Gnat Stokes and the Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen

by Sally M. Keehn

When Goodlow Pryce is stolen from Mary's Cove, twelve-year-old Gnat is determined to bring hope and peace back to her stricken mountain home. Even if that means she has to face Zelda, the evil Swamp... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399242872
• ISBN13: 9780399242878
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

A perfect story for families to read aloud together

The year is 1868, but in the back woods of Tennessee, the Civil War is still brewing. Twelve-year-old Gnat Stokes, whose mother abandoned her at birth and whose "no-good pappy" is a "thieving Rebel," lives with her grandfather in Mary's Cove. Gnat has a reputation as a troublemaker, but secretly she just wants to learn about the world --- she loves reading, and desperately wants to go to school. Mary's Cove is surrounded by misty, creepy swamplands, presided over by the evil Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen, Zelda, and her army of bogie monsters known as Swamp Knights. Seven years earlier, Zelda, who often takes the form of a panther, kidnapped the handsome youth Goodlow Pryce. Since then, Goodlow's sweetheart, Penelope Drinkwater, has pined over her lost love. Gnat wants to like Penelope, but when a talking cat (soon named Eatmore Beans) delivers an enchanted locket with a cryptic message from Goodlow, Gnat intercepts it and finds herself head over heels in love with Goodlow. Soon Gnat and her three friends are on a quest to rescue Goodlow so that Gnat can become a town hero and find true love. GNAT STOKES AND THE FOGGY BOTTOM SWAMP QUEEN is written from Gnat's perspective, in a folksy, down-home tone that lends ambience to this Appalachian tale. Inspired by the old Scottish ballad "Tam Lin," GNAT STOKES draws on many folk traditions, but also includes more modern touches such as Gnat's infatuation with LITTLE WOMEN and a running joke about the adverse effects of eating too many beans. With its Southern tone, dramatic and humorous scenes, and unforgettable heroine, GNAT STOKES AND THE FOGGY BOTTOM SWAMP QUEEN feels like an old-fashioned yarn people used to tell around the camp fire, making it an ideal story for families to read aloud together. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Gnat Stokes Is A Keeper!

Gnat Stokes And The Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen is a keeper-- touching, funny, and full of faith in the healing power of love. Sally Keehn has given us a memorable fantasy adventure told in vivid language rich with the tone of the Smoky Mountains and delivered in a fresh, authentic voice. I loved every word and the spaces in between. The characters, even minor ones, are colorful and well-drawn. Granny Hart, collector of stories, catcher of babies, with second sight, who delivers sermons with every bath, and explains the different kinds of love with the metaphor of a many-sided love-crystal. Grandpa, with his steadfast presence, his wisdom about the importance of properly naming people and animals, and his three Idas. The newly arrived teacher, Miss Hope, with her gold tooth, her love of books, and three magic Latin words, "Amor Vincit Omnia," to be spoken as talisman when facing danger--"Love Conquers All." Eatmore Beans, a talking cat with a Scottish accent who delivers to Gnat a gold locket containing an urgent message, and then befriends wordless Baby Earl. And Gnat herself--a bona fide original, self-described as "twelve and running amok," motherless, a plucky mountain gal hungry for books and learning, an open-hearted scallywag determined to redeem herself and be a hero. Further enhancing the enjoyment, the settings of Mary's Cove and Foggy Bottom Swamp are vividly imagined and artfully described. And the names of people and places delight: Goodlow Price, Jib Darnell, Hallelujah Pond, Devil's Notch, and my favorite, "The Francis Spittle Home For Wayward Girls." Also, the naming rituals described add an interesting layer of meaning to a story already rich with thoughtful symbols and messages. I've enjoyed all of Sally Keehn's books, but this one has stolen my heart....