The Sherwood Ring

The Sherwood Ring follows orphaned teenager Peggy Grahame as she moves to her family's ancestral estate in New York to live with her reclusive Uncle Enos. The colonial mansion holds secrets from America's Revolutionary War period, which begin to surface through supernatural encounters. Peggy finds herself caught between her uncle's strict rules, a budding friendship with a British researcher named Pat, and visits from the estate's resident ghosts. The spirits share their personal accounts from the Revolutionary era through interconnected stories that parallel Peggy's present-day experiences. The narrative alternates between contemporary events and first-person tales from the Revolutionary period. As Peggy pieces together the historical accounts, she works to solve both a centuries-old mystery and her current personal challenges. Through its blend of history, romance, and ghost stories, The Sherwood Ring explores themes of family legacy, the cyclical nature of time, and how the past continues to influence the present.

Readers consistently describe The Sherwood Ring as a unique blend of historical fiction, mystery, and romance that weaves together parallel storylines from Revolutionary War and modern times. Readers appreciate: - The clever integration of past and present narratives - Strong female characters, particularly the historical ones - The balance of romance and wit - Historical details that feel authentic - Ghost stories that avoid typical supernatural tropes Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the first few chapters - Modern storyline less compelling than historical segments - Some find the ending rushed Ratings: Goodreads: 4.13/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (190+ ratings) Sample review quotes: "The historical characters leap off the page while the modern ones feel flat." -Goodreads "Best ghost story I've ever read because it's not really about the ghosts." -Amazon "Takes time to get going but worth the patience." -LibraryThing

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🔹 The author Elizabeth Marie Pope was a professor of English at Mills College and only wrote two young adult novels in her lifetime - this one and "The Perilous Gard." 🔹 Rest-and-be-thankful, the mansion in the story, is partially based on Hasbrouck House in New York, which served as George Washington's headquarters during the final years of the Revolutionary War. 🔹 When published in 1958, the book won the Linz Award for most distinguished work of historical fiction for young readers. 🔹 The ghost stories in the novel are told through four connected tales, each focusing on a different aspect of espionage and romance during the American Revolution. 🔹 While today it's considered a classic of young adult literature, the book was originally marketed to adults and found success with both teenage and adult audiences.