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The Sherwood Ring

by Elizabeth Marie Pope, Evaline Ness (Illustrator)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 1,210 ratings · 145 reviews

Newly orphaned Peggy Grahame is caught off-guard when she first arrives at her family's ancestral estate. Her eccentric uncle Enos drives away her only new acquaintance, Pat, a handsome British scholar, then leaves Peggy to fend for herself. But she is not alone. The house is full of mysteries—and ghosts. Soon Peggy becomes involved with the spirits of her own Colonial anc...more

Paperback, 272 pages

Published October 29th 2001 by Sandpiper (first published 1958)

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Community Reviews

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Dec 08, 2010 Mariel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: forever and ever

Recommended to Mariel by: saddest summer

I'm rather surprised by the seemingly lukewarm reaction to Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Sherwood Ring on goodreads. It isn't a perfect book, sure, but the charms far outweigh minor dragging by time's end. At least it did for me. I related to the belonging nowhere feeling. Pope's only other work, The Perilous Gard, is absolutely perfect in my eyes. I had hearts in my eyes, all the same. A young teen travels to a relative's and discovers the wonders of history when she befriends three ghosts. That m...more

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May 08, 2012 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-favourites, young-adult, historical, horror-supernatural, books-i-own

Whoever it was who highly recommended this book on Amazon's Listmania, THANK YOU! I loved this book and immediately went out and specially ordered my own copy after I'd finished the library's, because I knew I'd be reading it again and again. This book would probably be billed as a YA fantasy because of the 'ghosts' in it, but it's really more like historical fiction - with a twist. Three of Peggy's ancestors appear to her at various times and tell her their stories, all of which take place duri...more

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May 10, 2013 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction-alternatehistory

I like Elizabeth Marie Pope's writing. This was quite different to The Perilous Gard, but nonetheless it won me over quite thoroughly. There's a bit of the same thing in it that I enjoyed so much in Mary Stewart's work -- an old fashioned air that somehow promised everything would come right in the end.

It unfolds at its own pace, so be prepared to be patient even when things seem thoroughly obvious. There are strong and capable female characters, which helps, but the changing point of view does...more

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Jan 26, 2008 Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

OK, this book is the subject of my new personal crusade. It's the greatest completely unknown book aimed at the "Young Adult" group. My 3 brothers, 2 sisters and I all grew up loving this book and read it many, many, many times. It was a really big deal when we discovered Alibris and we all bought used copies to give to our kids. NO, IT'S NOT ABOUT ROBIN HOOD. It's a ghost story, historical mystery, romance, character study with parallel stories set in the American Revolution and mid-twentieth c...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Eggletina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fun book about a recently orphaned young woman (Peggy) who is sent to stay with her fussy guardian, Uncle Enos, at the ancestral home in New York. The Grahame family is a bit strange. At least one in each generation seems to be visited by the ghosts in the house, and Peggy soon begins to learn the stories of her ancestors who participated in the American Revolution (the stories of the ghosts are actually more exciting than the modern day thread). This is a good historical adventure for the juven...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Indiana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007, american-revolution, historical, young-adult

The book opens with orphan Peggy Graham on a lonely train ride to upper New York state, to live with her great uncle at the historic family manse, Rest-and-Be-Thankful. There she meets her eccentric uncle who is obsessed with anything historical, an English scholar who her uncle will have nothing to do with but she is rather attracted to and...and assortment of relatives who lived in the house during the Revolutionary War (i.e. ghosts). This was a rather hard book for me to get into once I hit t...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Pope's other novel, the Perilous Guard, so much I wanted to read all her other books. When I first read the description I was somewhat put off by the whole "ghost" aspect of it. It sounded weird. However, I finally did get around to reading it and found I liked just as much if not more than The Perilous Guard. The story is completely compelling, especially the ghosts' stories had me unable to put this book down. I love the cat and mouse (or more like cat and cat) relationship between P...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Eva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pertama2, gue harus akui... gue masih lebih suka Percy Jackson ketimbang I Am Number Four. Serius. Jangan tertipu premisnya yang terdengar seperti teenager sci-fi action story.
Terus terang gue agak keberatan dengan pemilihan judulnya yang sangat maskulin sehingga tidak terlalu pas menggambarkan isi bukunya, untungnya mereka nggak bohong dengan bilang cerita ini merupakan penerus jejak Twilight Saga di ringkasannya.I Am Number Four... in fact, is the next Twilight Saga. Porsi romannya sangat besa...more Pertama2, gue harus akui... gue masih lebih suka Percy Jackson ketimbang I Am Number Four. Serius. Jangan tertipu premisnya yang terdengar seperti teenager sci-fi action story.
Terus terang gue agak keberatan dengan pemilihan judulnya yang sangat maskulin sehingga tidak terlalu pas menggambarkan isi bukunya, untungnya mereka nggak bohong dengan bilang cerita ini merupakan penerus jejak Twilight Saga di ringkasannya.I Am Number Four... in fact, is the next Twilight Saga. Porsi romannya sangat besar, dan cenderung bikin bosan mereka yang mengharapkan sisi action yang lebih.Jadi ini peringatan bagi mereka yang menginginkan tipe cerita full paced, action packed sci fi story. Buang mimpi kalian jauh2, ini BUKAN cerita semacam itu. Memang, klimaks dari novel ini dipenuhi ledakan dan tembakan ala Michael Bay. Adegan laga dan pertempurannya, gue akui, sangat amat Michael Bay. Tak heran doi tertarik buat memproduksi pilemnya. Wheeeeeee~
Berita baiknya, setidaknya penerus Twilight Saga ini belajar dari kesalahan buku itu... dia menciptakan PLOT untuk I Am Number Four, tidak halnya dengan pendahulunya. Apa sisi menarik cerita ini?? Hmmm... bagi gue pribadi, cerita ini tidak menawarkan apapun yang baru. Plotnya udah sering banget dipake pendahulunya, sejumlah ide bahkan membuat gue teringat Star Wars. Saat Nomer Empat melatih kekuatan telekinetisnya, itu bener2 membuat gue deja vu dengan Luke Skywalkers dan Yoda di sampingnya. Kemudian penjelasan sistem perkawinan dan reproduksi bangsa Lorien yang membuat gue ingin lompat ke lantai dan gelindingan sambil nangis2 darah.Entah apa yang ada di pikiran Michael Bay saat mendekati si pengarang untuk membeli hak cipta novelnya, apa jangan2 Michael Bay membaca pergeseran pola pikir pasar ABG masa kini dan kepingin membuat Twilight ala... Michael Bay. Menurut gue ini cerita anak2 yang menyenangkan untuk dibaca. Meskipun dalam satu dua adegan, mendadak ide2 gila yang berkeliaran dalam kepala gue menyiratkan bahwa cerita ini seperti ditulis oleh Babara Cartland, Lisa Kleypas, dan Astrid Lindgren dengan Ms. Lindgren sebagai eksekutornya. Cerita ini adalah cerita yang memiliki suasana yang riang meskipun memiliki setting di rumah besar kuno yang sepi dengan sejumlah hantu bersliweran di sana sini. Hantu2 di sini lebih seperti malaikat pelindung atau fairy good mother, meminjam istilah dongeng. Mereka menghibur dan menemani Peggy yang kesepian dan memberinya petunjuk2 melalui kisah2 mereka (yang entah kenapa terdengar lucu dan konyol meskipun hantu2 itu hidup di jaman Konfederasi), jadi tidak ada pertolongan langsung di sini. Peggy dituntut untuk memutar otaknya sendiri.

Yang gue suka, tokoh2 utama wanitanya tidak digambarkan lemah dan membutuhkan pertolongan setiap waktu, mereka justru berdikari dan bahkan dalam beberapa kesempatan justru membantu para prianya. Dinilai secara kontekstual jamannya, novel ini malah lebih menunjukkan semangat emansipasi ketimbang novel jaman sekarang lho... sebagian novel jaman sekarang, maksud gue.
Lucunya, dengan sejumlah roman di dalamnya, roman itu hanya berjalan sebagai sub-plot dan tidak dibahas terlalu mendalam. Bagi mereka yang tidak terlalu senang dengan roman, mungkin tidak akan terlalu tersiksa, plus gue mendapat banyak informasi soal perang kemerdekaan amerika dan budaya di era itu. Saat membaca novel ini, sebenernya gue seakan mengenang masa kecil gue yang dihabiskan dengan membaca novel2 semacam ini. Dengan suasana yang riang dan tokoh utama yang berpendirian serta berpikiran realistis, novel2 itu secara tak langsung membentuk kepribadian juga, membuat gue tahan serbuan kisah2 ga masuk akal dan tidak memimpikan hal2 tidak masuk akal juga. Jaman sekarang orang didorong jadi histeris dan out of mind lalu mengkonsumsi apapun yang berkaitan dengan hal2 yang mereka sukai seperti sekumpulan orang gila. Karena dari kecil udah ditanamkan ama sesuatu yang melenceng dari kenyataan jadinya ga berpikir realistis dan efisien. (less)

