Sherwood Ring

Sixteen year-old Peggy Grahame has no idea what to expect when her dying father sends her back to upstate New York to live with his brother Enos. Because the brothers have been estranged for so long, all Peggy knows is that Enos lives in the family's ancestral estate, Rest-and-be-Thankful, built when the first Grahames came over from Scotland in the 1700's. On her way to Rest-and-be-Thankful, Peggy runs into Pat Thorne, a scholar who is trying to investigate his own ancestors who were active in the Revolutionary War. Both are puzzled when Uncle Enos refuses to talk to Pat, and sends him away, forbidding him to come back or ever speak to Peggy again. As Uncle Enos is apparently too busy to spend time with Peggy, she spends her days alone in the library or wandering the grounds. When the very sociable family ghosts (recognizable from the huge oil paintings around the house) start appearing and telling their stories of the Revolutionary War times, she is drawn into their stories, the mystery of Pat's relatives, and her uncle's strange behavior and resolves to get to the bottom of it all. A blend of historical fiction, mystery and suspense, this is an absorbing story that would also make a great read-aloud. 266 pgs, pb. Jess