Hidden in the Welsh countryside raising welsh ponies is the Owen family. Beginning in the 13th century when one Longbowman Owen saved the Black Prince's life with his skill at the battle of Crecy a member of the Owen family has upheld the pledge to the king to defend the monarch's life and report for military duty with their bow. Merry Owen is the current heir to the long tradition.
Merry is fifteen years old and has been training to follow her father's footsteps since she was five years old. Two years ago the bow she carried and practiced with snapped, taking one of Merry's eyes with it. But she doesn't let the loss of her eye slow her down or dampen her skill. With the help of her best friend James, Merry fights to continue improving her longbow skill.
Lord James de Courcy is the son of the local Earl de Courcy and heir to his legacy. The Owens and de Courcys have been at loggerheads since Longbowman Owen was granted a parcel from the earl's properties as a reward for saving the Black Prince, and James's parents continue to seek a way to bring the Owen farm back under their control. But James and Merry have been friends as long as they can remember and continue in spite of the opposition.
When Merry discovers a beautifully illuminated manuscript in a burial mound under the roots of an overturned tree she cannot wait to show James. Her friend is fighting his parents for the chance to try out for the Manchester United training program to become a professional football (soccer) player. When the earl sees the ancient book he, with Merry's grudging permission, shows a historian who names the book as part of a lost collection, and a priceless artifact.
Merry discovers the family is at risk of losing their home of seven centuries and she suggests to her family that they allow the earl's historians to complete an archaeological dig at the burial mount. They also consider selling the manuscript.
When a translation leads Merry to a mysterious pool in the mountains above her family farm she discovers a treasure she never could have imagined. The pool leads to Tudor England and the time of Henry VIII. Merry learns history is much more dangerous than she could have thought.
She returns home, but when James brings a new translation from the book Merry learns she must return to the past to uphold her family's obligation to king and country. This time, Merry Owen isn't the only one to go through the portal. She learns there's more to her than just being the Longbow Girl.
Merry and James truly are friends and their friendship endures in this story aimed at teen readers. Longbow Girl is written in an easy-to-follow style which younger readers of Young Adult Fiction will enjoy. While Merry faces danger, she proves she's more than a match for anything that challenges her.
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