Dovey Coe

I'm completely impressed with Frances O'Roark Dowell's ability to create such a lovable and inspiratonal character! The main character, Dovey, is accused of the murder of her sister's evil suitor, Parnell. Her honesty--the open admission that she cared nothing for Parnell--adds to her culpability. You'll come to love the spirit of small-town, USA as you get to know Dovey, her brother Amos, and the rest of the characters. By the time you put down this book, Dovey will have inspired to you to be true to your real self and to stand up for what you know is right. Dovey is able to inspire growth in other characters as well, including her oh-so-pretty big sister and her well-educated court-appointed attorney. What I appreciate most about this novel is that Dovey is able to be tough-minded and strong-willed without going "over the top" in the unrealistic way the many novel and movie charactres do. I recommended Dovey Coe not only to young adolescent girls but also to boys who will enjoy the mysterious elements and surprise ending.

The fictional heroine of this novel, twelve-year-old Dovey Coe, narrates this story in a distinctly southern voice. Dovey never even tried to disguise her hatred of her vain older sister Caroline's wealthy suitor Parnell Carraway. Seventeen-year-old Parnell was mean-spirited and sadistic, tormenting Dovey and her deaf older brother, Amos, and trying to persuade Caroline to give up her dreams of going to college. But in spite of hating Parnell so very much, Dovey would never kill Parnell. But when she is found in the same room with Parnell's dead body, that's just what Dovey is accused of doing. Now, if she's going to win her trial, outspoken Dovey has to keep quiet and let her inexperianced lawyer from the city take care of things. I highly reccomend this novel. Fans of historical fiction could definitley enjoy it. I would probably reccomend it to readers ages ten and up, but I'm fifteen and I thought it was a wonderful story.

My daughter and I just got back from our annual camping trip in the Smoky Mountains. Normally, we pack several books to read by the campfire. Usually we settle on my old Nancy Drews, but this year, my daughter wanted to pick something new and so we stopped by the bookstore and got Dovey Coe and The Wanderer by Sharon Creech.Usually my daughter's taste and mine do not collide, but this year while reading Dovey we relocated some common ground. The story, about a smart but tough young mountain girl accused of murder and caught up in cirumstances out of her control, gripped both of us. My daughter found that she shared much with Dovey's tough-minded vision of the world while I found I just wanted to protect her. We stayed up well into the night reading chapters aloud to each other. Later that weekend, the book sparked a number of interesting discussions between us about justice,stubborness, pride, and how a girl should act. (My daughter actually began talking like Dovey during the weekend, which I found amusing...)I would recommend this book to mother-daughter bookclubs. My daughter and I are both looking forward to the next book by Frnaces Dowell.

Dovey Coe is definitely a winner. Two things I'd like to mention. I thought the first person voice was highly effective. I got used to it, and it kept my interest as the character developed. I think that's the key to using dialect-just because she has a southern voice does't mean you can stereotype Dovey in any way. She surprises you.The other thing I wanted to mention is that the plot hooked me so that I read most of the book in one sitting. The book starts out by thoroughly introducing you to Dovey and her family. Once the main plot comes around, you're so involved that you can't put the book down.

I love Dovey! She's an amazing smart-mouthed country girl who gets caught up in a bad situation and learns about the workings of morality, ethics, and the human heart. Dovey is like Laura Ingalls but with more grit. She's the type of girl I wanted to read about when I was a girl and she's exactly the type of girl that I want my girls to read about. Remember when books were good and you wanted to be the characters in the story and felt like you were living in their world? Dovey Coe makes you feel just that way.Hooray and huzzah! Finally, a good book for girls!