We found a fascinating crazy quilt in a closet under the eaves in 2008 when we started clearing out family papers from the Kump house. There wrapped in a white sheet inside an old box was a quilt with a fan at the top to identify the quilter, “Fannie” Frances Irvin Logan Scott, Edna Kump’s mother. Fannie started this quilt the year Edna was born, but never finished it because she died after her fifth pregnancy. Edna, who became the future Governor Kump’s wife in 1908, was Fannie’s only child to survive beyond age five.

Finally, the eBook “Fannie’s Crazy Quilt” is available on Kindle Unlimited. Stitching stories together has been my labor of love for my grandmother and my grandchildren. Grandmother Kump could not tell me her own stories because she lost her memory to early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, she saved letters, news clippings and other memorabilia that I could piece together to describe Kump family life.

Near the center of her quilt was an appliqued white cross representing Fannie’s conversion experience when she was seventeen years old during the “Great Awakening” of American religious evangelism. In the lower right-hand corner of the quilt was a bright pink patch on the back of a campaign ribbon.

When we turned over this ribbon, we found a political advertisement for: “Our next President, Grover Cleveland of New York, Our next Vice President/ Allen Thurman of Ohio, Our next Congressman/ Wm. L. Wilson of Jefferson County.” Grover Cleveland was the only politician I recognized in the list and his presidency was split in 1888 when he did not win the Electoral College. Unlike Trump, Cleveland won the popular vote all three times that he ran for president, but he only got enough Electoral College votes when he had support from powerful politicians in New York. Cleveland’s 1888 running mate was Allen Thurman who was listed on Fannie’s fuchsia campaign ribbon in her crazy quilt. The quilt was started 13 years ago, but our presidential elections are still just as complex as ever.

My book, inspired by Fannie’s quilt, tells the story of cultural and political developments from 1887 to 1937 in West Virginia as reflected in family letters and documents from these turbulent times. The Scott-Kump political family supported progressive government in the 20th Century that gave ordinary people the opportunity to change their own fortunes in America.

Readers who wish to access “Fannie’s Crazy Quilt” online have several options:

1. If you have a Kindle device, search for “Fannie’s Crazy Quilt” in the Kindle Store.

2. If you do not have a Kindle device, go to Amazon.com and search for “Fannie’s Crazy Quilt.” After purchasing the eBook for no more than $9.99, you will need to download the Free Kindle APP to read it.

3. If you want to read on a cell phone or tablet, open your APP store and search the Free Kindle APP.

4. If you wish to download on your computer, use your browser or Google to find and download the Free Kindle APP and choose the Amazon.com link to this eBook.

Finding “Fannie’s Crazy Quilt” takes a little searching.