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The Messenger
"In 1892, at the age of six, Andrew Lee Chafin went to live with Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield in order to attend school. His life would never be the same.The Hatfield-McCoy feud had been over for four years, but that didn't stop bounty hunters and state officials from trying to hunt down Devil Anse's sons, Cap and Johnse, to punish them for the roles they played during the course of the fighting.From the age of nine, Andrew Chafin--author Claude Chafin's grandfather--served as the link between the elder Hatfield and his sons. Despite the danger, he delivered food and messages back and forth through the rugged mountains on horseback. He encountered bears, wildcats, and bounty hunters, but he never wavered in seeking to carry out his mission. Until now, his story--that of a remarkable young man--has gone untold.Join Claude Chafin as he traces his family's history and explores the critical role his grandfather played in the history of the famous feuding clans."
242 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 14, 2019
One of the things I bask in reading is that it transports us readers to other times, other places, other experience, and other lives. I always love me a good true to life and adventure book. It’s like my go-to comfort read and this book is no different. I don't even know if I can put into enough words to profess how incredibly compelling this book is. Not only is the writing superb, but it is extremely invigorating, and it definitely fires my imagination on every story from start to finish.
Claude L. Chafin has put together a concisely written new take on the infamous blood feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. The author’s grandfather, Andrew Chafin, was recruited at age nine to become a messenger boy for his notorious uncle, William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield, the family patriarch. From this fact, Chafin unfolds a well-researched, freshly riveting story about the dangers of vengeance and the distortions of justice along the West Virginia-Kentucky border. Andrew Chafin’s service to his uncle began in 1895, seven years after the feud had boiled up to its murderous peak. It is a true story with rich character development that draws you into that world. And it certainly prompts your thinking about life, values, family and how much what we are today depends on those who came before.
I literally could not put this book down. It gave me a clear understanding of life in the mountains and why the things that transpired could and did happen. Andrew Chafin showed bravery, loyalty, and intelligence far beyond his tender age. The author was entertaining and quick-witted. Reading his story felt as though he was right beside me talking in his own voice. I mostly took pleasure in listening to his stories and could definitely pertain to many of the people that he wrote about. I highly recommend this book.
By Lucy Harris
Claude L. Chafin has put together a concisely written new take on the infamous blood feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. The author’s grandfather, Andrew Chafin, was recruited at age nine to become a messenger boy for his notorious uncle, William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield, the family patriarch. From this fact, Chafin unfolds a well-researched, freshly riveting story about the dangers of vengeance and the distortions of justice along the West Virginia-Kentucky border. Andrew Chafin’s service to his uncle began in 1895, seven years after the feud had boiled up to its murderous peak. It is a true story with rich character development that draws you into that world. And it certainly prompts your thinking about life, values, family and how much what we are today depends on those who came before.
I literally could not put this book down. It gave me a clear understanding of life in the mountains and why the things that transpired could and did happen. Andrew Chafin showed bravery, loyalty, and intelligence far beyond his tender age. The author was entertaining and quick-witted. Reading his story felt as though he was right beside me talking in his own voice. I mostly took pleasure in listening to his stories and could definitely pertain to many of the people that he wrote about. I highly recommend this book.
By Lucy Harris
May 7, 2020
I loved it! But then again, the main character was my grandfather, Andrew Lee Chafin.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews