that people were so ignorant and fearful of the arrival of a new century, and how the birth and death of these five babies held such excessive meaning to the people of Kentucky in 1900.

I tell people to read this book when they talk about storing away great amounts of food, fuel and cash for the coming of the millenium. I hope that we, too, are not looked upon in 100 years as ignorant and putting too much emphasis on the mere turning of a calendar page.

"Feather Crowns" was a good example of how fragile the human mind is when it comes to dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Common sense doesn't always win out over superstition and fear.

3-3.5 stars

This did not turn out anything like what I had expected after reading the first 200 pages. It was interesting for its detail of locations and time and the day-to-day life of poor farmers but I don't plan to read anything else by this author. As others have said, the end was sudden and disjointed from the rest, especially after seeing such detail and slow development over a period of a year or so for the rest of the book. At times I was just exasperated while reading, wondering if it was going to get anywhere.

I was very pleased with the promt service and excellent quality of this book. Seller highly recommended!

I wonder if Mason wrote this novel as a means to shed her reputation as a "minimalist." She maintains some of the hallmarks of minimalism, such as an acute attention to the mundane, but violates the category by "over-reporting" what happens. I have never read so much about eating, food, and breast-feeding. The unfortunate thing is that the historical details this novel works from are in themselves interesting.

The protagonist's "epiphany" at the end does not prove overly satisfying. If you would like to read Mason at her best, buy a copy of Shiloh and Other Stories.

4-star quality writing. However the dialect (which is integral to the story)... as in "chillern" and "tobaccer" is a little tiresome. So although it is well-written and insightful, I suppose it's a matter of individual taste regarding the novel's rural and stick-poor roots.

This is an interesting story of the early notoriety and heartbreak that surrounded the family of North America's first live birth quins, and an equally interesting study of how everyday people can be drawn into the excitement and tragedy of such an event. Descriptions of the times and early media interest are well done, but as the book progresses and the family sinks into tragedy, I feel the story loses some of its impact, and I struggled to finish the story.

This is not to say that the characters are unsympathetic, or that the reader cannot identify with their plight, but more that as they struggle to deal with their lives, interest in their lives begins to wane.

Sheri Holman's "The Mammoth Cheese" deals with a similar topic in modern times, but is by far the better book in my opinion.

Although this book is admirable for its accurate and realistic recreation of turn-of-the-century Kentucky and the vivid characterization of Christie Wheeler, the book ultimately is unsatisfying because it progresses at such a slow pace and only sporadically engages the reader's interest. Furthermore, the book's concluding sections are especially weak. They lack depth, development and seem rather disjointed from the rest of the novel, which is highly detailed and complete.

"Feather Crowns" is a wonderful read for both it's story of Christianna Wheeler and her family and it's historic content. The book was both intruguing and entertaining as it painted a picture of life at the turn of the century and the hardships of trying to raise a family during that time. I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy reading southern genres and enjoy looking into the past.