Memory Monday: The Sherwood Ring, by Elizabeth Marie Pope

Newbery Honor winner Elizabeth Marie Pope (The Perilous Gard, 1983), had only one other work of fiction. The Sherwood Ring was published 25 years prior, and received very little acclaim - in fact, while you can nearly always find The Perilous Gard in any number of libraries, you frequently can't find a copy of The Sherwood Ring. I believe the last edition printed was a paperback copy in 2001. I was lucky enough to snatch one I found at a used book store during my stay in California, reading the back before I judged it by its unfortunate cover:

The Sherwood Ring, by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Young Adult, 1958

from the publisher:
Newly orphaned Peggy Grahame is caught off-guard when she first arrives at her family’s ancestral estate. Her eccentric uncle Enos drives away her only new acquaintance, Pat, a handsome British scholar, then leaves Peggy to fend for herself. But she is not alone. The house is full of mysteries—and ghosts. Soon Peggy becomes involved with the spirits of her own Colonial ancestors and witnesses the unfolding of a centuries-old romance against a backdrop of spies and intrigue and of battles plotted and foiled. History has never been so exciting—especially because the ghosts are leading Peggy to a romance of her own!

The beginning starts out pleasantly enough, and while ghosts enter the picture quickly, I wasn't thrown off until they started talking about the past. At that point I nearly set down the book - I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks, particularly historical ones - but I'm so glad I didn't. The ghost's flashbacks all tie together in a hilarious and fascinating mystery that is incredibly engaging. I found myself smiling, laughing, giggling, and cheering during each of the ghost's retellings. The ghosts themselves all had their own characters - a feat in and of itself, and when it all ended, it was with a pleasant sigh like you have after a very good meal.
Peggy's story wasn't particularly long or fleshed out, as the romance and her interaction with Pat are shortened by the time she spends with the ghosts. However, it was a lovely story, and one I hope to reread again soon.
Graded a B+.... but it was so very nearly an A-.