Addy's Wedding Quilt

American Girl: Short Stories #16

by Connie Rose Porter, Dahl Taylor (Illustrator), Susan McAliley (Illustrator)

Addy's parents renew their vows with a church wedding in freedom. Addy can't wait -- until Harriet makes fun of her wedding present and her family's past.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Short Stories, Historical, Fiction, Civil War

47 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Connie Rose Porter is an American author best known for her books for children and young adults. She was the third youngest of nine children of a family living in a housing project.
She has since taught English and creative writing at Milton Academy, Emerson College, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She was a fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and was a regional winner in Granta's Best Young American Novelist contest.

Reviews

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely perfect way to wrap up a Monday

"Maybe that don't mean nothing to Harriet. It mean a whole heap to me. I think it mean something to you, too, or you wouldn't have brung it up. You need to know your own mind, Addy. Harriet might know all there's to know in a book, but she don't know your heart. She don't know how you feel, so don't let her or nobody else tell you how to feel."

[Joey Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story, Addy’s parents were getting married in the church and she wanted to give them the most perfect gift ever. So she made the quilt that her momma had never been able to make and was determined to make it personal just for them. Though when Harriet causes trouble saying her parents weren’t married as they only ‘Jumped the broom’ it makes Addy doubt everything and she loses her confidence for a while, until she realises that what her family has is really special.

This was honestly so adorable and I loved how sweet Addy was spending so much time and dedication to making this quilt for her parents to ensure hey had the best day they could.

[RaspberryRoses]

wish we kept harriet's character development justice for my girl

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult story about a much neglected point of history. Are Addy's parents married or not and what does "jumping the broom" mean exactly. And what it means for them to get married finally in a church. I liked this, and thought the gift was perfect. Now I want to learn how to make a quilt.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addy's parents are getting married in a church with a real marriage certificate - teaching the reader about wedding customs used by enslaved people - and Addy makes a quilt as a present.

There are so many good things here:

- M'Dear is back! Addy works on the quilt in her room to keep it a surprise, and as ever, she has wise and lovely things to say.

- Miss Dunn is back, teaching Addy embroidery and giving her a glimpse into teachers' after-school lives.

- Harriet is back, with her unique blend of friendship and scorn, giving Momma an opportunity to say wise and lovely things about knowing your own mind. And Addy does a lovely job of putting Momma's advice into action.

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 5 out of 5]

another fantastic addition to addys story.

i find myself in awe at the amount of issues that are tackled in a way that’s child friendly but shows the harsh realities of slavery.

the discussions on feeling married vs the freedom to be legally recognized was fantastic

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I got this book from the library rejects a while ago. What a cute read for younger kids! The history behind marriage for Black Americans is so interesting. Would recommend to any little girl!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet story to add to the collection of the Addy American Girl books. Addy is excited to celebrate her parents' church wedding. Her parents were only allowed to "jump the broom" when they were slaves. The mini book gives young readers a peek into the lives of newly freed slaves.

Grown-up readers might notice that many of these short stories were taken from the American Girl magazines circa the 1990s and repackaged into a keepsake mini hardcover books. Like the original six Addy books (and most of the other American Girl) books, Addy's Wedding Quilt includes a visual list of the characters inside at the beginning and "Looking Back: A Peek Into the Past" which explains the history behind the story. Each of the American Girls Short Stories also contains instructions for a simple historical activity. Great book to introduce elementary school-age readers to history and a worthy addition for anyone who couldn't get enough of Addy Walker and her adventures!

[Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice! In an easy to understand voice, Porter peels back one more layer for young children trying to understand the consequences of slavery. Here, Addy's parents decide to marry "in freedom" in a church, instead of the informal jumping the broom ceremony they had on the plantation as slaves. The characters openly question the institution of marriage and what it means, and how former slaves might deal with yet another disruption to their lives during Reconstruction.

[Katie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did Connie Porter make me cry in a 20-page children's story and help me realize yet another of the horrors of slavery. Yes, yes, she did. Addy is the best, thanks to Connie Porter.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe how much was packed into such a short book! This was surprisingly deep, and it even made me get a little choked up.

[HadenXCharm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. At first it seemed to take place before Addy Saves the Day, because Harriet is still being a mean little jerk, but Addy refers to Uncle Solomon and Auntie Lula being dead already, and Esther is home -- meaning, this happens after Changes for Addy! So Harriet DID go back to being a jerk to Addy after book 5. I guess that's realistic. One heartfelt conversation doesn't change a jerk into a good person.

Addy is making a quilt as a surprise in celebration of her parents upcoming wedding. How special to be able to attend your own parents' wedding! Her mom and dad have been married for 20 years, but since slave marriages weren't 'legal', they are now going to be married officially in freedom. Harriet finds out that her parents 'aren't married' and tells Addy that slave marriages didn't mean anything, which upsets Addy greatly. Harriet seems deeply insecure with herself, because she's always looking for ways to feel superior to others by putting them down. She's like, 'jumping a broom isn't a real marriage', which, girl? Saying some magic words in a church isn't any more or less real than jumping a broom. It's the feelings and commitment that are ATTACHED to ceremonies that is important, and her parents have remained committed to each other for 20 years. They're married, girl! Even so, this conversation hurts Addy, so she looks for reassurance from adults around her. Addy's teacher Miss Dunn encourages her while she's working on the quilt in secret, and her mother also talks about how much that broom-jump meant to her and Poppa, whether or not it was recognized legally, it meant something to them. This inspires Addy to make a broom applique on her quilt for her parents.