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Nov 06, 2009 Brandy Painter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, historical-fiction, middle-grade, young-adult

Honestly, if I all I had known about this book was its premise I probably would have disregarded it as silly and never read it. However, it was written by Elizabeth Marie Pope and as I love The Perilous Gard I gave it a go. And I am so glad I did.

The book is about a girl named Peggy who has just been orphaned and comes to live with her uncle at her family's ancestral estate in upstate New York. During her first meeting with her uncle he loses his temper and kicks out a perfectly nice young man...more

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Oct 20, 2009 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

A light ghost story set in modern times with flashbacks to the Revolutionary War. Newly orphaned Peggy Grahame is sent to live with her uncle at the family estate called Rest-and-Be-Thankful. The estate is rumored to be haunted, and shortly after arriving at Rest-and-Be-Thankful Peggy has her first encounter with one of the estate's ghosts. From the ghosts Peggy learns about her ancestor Richard's attempts to capture the notorious Peaceable Sherwood, a British sympathizer who was stirring up tro...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Kathy Stone rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-group

Wow! the Revolutionary War and ghosts in a romantic novel. I must admit that children's literature is not always my favorite thing to read. I understand that this is technically a YA book, which i think I skipped in my formative years. With that all being said and my own weaknesses in reviewing a book in this genre I will give my complaints.

This story is to have taken place in Orange County, New York. So what one may ask, but have spent time in that place and even took my first 41 college credit...more Wow! the Revolutionary War and ghosts in a romantic novel. I must admit that children's literature is not always my favorite thing to read. I understand that this is technically a YA book, which i think I skipped in my formative years. With that all being said and my own weaknesses in reviewing a book in this genre I will give my complaints.

This story is to have taken place in Orange County, New York. So what one may ask, but have spent time in that place and even took my first 41 college credits at the Community College there. No I have no disagreement with setting a tale there. Authors are free to use any setting they want, but I was confused. Yes, Goshen is the County Seat and the jail should have been there. I do not think the modern one is though, but that is different. The last time I checked West Point was most definitely in Orange County and this book makes it seems like it is far, far away. Now I know the towns that I am familiar with were not incorporated before the American Revolution, but I believe for the sake of authenticity that Pope should have named the hamlets where the story was placed.That could just be me wanted to get a sense of direction. Reading through some other history there was still land disputes between New York and New Jersey at the time so maybe Pope just decided to keep this tale light and not delve so much on the other political problems.

The Revolutionary War in Southern New York and New Jersey was not pretty. Neither colony/state could really make up their mind on which way to vote and so the war bottle-necked here. This is not from the book I just happen to be from New Jersey. In this book a young Colonel is sent after a man from the British army who has been stirring up local farmers to fight on the British side in the guerilla warfare style of fighting. They even go so far as to disguise themselves because others thought that they were firm patriots. This colonel does not succeed. His sister falls in love with this British officer and this leads to the more modern part of the story.

Peggy Grahame is an orphan sent to live with her Uncle Enos in Orange County, New York. She meets a young scholar doing research on the American Revolution from England who happens to be descended from this British Officer somehow, though Pope does not go into all the connections. I am not sure if her reasons were to keep it a young person's story or to keep it short. I never liked stories that were missing details even when I was young so I am a little confused. Peggy's uncle throws this young man, Pat Thorne out of his home and leaves Peggy alone to sulk in the big house. Instead of being alone Peggy meets the ghosts and learns more of the family's secrets and finds her own love story.

No, this book is very clean and the romance is old-fashioned can we go for a walk stuff. Written as a ten year old would think about falling in love. That I had no problem with. I think that more of the local issues needed to be in the story.
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Mar 08, 2011 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery, supernatural, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 30, 2012 Tanya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, re-read

I'm happy to say this book definitely held up to all my wonderful memories of it. I credit this book for my love of American history, especially the Revolutionary War. I first read it in about 5th grade and then proceeded to read it at least once a year. Same thing goes for her other book The Perilous Gard. If you loved The Witch of Blackbird Pond, you'll enjoy these books. All three of these were favorites of mine during childhood. All have wonderful heros that I fell in love with at a young ag...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, fictional-crush, ghosts, historical-fiction, own, re-read-potential

3.5 stars
The Sherwood Ring is lightweight historical fiction set in the American Colonies during the Revolutionary War, which may sound like a rather dry subject, but it never is with Pope telling the story. She roots everything in human experience and her greatest strength lies in her characterization. Her four main Colonial characters, Dick, Barbara, Eleanor, and Peaceable, are all wonderful, each with a distinct and vibrant personality.

Peaceable Drummond Sherwood especially is an absolutely...more 3.5 stars
The Sherwood Ring is lightweight historical fiction set in the American Colonies during the Revolutionary War, which may sound like a rather dry subject, but it never is with Pope telling the story. She roots everything in human experience and her greatest strength lies in her characterization. Her four main Colonial characters, Dick, Barbara, Eleanor, and Peaceable, are all wonderful, each with a distinct and vibrant personality.

Peaceable Drummond Sherwood especially is an absolutely magnificent character who jumps right off the page. Feared by the populace as an infamous and wily captain in the British army, even some of his enemies in the Rebel cause can’t help but respect him as he outsmarts them again and again. Brave, slightly arrogant, hiding a dangerous intelligence behind a calm and unassuming demeanor, he is an honorable gentleman to the last, who would offer you tea and crumpets and apologize for the inconvenience while he tied you up and dragged you off to prison. The scene with the drugged wine glasses was one of the most memorable I’ve ever read.

There is also plenty of lively dialogue and humor, and the plot is full of tension and suspense. I appreciated that there was no clear villain in the tale. Both sides have heroes and rogues and good reasons for their actions.

The weakness of The Sherwood Ring, however, lies in its framing device. We only get peeks into the past as Peggy Grahame, in a more contemporary setting, encounters the ghosts of her ancestors and learns their stories, all the while trying to solve a mystery of her own as well as find happiness and romance. Unfortunately, Peggy’s story is flat and dull and none of the modern characters are interesting or sympathetic. Every time the book would return to the “main” story of Peggy & Co. I would get a bit antsy and bored and try to rush through until the next ghost would appear and we could get back to the exciting historical interludes. In the end those wonderful parts were just too few and far between to let me love the book unequivocally. If only Pope had scrapped the Peggy/ghost story idea and wrote this as straight historical fiction!

Despite its inconsistencies, there is still much here for fans of The Perilous Gard, readers of historical fiction and fantasy, or lovers of clean, old-fashioned romance.
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Feb 18, 2010 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, historical, ghosts

The Sherwood Ring is an historical novel wrapped in a ghost story. While I enjoyed the Revolutionary War intrigue, I kept thinking that the author could have framed the story better. The contemporary heroine, Peggy, is sent to live with her autocratic Uncle Enos, whose obsession with his distinguished lineage leaves him no time for the newly orphaned ward who comes to live with him in his colonial era home. Instead, Peggy learns some interesting family history from four dearly departed ghosts wh...more

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Jun 28, 2008 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childhood-favorites, comfort-reads, keepers, historical-fiction, young-adult

Alternating between the modern day and Revolutionary War New York: 4 ghosts comfort a modern, unloved, girl with stories from their lives during the Revolution. In the modern era, our heroine copes with a curmudgeon of a guardian and a romance with the scholar from England. Absolutely first rate all around.

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Jan 29, 2011 Allyson rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this one in middle school sometime and I always remembered it, along with another of the author's books, The Perilous Gard. I remember liking this one better because it was not as scary as the Gard.

