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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
04.10.14: I loved it even more the second time around.
05.22.16: I loved it even more this third time.
05.22.16: I loved it even more this third time.
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 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.
Spoiler
how to hide your boyfriend while serving punch.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.
Lovely, fast-paced story (well, several stories within a story) set at the Scottish-American ancestral home of Rest-and-be-thankful in upstate New York. Swoon-worthy, G-rated romances are set against the backdrop of the American War of Independence with beautifully vivid 18th century details galore. A perfect book for a cozy Sunday afternoon.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ghosts, spies, cyphers, underhanded dealings, Tories, Patriots, and a bit of romance tossed in for good measure. It’s a bit fluffy, but well-written, and another one of my favorites. Really, who can object to a charming young redcoat named Peaceable Sherwood?
Elizabeth Marie Pope wrote one of my all-time favorite YA books, The Perilous Gard, which combines Elizabethan history with the Tam Lin tale. How did I never get around to reading her other YA book, The Sherwood Ring? Possibly because the subject matter is so different.
The Sherwood Ring is part historical fiction about the American Revolution and part modern ghost story. Young Peggy Grahame is orphaned and sent to live with her quirky, mysterious Uncle Enos in upstate New York. He tells her to leave him alone while he huddles in his library studying manuscripts. Peggy meets a handsome young British scholar who has come to New York to study the British campaign during the American Revolution, but Uncle Enos will not allow Pat in the house.
As Peggy putters around the old house, investigating cabinets and looking around, she encounters four ghosts who tell her about their experiences in the Revolutionary War. A bit of romance, old and new, is lightly inserted. Gradually, Peggy comes to understand that these ghosts are trying to help her. When Uncle Enos takes to his sick bed, it is up to Peggy and Pat to put together the clues and uncover the secret of the Sherwood Ring.
This story is a delightful mix of history, romance, and mystery. Highly recommended.
The Sherwood Ring is part historical fiction about the American Revolution and part modern ghost story. Young Peggy Grahame is orphaned and sent to live with her quirky, mysterious Uncle Enos in upstate New York. He tells her to leave him alone while he huddles in his library studying manuscripts. Peggy meets a handsome young British scholar who has come to New York to study the British campaign during the American Revolution, but Uncle Enos will not allow Pat in the house.
As Peggy putters around the old house, investigating cabinets and looking around, she encounters four ghosts who tell her about their experiences in the Revolutionary War. A bit of romance, old and new, is lightly inserted. Gradually, Peggy comes to understand that these ghosts are trying to help her. When Uncle Enos takes to his sick bed, it is up to Peggy and Pat to put together the clues and uncover the secret of the Sherwood Ring.
This story is a delightful mix of history, romance, and mystery. Highly recommended.
I love family house/ghost stories. Unusually for me, though, I sometimes felt I wasn't getting enough of the modern story. Doesn't matter, I enjoyed the book and took quite a shine to Peacable...
What fun! I can't believe I'd never heard of this book before. I stand by my earlier statement that it's like a blend of Cold Comfort Farm and The Scarlet Pimpernel (or maybe those Lauren Willig ones, but G-rated) but about the American Revolution.