The Promise Quilt [Hardcover]

Candice F. Ransom (Author), Ellen Beier (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999 | Age Level: 4 and up

Addie’s father promised that she would learn to read and write her name. But when he doesn't return from the Civil War, it seems as if Addie's dreams might be lost with him. The war has been hard on the whole country, but it has devastated the South. It is a struggle for Addie's mother to find food for her children. Finding the money for desks and books for their education seems impossible, and she tells them that they'll have to wait. But Addie doesn't want to wait. She pleads with her mother to help find a way to make good on her father's promise. So Addie's mother uses her skill to craft a beautiful quilt which, with the help of a friend in the North who can auction it for them, will pay for the new school supplies. But not before Addie must decide to sacrifice something she treasures for something she so longs for.A poignant Civil War tale told from the Southern perspective, Addie's story is sure to make its mark on the hearts and minds of all who understand and share her thirst for knowledge and self-realization.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Addie's father promises her that when she is older, he'll send her to school. Then he goes off to war, serving as a guide to General Lee, and never returns. Addie, her mother, and her brother struggle to survive in the war-ravaged South, with only Papa's red flannel shirt to comfort them. When the time comes for Addie to go to school, she is dismayed to learn that the school has no supplies. Mama decides to make a quilt to raffle off and Addie gives up her father's shirt when her mother needs more fabric to complete it. The proceeds from the raffle are used to buy books and other materials, and Addie believes that Papa, in his own way, has kept his promise. This realistic tale, told from the point of view of a Southerner, is very touching. Like the pieces of the quilt, historical details are seamlessly interwoven in the story, bringing to life a very troubled time. Themes of resiliency, sacrifice, and hard work rewarded are gracefully woven into the narrative. Detailed illustrations give the flavor of the times with soft pastels complementing the tone of the story. Use this book with Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say (Philomel, 1994) as supplementary picture-book material for Civil War units, or use it alone as a good story of a family's values.
Anne Knickerbocker, Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

When Addie is just five, her Papa leaves home to be General Lee's guide in the fight for something called "the Cause." In this poignant picture book, children find out how hard the Civil War was on the South, particularly on one little girl, Addie, whose father dies, leaving the family to struggle to find food and wrestle with their grief. What helps Addie is a promise her father once made--that she would one day go to school, learn to read and write, and make her mark in the world. In the devastated South, however, that seems unlikely. Then Mama begins a quilt she plans to sell. The money earned will go to books and supplies to start a school--but the quilt can't be completed until Addie sacrifices something she dearly treasures. Beier's pastoral watercolor paintings reflect both the mood and the ambience of a difficult time in history and a family's resolve to cope. Ransom includes an author's note about the war. Shelley Townsend-Hudson

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers; First edition. edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802786944
• ISBN-13: 978-0802786944
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,136,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for your child that will make you weep, August 2, 2000

By 

Melinda Murray (Clovis, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Promise Quilt (Hardcover)

Both of my Grandmothers quilted, but no other family members seem to believe in the magic of a homemade quilt. I purchased this book for my three preschool daughters. Little did I know what a powerful read aloud opportunity this is. You get: children helping without complaining, a girl who wants to go to school to learn to make her mark, a history lesson, unselfishness, strangers helping one another, and quilting, all in one book! I wept reading this sweet lesson to my children the first time, and every time since.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Promise Quilt, May 3, 2000

By 

Glenda Cochran - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Promise Quilt (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book to explain the feelings of the Civil War to a child in a way that they will understand. The story was easily readable for my five year old son and the illustrations added to the overall feeling of the story. We have read this book several times since purchasing it, and my children never tire of hearing the story. If your family likes to explore Civil War History, you should make this a part of your library. It not only teaches how the young girl and her brother felt about their families involvement in the war, but it told a story of how they helped to pull their community together after the war to keep a promise made to young Addie by her father before he went off to fight.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Promise Quilt, May 3, 2000

By 

Glenda Cochran - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Promise Quilt (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book to explain the feelings of the Civil War to a child in a way that they will understand. The story was easily readable for my five year old son and the illustrations added to the overall feeling of the story. We have read this book several times since purchasing it, and my children never tire of hearing the story. If your family likes to explore Civil War History, you should make this a part of your library. It not only teaches how the young girl and her brother felt about their families involvement in the war, but it told a story of how they helped to pull their community together after the war to keep a promise made to young Addie by her father before he went off to fight.