So now I've read it again and I can see why I loved it so much in middle school; it's got romance and is just a really good yarn. Of course, reading it now as an adult female in the 21st century I'm slightly appalled by the heroine's goofiness and lack of brains, especially as she is hearing s...more

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Mar 28, 2010 Margaret H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am so pleased that the Simmons Library has a copy of this floating around on the day I lost my other book. It's been a good few years since I read it, and I had vivid memories of some great scenes. Thrillingly, they were just as charming as I remembered. The ghosts that haunt Peggy's ancestral home, Rest-and-Be-Thankful, have the most wonderful story to tell of wily British spies, noble Colonial soldiers, and star-crossed love to tell, and it's all related with ample wit and charm. Peggy's own...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Frances rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, ya

Better than okay, but a little disappointing, too. Peggy is a very boring narrator (no personality, no friends), so fortunately not much of the story is told through her. The Revolutionary War story of Dick and Barbara Grahame and Peaceable Drummond Sherwood is where the real story lies-- is this framework the best way to tell it? I guess it's nice that Peggy's present-day situation mirrors the war-time story, but it's also pretty contrived. I did enjoy the book, but probably not enough to recom...more

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Jul 17, 2008 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-books, favorites

One of my all-time favorites from childhood. My girls and I read this together, and loved it. A very romantic tale based in Revolutionary War times.

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Apr 03, 2010 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-young-adult, paranormal, fiction

This is one of my all time favorite children/young adult books. I've always loved the Colonial/Revolutionary time period, and this one brings one small part of it to vivid life. The reminiscences of the characters show just the kinds of things people in that time period went through during the war, without getting into things that alot of young people would find boring or disturbing. I've always liked the way the ghosts of her ancestors appear just when she needs them.

I recommend this book to an...more

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Dec 03, 2008 Jenna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone!

Recommended to Jenna by: mom

I didn't expect to like it-- being historical fiction and all-- but I thoroughly fell in love with Peaceable Drummond Sherwood. I wasn't even that into the modern part of the story, or really any of the others from the past, for that matter, but I find it impossible to express how many times I would've died to be the clever Barbara Grahame, just for Sherwood. Picture him like Robin Hood, only more evil, self-serving, clever, romantic, and with more flair. <33333 Friends, before you start beat...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Kyla rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is about a girl who is visited by a series of her ancestor's ghosts who share their story with her and in turn help her discover a story of her own. I loved the story the ancestor's told. The characters were great, very easy to fall in love with, and I loved learning a little bit about the history of the times. However, I didn't really care for the story of the girl herself and would have preferred the author just leave that whole part out and write a complete story just based on the R...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-clean-reads-for-ya

This is one of those books I read on a whim. Basically, I had no other books to read (very rare in and of itself!) and this one was suggested for those who liked Mara, Daughter of the Nile. So, I picked it up at the library, slightly concerned I wouldn't like it because of the "ghosts".

It's one of my favorite historical romances ever!

The Sherwood Ring starts off with Peggy. Peggy has an unremarkable background. When her father dies, she moves in with her uncle. Her uncle, a modern day scrooge, b...more This is one of those books I read on a whim. Basically, I had no other books to read (very rare in and of itself!) and this one was suggested for those who liked Mara, Daughter of the Nile. So, I picked it up at the library, slightly concerned I wouldn't like it because of the "ghosts".

It's one of my favorite historical romances ever!

The Sherwood Ring starts off with Peggy. Peggy has an unremarkable background. When her father dies, she moves in with her uncle. Her uncle, a modern day scrooge, basically ignores her, leaving Peggy to entertain her lonesome all summer. Boring, right?

That's until she meets the ghosts. Yeah, ghosts - friendly ghosts. I know what you're thinking. This is cheesy. This is like a bad version of Casper. But don't think that! Take it back right now!! These ghosts are more like narrators. They tell of their lives during the Revolutionary War and their relationship to Peggy's uncle's house. The ghosts appear one at a time, telling the story from their prospective, until we get all of it. And let me tell you: their narration is FAR from boring. It's extremely vivid and entertaining.

Peacable (I know, weird name, but it really grows on you!) is definitely my favorite character. He's witty and distant, but completely charming...and he's a British! You know that movie, The Patriot, with Mel Gibson. Peaceable is like the British version of Mel Gibson's character minus the bad guy trying to kill him.

Richard is the American sworn to catch Peacable, who hides in the woods, forms alliances with British sympathizers, and does random acts of damage.

Barbara, even though she's technically dead, is also really great. She really steps out of bounds for her time period. The romance is so sweet and, honestly, unexpected! Her and Peacable, their story, oh, it's just too sweet! And think about a romance between Barbara and her brother's sworn enemy. That gets pretty juicy!

Peggy is a really shy and quiet protagonist. Not sure of herself at all, but I like her okay. She wasn't great, but I definitely liked her. However, her romance with Pat was a little lacking. Pat is just a strange character. Yes, he adds to the story of the book, but we really don't see anything of him. I hardly know anything about him. However, that was the only thing I can complain about.

Overall, I highly suggest reading this book. It's a quick read, though watch out because there are hardly any chapter breaks so once you start, you can't stop!

As for content, it's completely clean. I believe it's considered Juvenile Fiction rather than Young Adult even though the story is about and pertains to Young Adults. Definitely appropriate for all ages.(less)

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Jul 19, 2007 Oyceter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

http://oyceter.livejournal.com/75786....

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Aug 20, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Ashley by: Amy

I read this whole book in one day. It was a very interesting story, well thought out, and well executed.

I will say that I didn't particularly enjoy the character of the uncle. After he got so sick and he seemed so easily startled throughout the whole book, it seemed odd that he had lived alone for so long; it didn't seem like he was able to take care of himself.

Okay, I'll be honest, the thought that a girl who has just come to a new house to live with a grumpy uncle because she is alone in the w...more I read this whole book in one day. It was a very interesting story, well thought out, and well executed.

I will say that I didn't particularly enjoy the character of the uncle. After he got so sick and he seemed so easily startled throughout the whole book, it seemed odd that he had lived alone for so long; it didn't seem like he was able to take care of himself.

Okay, I'll be honest, the thought that a girl who has just come to a new house to live with a grumpy uncle because she is alone in the world doesn't seem conducive to her then sitting nicely and talking with the house ghosts. Peggy just seemed so... willing to accept it and was okay with it. Personally, I would have screamed if a ghost appeared to me and I never would have talked to it, especially if I'd just moved into a new house where the ghost resides. Although, despite that, she was a very smart girl, very good at putting together the clues that the ghosts gave her and using knowledge imparted.

Okay, Pat... he annoyed me. He never seemed to be there when Peggy needed him and when he was there, he was in the way. (view spoiler)

So, apparently, I was irritated by the "modern-day" characters, but I liked the ghosts from the "olden era." The story that they wove together and told to Peggy was very clever and entertaining, and I enjoyed how the story they told her gave her information and knowledge that she used later when unraveling her uncle's mystery.

So, I didn't like some of the charaters, but I thoroughly enjoyed the storylines, weaving together the modern and the historical. Overall, it was a very sweet book.(less)

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Jan 10, 2011 MB rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers who enjoy vitage YA romance like 'Daddy Long Legs', 'Dear Enemy', or Gladys Malvern

Shelves: fantasy-urban-fantasy-paranormals, read-in-2011, young-adult, historical-fiction, romance-historical-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 29, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I thought the general structure of the story was very interesting: ghosts share little bits of their pasts to teach the main character various timely lessons. However, some of those lessons were too timely. For instance, one lesson appeared to be (view spoiler) I suppose this scene could have been cute and clever, but since it happened immediately after the vision, it felt more like the writer was too lazy to think of different stic...more I thought the general structure of the story was very interesting: ghosts share little bits of their pasts to teach the main character various timely lessons. However, some of those lessons were too timely. For instance, one lesson appeared to be (view spoiler) I suppose this scene could have been cute and clever, but since it happened immediately after the vision, it felt more like the writer was too lazy to think of different sticky situations to place her lovers in.

In terms of love stories, the only one I liked was between Peaceable and Barbara. None of them were original. There's the "I always teased you because I love you" and the "confident guy who tells you you love him until you do (x2)" general storylines. I think perhaps the love parts would have been more believable and felt less stereotypical if the book had been longer and detailed more about their pasts and present feelings.

I found the first 'man tells you you love/ will marry him' story bearable because Peaceable himself was a fantastic character, his story very enjoyable, and despite his telling the girl they were going to get married, it was obvious she still had the choice. His assertions that his family gets what they want sounded more like joking arguments to tease her while she decided, not threats. And if I couldn't understand why Barbara would fall in love after one conversation, I at least saw how the two worked well together as a couple multiple times.

The echoed version of this story between Peggy and Pat fell very flat because Pat doesn't have Peaceable's charm, the story was pretty much an exact copy of the previous love story, and in the end I felt like the two had had too little interaction to even fall in love. Pat's telling Peggy they will marry was not charming like Peaceable's, it was very offputting. Especially when he says something like 'it will happen no matter what. I'm not asking, so you better get used to it". What the heck? I suppose it really reflects the times of when the novel was written, so perhaps I shouldn't be too harsh, but that is not romance. (less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Linda Ash rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ooh, I really liked this book. It took me back in time, twice! Actually three times, because it felt like something I should have read back when I was younger - and I could have, had I know it existed, because it was published in 1958. Even so, the story is a very entertaining and charming tale, even today, over half a century later.

I would call this a very charming, cozy, likeable story, a very nice change of pace from the current YA fare if you happen to need a cleansing of the palate, so to...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Lee Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, humorous, favorites

Peggy Grahame is orphaned at seventeen, and heads with ambivalence and perhaps a little apprehension to the family New England mansion to live with her withdrawn Uncle Enos, who is obsessed with keeping Rest-and-be-thankful as close to its condition during the Revolutionary War as possible. But before she even arrives at the house, she gets lost in the woods and is given directions by a girl in a red cloak on horseback, who disappears before she can thank her. Peggy quickly discovers that the g...more Peggy Grahame is orphaned at seventeen, and heads with ambivalence and perhaps a little apprehension to the family New England mansion to live with her withdrawn Uncle Enos, who is obsessed with keeping Rest-and-be-thankful as close to its condition during the Revolutionary War as possible. But before she even arrives at the house, she gets lost in the woods and is given directions by a girl in a red cloak on horseback, who disappears before she can thank her. Peggy quickly discovers that the girl is the ghost of Barbara Grahame, the daughter of the house during the war. As Peggy becomes friends with Pat, a visiting scholar from England who is researching the history of guerrilla warfare in the area during the revolution, she is visited by more ghosts and begins to discover that their story holds the secret to the current mysteries of the house. And all the mysteries seem to center around the figure of Peaceable Drummond Sherwood, a mysterious and brilliant English officer who led a band of renegades on raids that plague the Continental army.

This story is a humorous and touching love story, with just the right amount of star-crossed escapades and a dash of mystery. Peggy’s story takes a back seat to the story of the ghosts, as they take turns telling their story. These ghosts are not grim at all, but as enjoyably kind, clever, and sardonic as the best character in a regency romance who ever quirked an eyebrow. The reader is carried away by the exasperation of Barbara’s brother Dick, as he tried to capture Peaceable, and deal with the troublesome Eleanor Shipley who has captured his heart but taunts him mercilessly, and Eleanor, who has been trying for years to get him to notice her. But the story we care about most is the unfolding sparring and love between Barbara and Peaceable himself. . .

It’s a short, quick book (with illustrations!) that make it seem like an elementary-level title, but the story and age of the characters make it fit better in a young adult collection (though there is no mature content). I first read it in my mid-teens and adored it, and this re-reading was still very satisfying, as it has one of my favorite romantic scenes of all time. I wouldn’t call it a mystery, the way it is billed, but rather as a cozy romance with a little light adventure on the side. (less)

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About Elizabeth Marie Pope

Pope was an academic who specialized in Elizabethan England and the works of Milton and Shakespeare. She wrote just juvenile novels, one of which, The Perilous Gard won the Newbery Award.

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“A gentleman can hardly continue to sit,' he explained, in his serenest and most level voice, 'when he asks a very remarkable young lady to do him the honor of marrying him. And - 'he somehow contrived to grin at me wickedly, 'I usually get what I want, Miss Grahame,' he added, and pitched over in a tangled heap on the floor.” — 14 people liked it

“How did you ever happen to remember that I might be hungry? But of course you would. Will you mind very much if I run myself into serious difficulties now and again after we are married, just for the pleasure of seeing you rise to the occasion?” — 11 people liked it

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