united states

When orphaned Peggy Grahame goes to live with her Uncle Enos in the old Grahame ancestral home, the past comes alive. The ghosts of her ancestors come and tell her about their lives in the Revolution, while actual current events mirror those of their pasts.

Barbara Grahame, the most frequent ghostly visitor, is an independent and intelligent young woman living in the American Revolution. Her interaction with the extraordinarily clever British officer, Peaceable Sherwood is very enjoyable to read...particularly as Peaceable is nemesis of Barbara's brother, Dick (a young captain fighting for American independence). At the same time, serving to frame the story, Peggy uncovers mysteries of the past, and is led to her own romance with a young man from England.

A very unusual and thoughtful Revolution story with possibly the best ghosts I've ever read about.

Peggy Grahame is an orphan who is sent to live with her cranky uncle in his old family estate, Rest-and-be-Thankful. She makes one friend on the trip,a British scholar studying in America. But when she gets to Rest-and-be-Thankful, her Uncle Enos says that her friend, Pat, can never enter the house again. Peggy can't figure out why Pat isn't allowed, and she is lonely without any friends. The plot thickens when ghosts from the Revolutionary War start visiting Peggy. She is visited by four ghosts in all, and each time she is visited she learns a new piece of a complicated history of the house.

It is an awesome book, with a happy ending. It is very well written, and you get really close to the characters. It is a little slow at the beginning, and sometimes the plot lags when you get to Peggy. Peggy's story isn't quite that interesting, but the ghosts's stories are great. Also, when you are reading it, keep in mind that this was written in 1958, so some of the ideas are a little outdated. But overall, this was a very interesting read. The Sherwood Ring is written for kids 9-13, but anyone will enjoy this book and want to add it to their collection.

I began reading The Sherwood Ring about a month after I finished The Perilous Gard (also by Elizabeth Marie Pope) and I was deeply frustrated when forced to put it down. Every time I read it I drifted away from reality and entered the worlds of Peggy Grahame and Peaceable Drummond Sherwood. It was such a wonderful, fast-paced story, with likable characters and a lot of romance. It's one of my favorite books, and if you're a big reader and romantic like me, I'm sure you'll love it too! Happy reading!