I had heard of 'jumping the broom' before, but I never realized it referred to slave marriages. I also never explicitly put it together that it was illegal for slaves to get married legally/or in church, because I'd heard of slaves getting married in other books and historical accounts, and obviously enslavers could separate families and couples on a whim -- but I never realized that it was explicitly //illegal// for slaves to be legally married. Seeing the illustration of Addy's mother weeping with joy and her father glowing with pride, getting married and re-establishing their commitment to each other was really beautiful.

"You know something, Addy? In the bible it says a man and wife are to be together until death part them. When you got married in slavery, they left that part out because the master could part you anytime he wanted to. So me and your Poppa never had them words spoken over us, but we had that broom, and when we jumped it, we know we belonged to each other for life. Maybe that don't mean nothing to Harriet, but it means a whole heap to me." This conversation really touched me.

I like the little tidbits about life for a girl around this time. Addy dreaming of becoming a teacher, embroidering at recess, jump-rope games (the letter will be the name of the boy I marry, I remember that one).

The one thing I have a complaint about is the quilt on the cover of the book. What IS that?! Is that KIRSTEN'S doll-item quilt?! Babbity Kate mentioned this in her Kirsten Youtube video, but why is the quilt shown in the illustrations a patchwork quilt, and NOT an album quilt, as is described in this book? By this point in Addy's collection, her album quilt was for sale as a doll item, and it's been an illustration in OTHER Addy books, so there's really no excuse for this. There's LITERALLY a picture of the album quilt on the cover of Addy Studies Freedom, like COME ON.

We get these rich descriptions and vignettes of album quilt elements in this book, as well as the album quilt doll item, and then in this book cover and other illustrations, she's got a patchwork quilt in her hands. There's a page later in the book where she's 'showing' her friends her broom applique, and in the picture, she's holding Kirsten's patchwork doll quilt, no applique in sight. What???? Was this a miscommunication with the illustrator? What a weird detail for them to flub. American Girl is usually really meticulous about the little details, and considering Addy got a complete re-illustration, I don't understand how they could have gotten this wrong.

Anyway, what a lovely message in this book. I really like the relationship between Addy and her teacher, as well as that conversation with her mother.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sweet short story, Addy's parents want to renew their vows, since they were unable to have a church wedding while they were both enslaved. To surprise them, Addy works in secret on a quilt to give them as a present, with the help of her teacher. When her old school nemesis Harriet makes fun of Addy's parents for not being truly married and of her quilt, Addy is hurt and confused. Does a slavery 'jumping the broom' wedding mean her parents were never really married?

This was a great lesson to Addy to stand tall in her beliefs and not think less of herself or her family, no matter what others may say and think. My heart hurt for how mean Harriet is to Addy! But this is relatable for young readers who will unfortunately but undoubtedly encounter similar scenarios from classmates. Aside from Harriet, this was such a sweet story, and I loved the emotional moment when her parents finally got to have a church wedding that they were denied during slavery. This felt like such a full and complete story, despite its short length!

Like all of the short stories, this is best read after reading all of the full-length books in order to avoid major plot spoilers!

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addy made a beautiful quilt for her parents. Harriet made fun of Addy's family's slave customs and experiences but Addy was proud of her family, and rightly so.
Wondeful story 😊
I want to learn to quilt haha

[Faith Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and informative piece of fiction on the sweetness and hardships of marriage for slaves before and after the Civil War. It was also fun to "see" Addy, her family, and her love-hate friendship with Harriet again!

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a sweet short story

[Little Seal]

Another lovely Addy short story!

[Svetlana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some really wise quotes there. ❤️❤️❤️

[Octavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Memorable Moment introducing my 5 year old Granddaughter to Addy 💗

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet always got some shit to say smh

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addy's parents are finally going to be legally married, and Addy is making them a quilt as a wedding present (reminding me of Kirsten's books.) Miss Dunn helps her with the embroidery after school, which leads Harriet to find out that Addy's parents were "married" in slavery by what was called "jumping the broom." Harriet is super rude and insists that jumping the broom didn't mean anything (since it wasn't legal), and that everything related to slavery should be left in the past.

This book has some good insights on whether to forget the past, or to celebrate it as part of one's journey. It's definitely fitting for an AG book. Mrs. Walker simply says that although jumping the broom may not mean anything to Harriet, it meant a lot to her. And although it only arose out of the evil institution of slavery, it was a defining moment in her life that she will carry forever. Addy ends up sewing squares of both a broom AND a church on the quilt.

The Looking Back section about slave marriage was fascinating. Apparently, plenty of slave owners would throw their slaves weddings (especially if they were higher-ranking house slaves) in order to keep them happy and possibly prevent them from running away. But then, they would still separate a "married" couple without a moment's hesitation to make a buck. Wild.

[Miri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addy's parents were married in a slave ceremony, but now they want to be married in freedom and Addy is working on a special quilt to give them as a gift for their special day. Harriet, a girl in Addy's class makes fun of the slave wedding her parents had and makes Addy feel bad about their past. Can Addy find a way to cherish the past and the future without shame?

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this "JF" book about a little girls wedding gift to her parents. It was a heart-warming SHORT story. I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed it so much that I will let Jasmine read it sometime this Summer. :)

[Kaetlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Addy's mom and dad got married they jumped the broom. Because they were slaves. But now they are free and they want to get married in the church. So Addy wants to make a quilt. When she is done she puts a broom for when they got married first.

[Michelle Love-Day]

What a quick read for a young girl learning about why quilts are important to families.

[Shani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good short story. I really enjoyed it. Interesting plot and point of view. Really gave me a feeling of what things were like.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Addy :(

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this short story. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I thought it was the sweetest one.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

A childhood favorite; very interesting, but now it's not quite as good as when I was little.