Dovey Coe

by Frances O'Roark Dowell
PRMS, hardcover, 181 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age, mystery

Dovey Coe is a smart-mouthed Appalachian girl whose older sister Caroline is a true beauty. The wealthy town bully, Parnell Caraway, starts wooing Caroline as she's preparing to go to teacher's college. Dovey is fit to be tied! Along with her deaf mute brother Amos, she prefers trekking all over the mountains, hunting and gathering plants, to any social activity.

This is a re-read for me (though I missed the seventh grade book club discussion last Thursday). I remember not having been impressed with this story the first time I read it, but not why. In re-reading it, I think part of my issue is how quickly the story resolves once Parnell dies. The seriousness of his death is only briefly mentioned, as Dovey realizes that his sister Paris and his mother are sad that he's gone. Even her relationship with Amos doesn't seem to be a strong enough thread to hold the story together.