This title is currently out of print.  I have some available, though, so drop me an email 
if you'd like a signed copy.
Or - look for the marvelous audio version from
 Recorded Books!

Betrayal at Cross Creek

Kathleen Ernst

Flora MacDonald Award
Scottish Heritage Center
St. Andrews Presbyterian College

Arthur Tofte Award
Best Juvenile Novel  by a Wisconsin Author

Best Historical Fiction Novel nominee
Disney Adventures Magazine

Agatha Award nominee
Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery

"Children's Book Sense Picks" List

 


It's 1775.  Elspeth Monro, newly come from Scotland, is just beginning to feel at home in North Carolina, with a new friend and a weaving apprenticeship she loves.  To Elspeth, the brewing Revolution feels very far away--until someone starts to threaten her own family, trying to force them to join the rebels.  When her grandfather marches off to fight with the British, Elspeth is left alone to protect her grandmother--and to figure out who is putting her family in danger!

"Listeners will encounter strong characters, palpable tension, and a surprising twist at the end of the story.  Davina Porter...reads with great emotion and earnestness and a lovely Scottish accent."

--School Library Journal, (Audio Review)

"The novel is beautifully written, with vivid descriptions of life in Scotland and in America woven throughout.

--County Kids (Westport, CT)

"This is a complex book which does not sugarcoat the trials women and children must face when their homes are engulfed by war.  It is well written and the mystery...is brought to a convincing, sad conclusion."

--The Historical Novels Review

"A wonderful addition to the American Girl History Mystery series. In addition to a suspenseful story set at the start of the American Revolution, there are lessons about family loyalty, self-reliance, and friendship, even when friends are on opposing political sides."

--Lynn Meidam, Lynn's BookRoom; BookSense

"An exceptionally good book."

--Brodart's "Young Adult GEMS" List

"A little-known aspect of the American Revolution comes alive in this absorbing novel set in 1775.   ...This well-told story has an intriguing plot, and details about the Scottish settlers and life in the Colonies are carefully integrated into the narrative. The element of mystery keeps readers guessing and the family's betrayer is truly a surprise. Each character is three-dimensional, with complex reasons motivating his or her behavior."

-- School Library Journal

"Finally...a book that is able to explore some of the historical complexities of the role of Scots in the American Revolution....  It presents some very important aspects of the Highland experience in North America through the eyes of a family from Skye, especially the young daughter Elspeth.  ...I certainly hope that readers young and old will pick up this book and get a rare view into American history from the perspective of many Highland colonists."

--Michael Newton, Celtic Heritage Magazine

"Ernst has found a way to educate children without them noticing.  Any child who wants to learn more about history in a fun way should read this book and Ernst's other two History Mysteries."

--News & Record (Greensboro, NC)

"Characters are drawn with extraordinary depth, especially the women at home.... The shocking solution to the mystery of who has betrayed the family reveals the anguished history as well as the truth about those who join the militia but are not sure why." 

--Booklist

"Strong writing brings the setting to life....  Complex emotions are as balanced as the light and dark threads in the overshot patterns Elspeth loves to weave, and Elspeth, trying desperately to find her own balance, is appealing and brave.  ...A grand read, and an important addition for this age group about the Revolutionary War."

--Kirkus Reviews

Kathleen learned to weave on an antique loom while working at a large historic site.  She enjoys researching historical novels as much as writing them.  From warping a loom to baking corncakes over an open fire, she likes to try the tasks her characters undertake whenever possible.

Kathleen's first book in the History Mystery series, Trouble at Fort La Pointe, was nominated for the 2001 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Children's Mystery; her second, Whistler in the Dark, was nominated for the 2003 Agatha Award for Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery, and received a WILLA Literary Finalist Award in 2003.

This beautifully illustrated book contains a "Looking Back" essay explaining fact from fiction.  For a preview of Betrayal at Cross Creek, click HERE.
Betrayal at Cross Creek is available on audio tape from Recorded Books.

This page 2001-2006 Copyright by Kathleen A. Ernst of The Distaff Side. All rights reserved.

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