The Legend of Crystal Lake

by Sally A. Roberts

Book Overview

Uprooted from her native England, twelve-year-old Sarah Kensington misses her mother and vows never to accept Texas and its way of life. With her beloved pet swan, Celina, in tow, along with twenty other swans, her only goal is to carry on her mother's duty as royal swan keeper. In this romantic tale of growth and transformation, Sarah grows strong and joyful on the 1820s frontier. Although a work of fiction, the story is populated by historical characters,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1940130883
• ISBN13: 9781940130880
• Release Date: March 2015
• Publisher: Eakin Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

History or Fiction

Sally Roberts has done an excellent job of weaving fact and fiction. The story line in The Legend of Crystal Lake is fasinating. This book left me wanting to do research on Texas history. Both young and old will enjoy this story.

A DELIGHTFUL BLEND OF ADVENTURE AND HISTORY

THE LEGEND OF CRYSTAL LAKE, by Sally A. Roberts, is a delightful blend of adventure and history. Set in the 1820's, the author uses the developing character of twelve-year-old Sarah Kensington to paint a detailed picture of the hardship endured by those living on the Texan Frontier. Sarah, grief stricken by the loss of her mother, is uprooted from her native England and forced to make a new life with her cousin, Jane Wilkinson Long, in Texas. With her father a virtual stranger and her older sister smitten by Karl, a Prussian explorer, she regards her pet swan, Celina, as her only true friend. The journey across the Atlantic is long and hard. Entrusted to carry on the Kensington family tradition as royal swan keeper, Sarah battles sickness and rough conditions on the high seas to fulfill her promise to her mother. But challenges continue when Sarah reaches mainland America. The journey from New Orleans to San Antonio is fraught with danger and adversity. Sarah struggles to keep her beloved swans alive as she guides the lead wagon across swollen rivers and discovers her own strengths and weaknesses. When an attack on their wagon train leaves them low on supplies and a frightened Celina takes flight, Sarah is distraught. Will she ever see Celina again? To add to the family's distress, Jane receives word that her husband, James, has been killed in Mexico and she must reach San Antonio to secure her pension. Wagon-master Randal Jones, who has plenty of experience on the frontier, announces that they are down to one day's supply of fresh water. Now the group must make a major decision. Do they follow Randal in search of water and veer off course to an old campsite on the San Marcos River? THE LEGEND OF CRYSTAL LAKE is a wonderfully crafted tale of endurance and triumph. With larger than life characters and colorful description, a reader cannot fail to gain insight into the challenges of life on the frontier. Sally A. Roberts weaves a magical mixture of fact and fiction. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

Sarah Kensington: a heroine of Texan proportions

This book is truly a historical fiction written for both young and old. Not only does the author seamlessly weave into her story the events and frontier conditions of Texas in the early 1800's; she enables the reader to clearly envision this historical period by means of imagery and figurative language. However, the fictional aspect is the integral part of this book. For the physical, emotional, and personal journey of Sarah, a young girl pledged to fulfill the promise made to her dying mother, is of paramount importance. This promise to care for her beloved swans and to establish a home for them in the New World motivates Sarah to courageously face the many dangers encountered as she and her family travel to and settle in Texas. These many adventures will appeal to the young reader, as will Sarah's friendship with the young slave girl, Ki, whose dialect is thoroughly delightful, and who is strangely "free." Hispanic culture, language, and customs are inherent in this historical landscape, as Texans and Mexicans together struggle against Spanish rule. This multicultural aspect, along with the epilogue, glossary, and suggested reading list add to the authenticity and excellence of this book. . Although the author is my dear sister, I am an educator who has been in contact with students for nearly twenty years. I can vouch for the literary and historical value of this book. In parting, I would like to quote a few passages for your enjoyment: "Sarah gazed at the ship's wake, which formed a furrow in the ocean swells like a ribbon unraveling farther and farther from its spool of security in England." (p.9) ". . . then came to the banks of a narrow river. This must be the San Marcos River that Randal talked about, she thought. Sarah pictured the story he had shared about how James Long and his men lived by its banks after escaping from the Spanish army. She followed the river upstream, skirting the boulders that rose like monoliths in the moonlight. She made her way around the cyprus roots sprouting from the limestone-encrusted cliffs. The feathery fronds of the cyprus leaves brushed against her face from the branches that draped over the stream, now no more than a trickle." (pp. 54-55)