WHISTLER IN THE DARK
A HISTORY MYSTERY
American Girl Publishing
Reprinted by Skyview Books
Agatha Award Nominee for Best Children’s/Young Adult Mystery
— Malice Domestic
WILLA Award Finalist for Best Children’s/Young Adult Book
— Women Writing the West
Multiple national mystery award nominated Whistler In The Dark is the second of Kathleen's mysteries for American Girl, and the sixth of her twenty-five published books. It is written for readers age 9 to adult who enjoy Wild West era historical fiction without any sex, gore, or explicit violence. It is available as a 144-page book in softcover and hardcover.
Story Description
It’s 1867. Twelve-year-old Emma Henderson is mortified when Mother takes to wearing a Reform Dress—hideous bloomers! Worse, Mother has accepted a newspaper job in wild, far-off Colorado Territory. But even Emma can’t imagine just how badly things will go in Twin Pines. From the moment she and Mother step off the stagecoach, it’s clear that someone doesn’t want them there.
This book includes a richly illustrated "Peak Into The Past" essay.
What Others Are Saying
About The Author
Bestselling author Kathleen Ernst writes award-winning mysteries and historical fiction for adults and young readers. Her work has earned numerous honors, including multiple Edgar and Agatha mystery award nominations, and an Emmy for children's educational programming.
To date, readers have purchased well over 750,000 audio, electronic, and printed copies of Kathleen's twenty-five books. more>>
Related Blog Posts
Enjoy the author's insights about the story, characters, and settings.
Whistler In The Dark: The Stories Behind The Story |
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When I attended interpreter training at Old World Wisconsin in the spring of 1982, the Curator of Textiles showed us a photograph of a Wisconsin woman wearing trousers beneath a knee-length skirt. The image shows a woman... more>> |
Available From
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PAPERBACK |
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HARDCOVER |
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PAPERBACK LIBRARY BINDING |
Author's Note
The first time I saw a photograph showing a Civil War-era woman during wearing the Reform Dress (often called the Bloomer Dress), I knew I wanted to write a story about it. Imagine women and girls in the 1800s who had to work hard in factories or farmfields—wearing long skirts and petticoats! Not only was it uncomfortable, it was sometimes dangerous as well.
Wearing trousers was a difficult choice, though. For this book, I wanted to create sympathetic, likeable characters who had different opinions. The main character, Emma, is embarrassed when her mother makes her a Reform Dress. After you finish reading, think about how you would have felt if you’d lived in Emma’s time. What choices would you have made?
25 In 25 Giveaway
To celebrate the release of my 25th book, Traitor In The Shipyard: A Caroline Mystery, I'm thanking readers with a big 25 BOOKS IN 25 WEEKS GIVEAWAY.
In Week 12 three readers each won a free, signed and personalized, first-edition, hardcover copy of Whistler In The Dark.
I'm announcing new giveaways almost every Sunday—and you could win! For details, visit my Facebook Author page or Sites and Stories blog. Good luck!
Book Goodies
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PREVIEW Get a sneak peak inside this book CLICK TO DOWNLOAD |
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TEACHER'S GUIDE For teachers and homeschoolers CLICK TO DOWNLOAD |
Maggie By My Side
In Whistler In The Dark a mysterious person repeatedly whistles "Maggie By My Side," a then popular song by American songwriter Stephen Foster. "Maggie" was the favorite tune of Emma's father, who had been killed two years earlier during the closing days of the Civil War. Listen to an accoustic recording of this music while watching a series of original photos of Civil War soldiers. CAUTION: the final photo shows soldiers dead on the battlefield. PLAY.
Emma's World
This illustration by artist Jean-Paul Tibbles shows the frontier town of Twin Pines in the Colorado Territory. The year is 1867. ENLARGE
Keywords
Abbot's Farm, Ages 9 to 12, American Civil War, American Girl, American Girl Company, Arapaho Indians, Bad Omen, Barber, Betty Abbott, Big Gulch, Bird's-Eye Maple, Blackjack, Blacksmith, Blanc Mange, Blanketflowers, Bloomers, Boardinghouse, Boom The Town, Bowie Knife, Bullwackers, Canvas Tent, Captain Henderson, Carpetbag, Cheyenne Indians, Chicago Illinois, Chicago Sanitary Fair, Cigar Smoke, Children's Fiction, Children's Mystery, Colorado Territory, Clark Abbott, Cottonwood Trees, Corsets, Crackers, