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The Secret at Shadow Ranch: Original Classic 1931 Edition
Not yet published
Expected 5 Jan 27The Secret at Shadow Ranch, published in 1931, was the fifth in the acclaimed line of Nancy Drew mysteries. Publishers Weekly has ranked it as the fiftieth best-selling children’s book of all time, with over 2.3 million in sales.
In this book, Nancy is invited with three friends to spend the summer in the American West. They are accompanying Mrs. Rawley, whose husband has acquired Shadow Ranch, a rundown property, which she has to restore and sell.
The four girls settle comfortably into the ranch and learn to ride well enough to explore the beautiful but rugged countryside. They face down harsh rainstorms, floods, and menacing wild animals.
During their explorations, the girls come across a rundown shack inhabited by the eccentric and cantankerous Martha Frank, who shelters a beautiful but neglected child named Lucy Brown. Martha abuses Lucy and does not allow her to talk to anyone.
Nancy, concerned for Lucy’s well-being, looks into this enigma. She is drawn into confrontation with Martha and with Zany Shaw, a cranky junk dealer, who is somehow connected with Martha.
While unraveling this mystery, Nancy befriends Ross Rogers, a befuddled bookseller who proves to be an integral part of the story.
The Nancy Drew mysteries debuted in a fast-changing America, where women were discarding traditional roles and asserting themselves. Nancy models this new American strong-willed, intelligent, indomitable, as well as educated and sophisticated.
In the nearly 100 years since their premiere, the Nancy Drew mysteries have become an integral part of the American feminine mythos.
The Secret at Shadow Ranch, like the others in the series, is attributed to the pseudonymous Carolyn Keene. In fact Nancy was the creation of publisher Edward Stratemeyer, who engaged a number of ghostwriters to develop the books. Mildred Wirt Benson is credited with writing The Secret at Shadow Ranch.
The evergreen popularity of the Nancy Drew series led to many film and television adaptations. Today, nearly 100 years after their launch, the Nancy Drew books remain classics of young adult fiction.
In this book, Nancy is invited with three friends to spend the summer in the American West. They are accompanying Mrs. Rawley, whose husband has acquired Shadow Ranch, a rundown property, which she has to restore and sell.
The four girls settle comfortably into the ranch and learn to ride well enough to explore the beautiful but rugged countryside. They face down harsh rainstorms, floods, and menacing wild animals.
During their explorations, the girls come across a rundown shack inhabited by the eccentric and cantankerous Martha Frank, who shelters a beautiful but neglected child named Lucy Brown. Martha abuses Lucy and does not allow her to talk to anyone.
Nancy, concerned for Lucy’s well-being, looks into this enigma. She is drawn into confrontation with Martha and with Zany Shaw, a cranky junk dealer, who is somehow connected with Martha.
While unraveling this mystery, Nancy befriends Ross Rogers, a befuddled bookseller who proves to be an integral part of the story.
The Nancy Drew mysteries debuted in a fast-changing America, where women were discarding traditional roles and asserting themselves. Nancy models this new American strong-willed, intelligent, indomitable, as well as educated and sophisticated.
In the nearly 100 years since their premiere, the Nancy Drew mysteries have become an integral part of the American feminine mythos.
The Secret at Shadow Ranch, like the others in the series, is attributed to the pseudonymous Carolyn Keene. In fact Nancy was the creation of publisher Edward Stratemeyer, who engaged a number of ghostwriters to develop the books. Mildred Wirt Benson is credited with writing The Secret at Shadow Ranch.
The evergreen popularity of the Nancy Drew series led to many film and television adaptations. Today, nearly 100 years after their launch, the Nancy Drew books remain classics of young adult fiction.
180 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 5, 2027
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,133 books3,981 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Review of advance copy
I like the original text of Nancy Drew. The stories are fun n very descriptive
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