Secure Feather Crowns By Bobbie Ann Mason Displayed In Mobi

in the apocalyptic atmosphere of the turn of this century, this engaging novel by the author of In Country tells the story of a young farm wife, living in rural Kentucky, who unintentionally creates a national sensation when she gives birth to the first recorded set of quintuplets in North America.
Fascinating historical novel about a family inwho happened to live about a half mile from the house where I grew up.
The story was interesting and I loved all the small details of life over a hundred years ago.
Its a long, slow book, but kept me entertained throughout, A loooong, vivid exploration of family, the effects of fame, the desire for knowledge, "They expected a woman to be weak, It made her angry when people judged others by their own limitations, " I thought it was an impressive book,

A taste of the prose:
"Me, I always took an interest in things, I was always busy adoing something and trying to find out something that nobody else would think to fool with.
Partly it's just keeping ahold of your real self there inside, the same way you need to save out a little bit of sourdough for the next rising.
When you're little, you notice every bird feather and little worm and pig squeal, But grown folks forget to notice little things, When you have your own chillern, they're part of you and part notyou, and then they get away from you and part of you goes with them.
But you have to remember that part of you that's not them, That way you can let them go, " Christie Wheeler is carrying quintuplets, only she doesnt know it, Its the turn of the last century and medical science isnt exactly sophisticated enough for an ultrasound yet.
All she knows is theres something inside her maybe a monster, or a demon, but definitely not a baby.
But after she miraculously gives birth to five healthy, if tiny, babies inside her rural Kentucky home, she discovers that her pregnancy is just the beginning.
She, the new babies, and the rest of her extended family soon get swept up in the countrys excitement over their extraordinary set of circumstances.


Feather Crowns is fiction, but its based on the true story of the first recorded birth of quintuplets in America.
Even though the story nominally is centered around the babies, its really an examination of rural life in the earlys.
Christie lives on a tobacco tobaccer, as she says farm with her husband and her husbands extended family.
While they have separate houses, it makes for a close living quarters indeed, So much family this close by can be a boon, though Christie made having quintuplets plus three other children almost seem easy, since she had at least five other women to help her out! I found the most interesting part of the book to be learning about the customs and beliefs of people during this time period that the men were served first at every meal, that women worked in the fields as well as the men, that finding a feather crown inside a pillow was an omen of death.


The look back in time was definitely the most compelling part of the story for me.
While the characters were interesting and developed, I myself had a hard time developing a connection with any of them.
During parts of the story where the reader is supposed to be sad, I was just frustrated at the narrative.
I also found the book to be longer than it needed to be the plot meandered back and forth and felt stalled in

several parts.
Theres also something that happens halfway through the book which nearly made me put it down altogether I wont tell you what, for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say I was almost fed up.
For the most part I nothinged this book, While it was interesting to get a view of the earlys not set in urban New England, I found the storytelling too lacking to develop true feelings for the characters or their situations beyond frustration.
Im glad I finished it for the sake of finishing it, but I cant truly recommend this book, even for historical fiction fans.


If you liked this review, check out my others on sitelinkmy blog! She is one of my favorite authors, especially in the short story form.
Now that I live in SW Virginia I can actually relate more to her stories, That said, for me this story was too sad, I had hard time reading it as I felt it was a little too raw, I don't know how she comes up with her ideas! This story was about a family in this region of the country who had the first ever surviving quintuplets and how it not only drastically changes her life but that of her community.
Well written a masterpiece really but just not my speed, I love everything I have read by Bobbie Ann Mason, and Feather Crowns is no exception, There is something very lyrical and mysterious here, The characters are very real people dealing with extraordinary events, I was very moved. I enjoyed this book. It reminds me of the superstitions my grandmothers forewarned, Especially the ones related to me when I was pregnant, They told me all kinds of things I shouldn't do so I wouldn't "mark" my baby, I must have done something right my boys are all wonderful and beautiful
Since I have twins, the multiple birth storyline was interesting.
I really enjoy Bobbie Ann Mason's fiction, I love Bobbie Ann Mason, She is a wonderful thoughtful author including much wisdom in her writing, The premise is based on the true incident of quintuplets being born in Kentucky in, I highly recommend this book,
I grew up in the area of Bobbie Ann Mason's setting for this book, Fascinating to read about the area during Grandmother's/great grandmother's time, Loved it. This book is astounding on many levels, not the least of which is that what you think is going to happen doesn't.
Great characterization. Recommendation from the Historical Fiction Genre Study, August,

Is itand the times are turbulent, Americans are looking for signs of the end of the world as the century turns, At the center of the story is Christianna Wheeler who fears that her pregnancy is a sign of the apocalypse.
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