What do you think?
Rate this book
Mattaponi Queen
Winner of the 2009 Bakeless Fiction Prize, a confident debut collection from Belle Boggs about life on and around the Mattaponi Indian Reservation Set on the Mattaponi Indian Reservation and in its surrounding counties, the stories in this linked collection detail the lives of rural men and women with stark realism and plainspoken humor. A young military couple faces a future shadowed by injury and untold secrets. A dying alcoholic attempts to reconcile with his estranged children. And an elderly woman's nurse weathers life with her irascible charge by making payments on a decrepit houseboat―the Mattaponi Queen . The land is parceled into lots, work opportunities are few, and the remaining inhabitants must choose between desire and necessity as they navigate the murky stream of possession, love, and everything in between.
225 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2010
14 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Belle Boggs
14 books123 followersBelle Boggs is the author of The Gulf, a novel; the nonfiction book The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine and Motherhood; and the story collection Mattaponi Queen. She has published work in Ecotone, Orion, Ploughshares, and Harper's, among other publications. She grew up in King William County, Virginia and is Associate Professor of English at North Carolina State University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
October 3, 2011
It has taken my book group almost a year to get to this book. I could say it was worth the wait, but that was many too months of not reading Boggs' wonderful stories. I wonder how long I will have to wait to encounter another story by Belle Boggs.
I liked the way some of these stories were linked by the same characters and then others were linked by place. All of them were well written and imagined.
Since I know the general area where these tales take place, it was fun seeing the characters and stories in places I know. When Boggs mentions the Food Lion, the high school and towns (Central Garage, West Point) I can see the places where the action is happening. I don't live in King William and King & Queen counties. If I lived there I would be trying to figure out "who" each person is. For me, the stories are just entertaining and interesting to read.
I recommend these stories for people who read short stories, for those who are interested in rural and/or Native American lives and for those who just want to meet a new author at the beginning of her wonderful career. (I am expecting lots from Boggs.)
I liked the way some of these stories were linked by the same characters and then others were linked by place. All of them were well written and imagined.
Since I know the general area where these tales take place, it was fun seeing the characters and stories in places I know. When Boggs mentions the Food Lion, the high school and towns (Central Garage, West Point) I can see the places where the action is happening. I don't live in King William and King & Queen counties. If I lived there I would be trying to figure out "who" each person is. For me, the stories are just entertaining and interesting to read.
I recommend these stories for people who read short stories, for those who are interested in rural and/or Native American lives and for those who just want to meet a new author at the beginning of her wonderful career. (I am expecting lots from Boggs.)
August 27, 2010
I loved this book. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was very simply written. There are some writers who craft sentences in such a way that you have to read them several times. This book did not have a lot of those kinds of sentences but the writer DID catch the nuance in human interaction in a very fetching way.
Part of the attraction of this book was the simplicity of the writing as well. It was part of the character of the book itself. The characters were all very well-crafted and drew the reader to their cause, whether the cause be for good or ill. These characters were all realistic in that they embodied the good and ill that we all carry inside of us.
The best thing about this book was that it was a good read for anyone who wants to write. I found myself pulling ideas from her writing and thinking, "Oh, that's how I should do that." She made me want to write. That is one of the greatest compliments that I can give a writer -- "S/He made me want to write."
Part of the attraction of this book was the simplicity of the writing as well. It was part of the character of the book itself. The characters were all very well-crafted and drew the reader to their cause, whether the cause be for good or ill. These characters were all realistic in that they embodied the good and ill that we all carry inside of us.
The best thing about this book was that it was a good read for anyone who wants to write. I found myself pulling ideas from her writing and thinking, "Oh, that's how I should do that." She made me want to write. That is one of the greatest compliments that I can give a writer -- "S/He made me want to write."
August 18, 2010
I loved this book so much I can't even handle it. I've been doling out the stories carefully, savoring them, but after reading "Election Day" there was no hope to tame myself and I charged through the rest.
As a Virginian, I may love this book with added ardor because I know how pitch-perfect Bogg's characters are. But it's really the final moment of "Shelter" that took my breath, that made me say "Yes," with this relief that someone caught the exact feeling of that moment and spelled it in words.
Gorgeous.
As a Virginian, I may love this book with added ardor because I know how pitch-perfect Bogg's characters are. But it's really the final moment of "Shelter" that took my breath, that made me say "Yes," with this relief that someone caught the exact feeling of that moment and spelled it in words.
Gorgeous.
April 21, 2012
Boggs writes realistic short stories that have you feeling as if you personally know the characters. Her simplistic characterization, her vivid descriptions of place, all contribute to this amazing collection of stories. Her characters lead realistic lives, experience things we've all either experienced or known someone that has. A native of King William County, Boggs gives us descriptions of the Mattaponi, the reservation, Walkerton, King & Queen and King William counties that are accurate and enjoyable. I love the way she writes! I found myself wanting to read more.
November 1, 2010
Beautiful, smart little gems. I met Belle at the Bread Loaf conference, and both her stories and her loveliness as a person makes me want to read more. Good luck Belle. Readers, you won't be disappointed.
October 20, 2010
I have Belle Boggs to thank for reminding me of the joy found in short stories. A lovely collection of stories, some connecting with other stories and some not, that reveal people at their most human. Thanks Graywolf for insisting I read this!
May 9, 2011
This book is so, so, so good. I found myself reading slowly because I didn't want this wonderful book of interwoven stories to be over. Boggs writes beautifully, but without showiness. Some of the characters will really get to you, sheesh.
January 17, 2012
Ah-mazing. I haven't been reading much fiction lately, and even fewer short stories, and this collection is one of the most fantastic short story collections I've ever found.
February 12, 2015
Belle Boggs knows the human heart and sympathetically portrays the lives of folks from eastern Virginia whose means are limited but whose feelings and desires are shared by us all. Some of the stories overlap; all left me wanting to know more.
An old woman writes in her own name for governor on the ballot. "Throwing your vote away, that's what her husband would have tole her. What has it come to, all that time, the effortful waking and working and sleeping of a lifetime? One name on a ballot, and what does it even matter? In her mind she is still a little girl, shiny shoes buckled onto her feet, stomping the frozen earth flat an familiar again."
George, a transplant from King and Queen County to Washington, DC., takes his family outside to observe the meteor showers. His difficult sister is visiting and his wife is not happy. "I'm standing on my little patch of land with my kids, looking at my sister and my wife, their wide, loving backs hunched there close together in the cold, From where I stand they look like strangers to me, like any old tired mamas waiting on the bus. I feel like if I can love them and know them, then I can love and know anybody. . .."
I will be waiting for Boggs' novel.
An old woman writes in her own name for governor on the ballot. "Throwing your vote away, that's what her husband would have tole her. What has it come to, all that time, the effortful waking and working and sleeping of a lifetime? One name on a ballot, and what does it even matter? In her mind she is still a little girl, shiny shoes buckled onto her feet, stomping the frozen earth flat an familiar again."
George, a transplant from King and Queen County to Washington, DC., takes his family outside to observe the meteor showers. His difficult sister is visiting and his wife is not happy. "I'm standing on my little patch of land with my kids, looking at my sister and my wife, their wide, loving backs hunched there close together in the cold, From where I stand they look like strangers to me, like any old tired mamas waiting on the bus. I feel like if I can love them and know them, then I can love and know anybody. . .."
I will be waiting for Boggs' novel.
July 19, 2010
I have heard many authors say in interviews that a short story is the most difficult genre. This author nails the genre! I bought this book at Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville this summer. I hadn't heard of the title or the author, but one of the staff encouraged me to buy it. The stories are uncomfortable but satisfying at the same time. I love how she intertwines the lives of her characters throughout the stories.
August 4, 2016
I picked up this book - because I liked the cover [for real] - and I read the first story in the store. Couldn't leave without it.
And, the following short stories were excellent. I liked how the author picked up some of the characters in stories, small community feeling to the stories.
Job well done. Very nice book!
And, the following short stories were excellent. I liked how the author picked up some of the characters in stories, small community feeling to the stories.
Job well done. Very nice book!
January 19, 2011
One of the best book of short stories I have ever read. It simply blew me away. Sparse language and vivid characters- Belle Boggs did everything right. I loved these stories.
January 24, 2011
I love short stories, and I liked how the characters in these stories reappeared throughout the book, sort of like they do in Ellen Gilchrist's stories.
June 4, 2018
This collection is a really great example of how a series of stories united by geography can fit together to create an image of that area. Through its 12 stories, Mattaponi Queen paints a quiet, somewhat-poor town in southeastern Virginia and how it alternately pulls and repulses its residents.
As a child of Virginia, I appreciated the references to concerts at King’s Dominion and Wolf Trap, bad traffic, and Fredericksburg (I wonder if Boggs had a particular restaurant in mind when a character says that some spot in Fredericksburg had “the best steak and eggs off 95” in “Buckets of Rain”? Maybe not, or maybe it was a joke about the food there). The town most of the characters inhabit is revealed to us, but only gradually and through different sets of eyes. There is the reservation along the Mattaponi River and its assortment of residents who dream of maintaining tribal customs but can hardly hold themselves together. There are also other residents whose prosperity, and marriages, have come and gone.
Most of the stories are sad, but not all of the characters are beaten down. Even though Skinny’s life is perpetually hanging by a thread, we see how he tries to make the most of the time that remains. Loretta and Lila look for bright spots and new sources of happiness in spite of how their jobs try to drag them into entropy. The titular boat transforms eventually, and perhaps her rebirth points to other new beginnings? Perhaps people can learn or change, although the Granny in “Homecoming” doubts it.
In my opinion, the book gets stronger as it goes on. I thought the second half was better than the first, although the first was obviously good enough to get me really hooked. The snark in “Imperial Chrysanthemum” is strong, and a couple of the early stories familiarize us with Skinny, who might be my favorite character (he appears in several throughout the length of the book).
A number of the early stories end in medias res (if that’s the correct use of the term), right in the middle of a scene, and at first it was pretty jarring. After reading the entire collection, and flipping back to reread those earlier endings, I appreciate how that style leaves it up to the reader to decide how the story will continue. Things are not tied up neatly, and that grey reflects how life often is. That being said, no one would ever call Mattaponi Queen an uplifting read so prepare yourself before reading it. If I had to choose, I would say that Homecoming, Election Day, Mattaponi Queen, and Shelter are my favorite stories, and they come in a nice, convenient sequence. The stories could be read individually, and some might shine more brightly than others, but together they form a beautiful whole.
Finally, I would suggest initially skipping Percival Everett’s preface (he selected the manuscript for publication via the Bakeless Prize), and then reading it after you finish this book. It seems really vague until you have the stories in your mind. Then you can understand why he selected this for publication and words like this resonate strongly: “These stories are good because they are strongly imagined, finely controlled, and well crafted. These stories are good because they are true, true in the way that only good fiction can be.”
As a child of Virginia, I appreciated the references to concerts at King’s Dominion and Wolf Trap, bad traffic, and Fredericksburg (I wonder if Boggs had a particular restaurant in mind when a character says that some spot in Fredericksburg had “the best steak and eggs off 95” in “Buckets of Rain”? Maybe not, or maybe it was a joke about the food there). The town most of the characters inhabit is revealed to us, but only gradually and through different sets of eyes. There is the reservation along the Mattaponi River and its assortment of residents who dream of maintaining tribal customs but can hardly hold themselves together. There are also other residents whose prosperity, and marriages, have come and gone.
Most of the stories are sad, but not all of the characters are beaten down. Even though Skinny’s life is perpetually hanging by a thread, we see how he tries to make the most of the time that remains. Loretta and Lila look for bright spots and new sources of happiness in spite of how their jobs try to drag them into entropy. The titular boat transforms eventually, and perhaps her rebirth points to other new beginnings? Perhaps people can learn or change, although the Granny in “Homecoming” doubts it.
In my opinion, the book gets stronger as it goes on. I thought the second half was better than the first, although the first was obviously good enough to get me really hooked. The snark in “Imperial Chrysanthemum” is strong, and a couple of the early stories familiarize us with Skinny, who might be my favorite character (he appears in several throughout the length of the book).
A number of the early stories end in medias res (if that’s the correct use of the term), right in the middle of a scene, and at first it was pretty jarring. After reading the entire collection, and flipping back to reread those earlier endings, I appreciate how that style leaves it up to the reader to decide how the story will continue. Things are not tied up neatly, and that grey reflects how life often is. That being said, no one would ever call Mattaponi Queen an uplifting read so prepare yourself before reading it. If I had to choose, I would say that Homecoming, Election Day, Mattaponi Queen, and Shelter are my favorite stories, and they come in a nice, convenient sequence. The stories could be read individually, and some might shine more brightly than others, but together they form a beautiful whole.
Finally, I would suggest initially skipping Percival Everett’s preface (he selected the manuscript for publication via the Bakeless Prize), and then reading it after you finish this book. It seems really vague until you have the stories in your mind. Then you can understand why he selected this for publication and words like this resonate strongly: “These stories are good because they are strongly imagined, finely controlled, and well crafted. These stories are good because they are true, true in the way that only good fiction can be.”
December 1, 2022
I picked up Mattaponi Queen by Belle Boggs at our local Friends of the Library bookshop. It is a series of short stories, but they all flow together so nicely that it reads like a novel. Some of the characters and situations are recurring. The history of the Mattaponi River area was woven into the stories. I liked it because I live in the area, but the stories would be of interest to anyone wanting a window into current Native American life in Virginia or just a good read.
December 22, 2020
I think what I love most about these stories is that most of them don't have some weighty denouement or a-ha moment. They just are. It's a beautiful, honest, quiet book.
I bought the book in Raleigh, NC in 2019. My first time there, for my friend's wedding. I found the one indie bookstore and asked about local authors. Great way to spend my last day after the wedding!
I bought the book in Raleigh, NC in 2019. My first time there, for my friend's wedding. I found the one indie bookstore and asked about local authors. Great way to spend my last day after the wedding!
May 20, 2017
This is a fine book, written beautifully! I loved how some of the characters appeared again in the various short stories. It reminded me of Olive Kitteridge except there is not one main character.
June 12, 2017
I really enjoyed how all these stories were related to one place. Liked the characters and the stories.
March 20, 2020
I love the calm way Boggs writes and how her stories all intertwine. It’s beautiful.
June 6, 2021
Having grown up in the adjacent county in Virginia and near the Pamunkey Indian reservation, I found this book of linked short stories engaging.
Read
June 26, 2022Liked the stories. Nice that they all happened around Virginia.
March 31, 2023
This started out slow and I would read a story at a time & put it down, but after the first few I was sucked in.
Authentic emotional characters & situations.
I was left wanting more.
Authentic emotional characters & situations.
I was left wanting more.
June 21, 2011
I'm giving this book a solid three stars. I enjoy short stories, especially if they can really capture my attention in just a few pages. And Ms. Boggs certainly did that because I was never ready for any of the stories to end. In fact, that is why I haven't given the book four stars; because I really, really wanted just a bit more at the end of each story. I felt like ending in such a way was artsy, but not satisfying, if that makes sense. And some of them really end weirdly.
My favorite stories centered around Skinny, who was such an interesting character. I would have really liked to know him in person. He's a reoccurring character who is in several stories. The story of Marcus really broke my heart. I hate seeing a good kid go bad, but I suppose it was very realistic.
The good thing about this book is you can carry it around with you and read a quick story waiting for anything; doctor, kid's practice or in the car until you get to that point where you know the car sickness is gonna kick in and you have to stop. Enjoy!
My favorite stories centered around Skinny, who was such an interesting character. I would have really liked to know him in person. He's a reoccurring character who is in several stories. The story of Marcus really broke my heart. I hate seeing a good kid go bad, but I suppose it was very realistic.
The good thing about this book is you can carry it around with you and read a quick story waiting for anything; doctor, kid's practice or in the car until you get to that point where you know the car sickness is gonna kick in and you have to stop. Enjoy!
August 11, 2010
I produce an event that celebrates short stories by Virginia writers. I picked up Mattaponi Queen, hoping to find something I could feature, and I did. Of the twelve stories in the collection, "Jonas," about a middle-aged woman who comes to terms with her husband's desire to have a sex-change operation, is my favorite. It is gentle, lyrical, and has so much heart it almost beats.
The other stories are finely wrought, and succeed to varying degrees. While I applaud Bogg's language and the specificity of place, some of the stories seem more like snapshots, especially "Deer Season," which opens the collection and acts as a sort of prologue. The rest are quietly efficient. They get the job done without fanfare or highjinks, and left this reader feeling like I just visited a place I enjoyed, but had no compelling reason to return.
The other stories are finely wrought, and succeed to varying degrees. While I applaud Bogg's language and the specificity of place, some of the stories seem more like snapshots, especially "Deer Season," which opens the collection and acts as a sort of prologue. The rest are quietly efficient. They get the job done without fanfare or highjinks, and left this reader feeling like I just visited a place I enjoyed, but had no compelling reason to return.
July 30, 2010
I won this book from Goodreads Firstreads. It is a collection of short stories set around the Mattaponi River in Virginia. I really enjoyed reading all of the stories. Each one is different, but many are set in the same town and involve some of the same characters. I felt like all the characters were easy to relate to, while at the same time having different backgrounds and coming from a variety of cultures. I felt that as a whole Mattoponi Queen gives the reader a good picture of what life can be like in rural Virginia.
November 8, 2011
What a treat to get to meet Belle Boggs at book club! She is thoughtful, interesting, and devoted to her craft. It was a lively conversation! I enjoyed these stories and highlighted a number of passages that struck me as particularly true and beautifully-written. The stories were sufficiently connected that I found myself sometimes wishing it were a novel to allow for greater growth development of the characters. Glad I now know how to say MA-ta-puh-NI; it's so much more musical than Ma-tuh-PO-nee!
August 16, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of beautifully written intertwined stories. With each new story, I'd find my perception of the place (Virginia along the Mattaponi River) and its several generations of characters shifting, as each new tale revealed different links and histories. The author seemed to have equal affection for all her characters, no matter their flaws, and I admired the natural way she inhabited each of their points of view.
January 10, 2013
I heard about this book while living in NC, and then realized that I'd been to Belle's house--my friend used to live there, a little cabin in the woods of Chatham County. This short story collection has the feeling of a first book in many ways, but it feels raw and honest and real, set in VA (where I spend a lot of time) with some DC (where I now live) parallels. Looking forward to what's next from Ms. Boggs.
April 8, 2014
Great collection of vignettes with a matter of fact, easy tone that suits the setting of these stories. The characters are compelling and very real, with a somberness to them that make you think about your own life as you read about theirs. Surprsingly, the story that was most resonant for me was the transplanted family from "Shelter," which takes place in urban Washington, D. C., and not rural Virginia. Well worth reading.
July 17, 2013
Great collection of vignettes with a matter of fact, easy tone that suits the setting of these stories. The characters are compelling and very real, with a somberness to them that make you think about your own life as you read about theirs. Surprsingly, the story that was most resonant for me was the transplanted family from "Shelter," which takes place in urban Washington, D. C., and not rural Virginia. Well worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews