Set in Kentucky and West Virginia, it tells the story of the Hatfield–McCoy feud in the late 19th century through the eyes of Fanny, a young female member of the McCoy family.

Rinaldi tells the story of the Hatfield-McCoy feud in the late 19th century through the eyes of Fanny, a young female member of the McCoy clan.

Set against the backdrop of the Civil War, Rinaldi illustrates the fervent code of honor in the mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia as her protagonist struggles to understand the superstition and loyalty fueling the cycle of violence in Tug Valley.

Pregnant and estranged from her lover, Roseanna sews a coffin quilt to preserve the family members so quickly disappearing from Tug Valley.

Fanny disapproves of the quilt despite her loyalty to her sister and evolves from an innocent bystander to a judicious dissenter as the violence escalates.