The Sherwood Ring facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Elizabeth Marie Pope |
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| Illustrator | Evaline Ness |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
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Publication date
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1958 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 272 pp (1958 Hardcover edition), 256 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-618-17737-0 (2001 Hardcover edition) |
| OCLC | 48203680 |
The Sherwood Ring is an exciting young adult novel written by Elizabeth Marie Pope in 1958. It tells the story of Peggy Grahame, a teenage girl who has to move to her uncle's old estate after her parents pass away. Get ready for a spooky twist: she soon meets friendly ghosts from the American Revolutionary War!
Contents
Unraveling a Family Mystery
When seventeen-year-old Peggy Grahame's father dies, she must move in with her only living relative, her uncle Enos. She travels to her family's old estate, called "Rest-and-be-thankful," in Orange County, New York. Peggy quickly finds her uncle to be a bit strange and grumpy. He is totally obsessed with his family's past.
Peggy starts a friendship with a young British man named Pat, who is doing research in America. But her uncle quickly tells them they cannot see each other. Peggy ends up spending a lot of time alone in the big, old house. She soon discovers it is haunted by the ghosts of her ancestors from the 1700s!
These ghosts share their stories with Peggy. Their tales are woven into the book, mixing with Peggy's adventures in the present day. With the help of these ghostly stories, Peggy begins to solve a very old family mystery. She also starts to win over her uncle and even finds a little romance of her own.
Meet the Modern Characters
Peggy Grahame
Peggy is a strong and independent young woman. After her father dies, she is sent to live with her uncle Enos in his old, colonial house. She feels a bit nervous about this big change. Soon, she meets a young man named Pat, and they become friends. However, her uncle forbids her from seeing him, which makes Peggy wonder why.
Her uncle often ignores her, or treats her like a child if she tries to talk to him. Peggy starts to feel very lonely. Then, the spirits of her ancestors from the Colonial era begin to visit her. These visits make her dull days much more exciting. She looks forward to seeing them and also to the secret messages she exchanges with Pat. As she listens to her ancestors and explores the old house, she learns more about her family's history. She slowly starts to solve the mysteries of the past. In many ways, Peggy is quite similar to her ancestor, Barbara Grahame, who visits her most often.
Enos Grahame
Enos Grahame is an old man with a short temper. He is completely obsessed with history and not much else. He can be selfish and thinks he is better than everyone. He hates to fail at anything. Even though he seems mean, he does show a kinder side by taking Peggy in. He also eventually accepts her relationship with Pat.
While he doesn't appear in a lot of the book, Uncle Enos plays a very important part in the old Colonial mystery. He tries to keep everything he knows a secret. He gets very angry if anyone dares to ask him about it. He is Peggy's father's brother.
Pat Thorne
Pat is a charming young man who kindly offers Peggy a ride when she is lost. He is friendly and laughs easily. He can seem a bit lazy, but people say he actually works harder than the rest of his family. He is not very rich and has come to America to solve a mystery about his own past. He feels a bit ashamed of some parts of it, so he keeps them hidden. Pat plans to be a teacher back in England. He is very fond of his old, worn-out car, which he lovingly calls 'Betsy.'
Characters from the Past
Richard Grahame
Colonel Richard Grahame, or 'Dick,' starts out as a proud and ambitious man. He is sent back to his hometown to find a famous troublemaker named Peaceable Drummond Sherwood. Sherwood has been causing problems in the area with his group of guerrilla soldiers. Dick is very proud to be chosen for this job. However, he is upset to learn that he and his soldiers will stay at Shipley Farm. This is the home of Eleanor Shipley, an old childhood friend he still dislikes.
Once there, Dick spends all his time trying to catch Peaceable Sherwood, but he keeps failing. All his plans don't work, and Dick starts to feel like he's going crazy from the stress. Finally, he finds a clue about where to find the criminal. He rushes off alone without thinking. He gets badly beaten, and Peaceable Sherwood escapes. Humbled and sore, Dick returns to Shipley Farm. A worried Eleanor is there to meet him. They both admit their feelings for each other. The future looks brighter for a new, less proud, and wiser Dick.
Eleanor Shipley
Eleanor is a small woman, often described as moving and looking like a butterfly. She is clever and quick-witted. As a child, she would do anything to get Dick's attention. She has a very bad temper, but she is usually very caring and kind.
One day, another man, Colonel Van Spurter, arrives to take over Dick's job because the army thinks Dick is taking too long. A secret letter arrives from one of Peaceable Sherwood's own men. It is written in code. Eleanor and Dick quickly try to find the real message. There is a fake message that tricks Colonel Van Spurter, who isn't very smart. He runs off to follow the wrong clue. Eleanor and Dick keep working on the paper and finally discover the true message. Dick gathers his soldiers, and they almost catch Peaceable Sherwood, but he gets away. Dick comes back hurt and bruised. Eleanor, in her usual bossy way, helps him get better.
Barbara Grahame
Barbara is Dick's younger sister. She has always looked up to him and loves him very much. But when he and their father join the army, she has to stay with her terrible Aunt Susanna. Aunt Susanna is a very mean person who makes her house feel miserable.
When Barbara asks to spend Christmas with Dick and Eleanor at Shipley Farm, Aunt Susanna absolutely refuses. She then pretends to be sick to stop Barbara from leaving. Luckily, on Christmas Day, Aunt Susanna runs out of her headache medicine. She sends Barbara to get more from the apothecary (an old-fashioned pharmacy). Barbara uses this chance to visit her brother. But she gets caught in a terrible snowstorm on the way.
Almost freezing, she runs into a small group of men who take her to shelter. She had fainted and wakes up to find herself in her old home, Rest-and-Be-Thankful. The last person she expected to see there was Peaceable Sherwood! He is polite and welcoming. He is very surprised by Barbara's strong mind and her refusal to panic. He takes her to see Dick, who is now locked in the prison in the cellar. The brother and sister use a secret code they made up to send messages to each other while pretending to have a normal conversation. Dick tells Barbara not to get involved, worrying that she will get into trouble.
Peaceable Drummond Sherwood
