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The Other Elizabeth
Elizabeth was visiting Upper Canada Pioneer Village with her grade 7 class when she stepped into Cook's Tavern and heard a man say, "Why it's young Elizabeth Frobisher." Only that wasn't her name. She was Elizabeth Duncan and...she had somehow stepped into the past. The year is 1813 and the battle between the newly formed United States of America and England for possession of the land called Canada was waging. One of the most decisive battles of the war, the Battle of Crysler's Farm, was about to take place and, stranded in the wrong time, Elizabeth Duncan was about to be an unwilling participant.
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First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 17, 2012
This is my all time favourite book from when I was a girl!!
January 9, 2012
Thirteen year-old Elizabeth Duncan visits Upper Canada Village with her Grade Seven class and steps back into the past when she enters Cook's Tavern. The time is October of 1813, just as Canadians are on the brink of the Battle at Crysler's Farm that ended the war between Canada and the USA. This, I learned, was an epic event in Canadian history, and I was prompted to do more research where I discovered that this battle ended the campaign to capture Montreal, the city where we live. My daughter said she studied some of this history in school.
Elizabeth steps into the life of another girl named Elizabeth Frobisher, who lives with her family in a modest log house. She has three sisters, two brothers and her father is the schoolmaster of the village. The modern Elizabeth becomes the Elizabeth in the past with occasional visions that give her a foreboding of what is to happen regarding the war and builds suspense within the story.
My daughter and I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. The mystery of why Elizabeth traveled back in time and how that was going to affect events kept us interested throughout. We learned a piece of Canadian history we didn't know about, or one that I learned in school and promptly forgot! Also, we were transported with Elizabeth to daily life in 1813 at a time when there was no electricity, when most girls in small villages tended to the household chores rather than go to school, and when famine could easily happen to families who were settling in a new land.
The ending held surprise and was satisfying because we finally learn why Elizabeth traveled back in time. My daughter loved it. The author includes at the back of the book a glossary of words that may be unfamiliar to today's youngsters. I think this book should be available in schools as it brings history to life in a fun and inventive way. Highly recommended.
Elizabeth steps into the life of another girl named Elizabeth Frobisher, who lives with her family in a modest log house. She has three sisters, two brothers and her father is the schoolmaster of the village. The modern Elizabeth becomes the Elizabeth in the past with occasional visions that give her a foreboding of what is to happen regarding the war and builds suspense within the story.
My daughter and I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. The mystery of why Elizabeth traveled back in time and how that was going to affect events kept us interested throughout. We learned a piece of Canadian history we didn't know about, or one that I learned in school and promptly forgot! Also, we were transported with Elizabeth to daily life in 1813 at a time when there was no electricity, when most girls in small villages tended to the household chores rather than go to school, and when famine could easily happen to families who were settling in a new land.
The ending held surprise and was satisfying because we finally learn why Elizabeth traveled back in time. My daughter loved it. The author includes at the back of the book a glossary of words that may be unfamiliar to today's youngsters. I think this book should be available in schools as it brings history to life in a fun and inventive way. Highly recommended.
November 9, 2011
Here is another great story from Karleen Bradford. It is as good as the other two I have read from her, although I found this one a bit slower paced than the others. It took me a bit longer to get immersed in the pages.
Elizabeth, a thirteen-year-old girl, is on a school trip to a ghost town commemorating a big battle the British and Americans fought. She isn’t very keen on the facts of when and why this battle happened, a fact that she later greatly regrets.
Elizabeth goes into what was once the tavern in the middle of the old ghost town, and something happens to her. One minute she is with her friends on a school trip and in the next she is Elizabeth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frobish, in the old town just a month before the big battle.
Her brother’s in this time paradox has the occupation of carrying messages for the general, and she is afraid that he will be hurt and never come back. There is also something that lurks in the back of her head about this battle. It is necessary for her to remember and to tell the Frobish family, but she can’t. What was it that her teacher had said in the bus to the students about this battle?
As I have come to expect from Bradford, The Other Elizabeth, displays good writing and great research on the war between the American and British troops. It is also a tasteful view of a dreadful time in our history. Welcome to a well-done clean story of time travel that will delight pre-teens and adults alike.
Elizabeth, a thirteen-year-old girl, is on a school trip to a ghost town commemorating a big battle the British and Americans fought. She isn’t very keen on the facts of when and why this battle happened, a fact that she later greatly regrets.
Elizabeth goes into what was once the tavern in the middle of the old ghost town, and something happens to her. One minute she is with her friends on a school trip and in the next she is Elizabeth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frobish, in the old town just a month before the big battle.
Her brother’s in this time paradox has the occupation of carrying messages for the general, and she is afraid that he will be hurt and never come back. There is also something that lurks in the back of her head about this battle. It is necessary for her to remember and to tell the Frobish family, but she can’t. What was it that her teacher had said in the bus to the students about this battle?
As I have come to expect from Bradford, The Other Elizabeth, displays good writing and great research on the war between the American and British troops. It is also a tasteful view of a dreadful time in our history. Welcome to a well-done clean story of time travel that will delight pre-teens and adults alike.
January 25, 2012
Here is another great story from Karleen Bradford. It is as good as the other two I have read from her, although I found this one a bit slower paced than the others. It took me a bit longer to get immersed in the pages.
Elizabeth, a thirteen-year-old girl, is on a school trip to a ghost town commemorating a big battle the British and Americans fought. She isn’t very keen on the facts of when and why this battle happened, a fact that she later greatly regrets.
Elizabeth goes into what was once the tavern in the middle of the old ghost town, and something happens to her. One minute she is with her friends on a school trip and in the next she is Elizabeth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frobish, in the old town just a month before the big battle.
Her brother’s in this time paradox has the occupation of carrying messages for the general, and she is afraid that he will be hurt and never come back. There is also something that lurks in the back of her head about this battle. It is necessary for her to remember and to tell the Frobish family, but she can’t. What was it that her teacher had said in the bus to the students about this battle?
As I have come to expect from Bradford, The Other Elizabeth, displays good writing and great research on the war between the American and British troops. It is also a tasteful view of a dreadful time in our history. Welcome to a well-done clean story of time travel that will delight pre-teens and adults alike.
Elizabeth, a thirteen-year-old girl, is on a school trip to a ghost town commemorating a big battle the British and Americans fought. She isn’t very keen on the facts of when and why this battle happened, a fact that she later greatly regrets.
Elizabeth goes into what was once the tavern in the middle of the old ghost town, and something happens to her. One minute she is with her friends on a school trip and in the next she is Elizabeth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frobish, in the old town just a month before the big battle.
Her brother’s in this time paradox has the occupation of carrying messages for the general, and she is afraid that he will be hurt and never come back. There is also something that lurks in the back of her head about this battle. It is necessary for her to remember and to tell the Frobish family, but she can’t. What was it that her teacher had said in the bus to the students about this battle?
As I have come to expect from Bradford, The Other Elizabeth, displays good writing and great research on the war between the American and British troops. It is also a tasteful view of a dreadful time in our history. Welcome to a well-done clean story of time travel that will delight pre-teens and adults alike.
October 28, 2011
When Elizabeth Duncan went into Cook’s Tavern, part of an historical village, a strange thing happened – she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she no longer saw a group of tourists and closed-off rooms, she saw rough-looking men in buckskins and a bustling tavern, and they called her Elizabeth … Frobisher. Somehow she had gone back in time – the longer she is there, the more she forgets her future life and becomes Elizabeth Frobisher. But it is 1813 and the Battle of Crysler Farm – part of the War of 1812 – is fast approaching. What will happen to Elizabeth Frobisher? Will Elizabeth Duncan be able to return to her own time?
I really loved this story – full of Canadian history and highly historically accurate, it gave an interesting glimpse into the frontier life of the people of Ottawa, as well as subtly teaching history to the reader. Designed for middle-grade, young readers, this book is nonetheless interesting to people of any age, I think. Pick it up – it’s recently been re-released as an e-book – and enjoy this great little story!
I really loved this story – full of Canadian history and highly historically accurate, it gave an interesting glimpse into the frontier life of the people of Ottawa, as well as subtly teaching history to the reader. Designed for middle-grade, young readers, this book is nonetheless interesting to people of any age, I think. Pick it up – it’s recently been re-released as an e-book – and enjoy this great little story!
March 10, 2012
With its attention to historical detail, The Other Elizabeth by Karleen Bradford takes you back to October 1813, just as the Canadians are about to engage in war against the Americans in the Battle of Crysler’s Farm. Although I love historical fiction, The Other Elizabeth seemed really dry because before Elizabeth goes home, there was very little action and just a lot of day-to-day stuff so you got an accurate feel for how the pioneers lived. As well, there was no explanation for why Elizabeth travels back into the past when she enters Cook’s Tavern or why she soon enough starts acting like Elizabeth Frobisher and forgets her life as Elizabeth Duncan. I normally love MG books, but The Other Elizabeth, sadly, wasn’t for me.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews