Customer Reviews

The Sherwood Ring

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Let me first dispel any misconceptions you might have. Upon first hearing the title, I assumed that this was a Robin Hood retelling. It isn't. This is a children's historical fiction, but in this case the history imparts a vivid backdrop for the story to take place. You never feel pressured to know overmuch about the events of the American Revolution (although your enjoyment will be enhanced if you do). History isn't a dry, weighty affair in this book--it's what gives _The Sherwood Ring_ its breath.

I've also heard this called a ghost story. Technically true, but each of the characters is vividly, blazingly drawn, undimmed by any ghostliness. Their purpose is not to haunt the present as echoes of the past. In fact, it is *their* story which forms the heart of the book, and I argue that you spend more time in the time of the American Revolution than in the present day. The appearance of those characters as ghosts only provides you with a chance to observe a delightful parallelism between *then* and *now.*

Throw in some romance. Not the soppy kind that you want to wring out, but the thoughtful kind between two well-suited characters that makes you want to cheer it on. There's a good share of humor, as well. Despite the presence of a war in one storyline and ghosts in the other, this really is not a grim book at all.

So: one American corporal, his normal arrogance dampened by desperation as he searches for a British conspirator who slips through his hands. The butterfly-deft woman who taunts him for his failure. His sister, quite sensible, but even the most clearheaded can get a bit muddled when caught in a snowstorm, and so she rides straight into her own share of problems. And a hunted man, showing off his cleverness to supposedly win his uncle's approval, but when he runs into the object of his true desire, he decides to go after what he really wants.

And as Peggy meets each of them and becomes entranced by listening to their lives, so will you. Caught in Pope's clear, strong prose, this tale is a definite read for both children and older readers.

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.

...read this one, without a doubt. This is historical fiction done with skill-after I finished it, I wanted to research the Revolutionary War even further (I had recently done a project for my history class-a novella about the Rev War-so I had been doing a lot of research already) to see if Peaceable Sherwood really existed. I have owned it for a week and have been unable to put it down. My history teacher recommended it to me and I must commend her for that. With an interesting romance set in two time periods and amidst ghosts and family traditions, this is one I doubt you will be able to put down.

The book starts out with Peggy Grahame going to New York to live with her uncle in the family's ancestral estate, Rest-and-be-thankful, after her father dies. On her way there she first sees a woman whom she later discovers is the ghost of her ancestors, and she also meets a young British scholar named Pat in the country doing some research on the War for Independence, who is also headed for Rest-and-be-thankful. Peggy's uncle banishes him from the house at first sight for unexplained reasons. A very typical situation, is it not?

Peggy's uncle prove to be overly busy and never has any time for her, so she sets off to explore the house by herself-and there are enough mysteries without explanation. As Peggy explores the estate, she finds pieces of her family's history which bring visits from ghosts. And not just any ghosts, mind you. These are ghosts so real and captivating that I often felt that the ghosts had more life in them than Peggy and Pat did. Each ghost comes to Peggy and tells her a bit of his story from the time of the War.

Her first visitor is the second Richard Grahame, who tells her the story of his commission from General Washington to capture a British captain by the name of Peaceable Sherwood-Peaceable Drummond Sherwood, if that means anything to you. We follow him through an interesting tale of Dick's attempts to subdue Captain Sherwood and of his failure, while we also witness the unfolding of a romance between old adversaries.

When Peggy discovers a letter written in a cipher, she is visited by the second ghost-Eleanor Shipley-who tells a gripping story of how Dick finally discovers Peaceable's plans and foils his plot. It is a wonderful little tale progressing the romance and the plot.

Then Peggy, after completing a task her uncle requests of her, finds another relic from the past inducing a visit from the third-and first-ghost, Barbara Grahame. Barbara's tale is my personal favorite part of the book. Barbara tells Peggy of her confinement with her Aunt Susanna, and how she escaped on a trip to the apothecary's on Christmas to go see Dick, her brother, and Eleanor. On her way, she is led astray into the hands of the notorious Peaceable Sherwood himself-who proves to be a charming, witty, curiously attractive antagonist, with whom one can't help but fall in love. (And, incidentially, it appears Barbara, too, can't help but fall in love with him.) When she at last contrives to escape and deliver him to the hands of the waiting authorities, one can't help but miss him.

That, too, however, is remedied shortly when Peggy is visited by none other than Captain Peaceable Sherwood himself! Peaceable tells definitely one of the best stories of his escape and near discovery. A clever story with a master touch.

Unfortunately, the book's ending does not really do it justice-I found it wholly unsatisfying, as we never really did see exactly what happened to the ghosts, who were far more interesting than the live characters. In fact, I really hated Pat and didn't care much for Peggy, either; but the book is a worthy read simply for Captain Sherwood himself. I first read it with a migraine, and it sure soothed my headache. I have no doubts you will not regret reading this book. I wish it was longer-much, much longer-and occupied more of my day than three hours. I do warn you that picking up this book is fatal-once you do, you will never be able to put it down. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a good, fun read.

I read this book after reading (and loving) The Perilous Gard. Although not quite as good as that book, it is still DEFINITELY worth reading for any historical fiction or fantasy fans. I loved it and couldn't put it down!

The book weaves together the stories of several different characters, some from the revolutionary war and some from modern times. Peggy is a young orphaned girl who goes to live with her uncle in the family's historical home. She meets up with an Englishman named Pat, one of whose relatives fought in the war, but her uncle kicks him out of the house upon hearing his name.

The other four main characters, Eleanor, Dick, Barbara and Peaceable, are all ghosts. One by one they appear to Peggy, each telling a bit of their story. Gradually,a pattern begins to appear. Somehow, the story of the ghosts is related directly to Peggy's own life and problems.

There is a good bit of romance in the book too, if you like that sort of thing. But it's a sweet and gentle kind, not overdone or sappy. I really liked seeing the characters (Dick/Eleanor, Peaceable/Barbara and finally Pat/Peggy) get their happy endings. The characters aren't developed as much as they could be, but the story is still great with an unexpected twist at the end. Not as good as The Perilous Gard, but close!

(...) The main character, Peggy, wasn't fleshed out much. And I went into it knowing this. But after reading about her ancestors and their adventures, who even cares about Peggy? They are so much more interesting! I could care less how the story was pieced together poorly as a bunch of ghosts popping in and mind reading a foul-tempered Peggy. But their stories were great! And that they were told by ghosts....
The characters have so much to them that they are hard to let go of when you finish the book. Theres a lot to this book. After I finished, I went over a couple of the scenes again because they are so good.
This book was written in the fifties, so the art is a bit bizarre, but its really a good book on Rev War in New York.
Pretty good in the history sense, too. I was quite impressed.

Published in 1958, this engaging novel about a lonely young woman's encounters with four Revolutionary War-era ghosts is well worth the effort it may take to find a copy. (I read the book as a pre-teen many years ago, then tracked down my own copy through Peter Smith of Boston about four years ago). Some readers may find the assumption that the abruptly orphaned heroine has no future aside from marriage or life with her cranky history-loving uncle a bit dated, but the bulk of the story features such strong, appealing characters that this defect can be overlooked.

Peggy Graham comes to her family's historic upstate New York home, "Rest-and-be-thankful", after the death of her father. From the first, she is privileged by visits from the family ghosts, who regale her with tales of their exploits during the American Revolution. The narration skillfully switches among the points of view so that the reader really feels he or she knows each character intimately. As each ghost reveals his or her part in the romances and intrigues of the past, clues to the heroine's present-day dilemma are revealed, enabling Peggy to resolve the conflicts among the people she loves and make the choices that will shape her own future.

It's been more than 40 years since I first read The Sherwood Ring, and it remains one of my very favorite books. I reread it often, but I think of it even more often, as my New England neighborhood is full of colonial-era houses, paths through overgrown woods, and little lakes like those in the story.

I'm not sure why this book works so well. The characters are well-drawn but not so terribly original, and the heroine's situation is unbelievable even for the repressive 50's. However, the ghosts' narratives are so vivid, concise, and well-crafted that I get a thrill at each rereading. I love the way the author cared enough to set each section in a different time of year, evoking each season with just a few sentences.

There is something fundamentally cinematic about the presentation of The Sherwood Ring. The emphasis on visual details, the intercutting of modern and historic scenes, and the snappy dialogue remind me of a movie. There's about one feature film's amount of plot, as well. When I was younger, I thought it would make a good film, but I'm sure now that it would get messed up in the process.

When the author's later book, The Perilous Gard, came out many years later, I found it flat in comparison, though maybe I was suffering from an overdose of pseudo-Celtic mythology at the time. The American Revolution setting is unusual, and the issues around the loyalist opposition in New York State actually inspired me to do some research on this subject for a college paper.

I agree with other readers that it's a pity Elizabeth Marie Pope published only two books. I'm so grateful, though, that she never got into writing the sequels and bloated trilogies that crowd today's bookstores. The Sherwood Ring is one little jewel of a book, a unique treasure.

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!

This is my favorite book.
Out of every other book that I have read, this is the best because it made me want to live in the Revolutionary era, although of course The Sherwood Ring makes that seem quite glamorous.
Peggy's story doesn't seem to matter as much as those of the people she meets, but because they are interesting to be with, and their sotries are woven together so expertly, that it makes upfor any lack of the main character's development anyway. Peggy isn't all that special of a person, and that is why EMP chose to devote so much of the book to the other characters.
I picked up The Sherwood Ring because I've always been interested in the Revolutionary War, and I've read it several times each year since. It's accessable, with medium sized print, and a light plot, but still has managed to capture my imagination like no other book, even EMP's more favored book, The Perilous Gard, which leans more on the side of contemporary fairy-tale fantasy.
People who never finished the book obviously wouldn't be able to tie Peggy's story into that of the ghosts, but trust me, if you wait, you will.
And this book is worth any wait.

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.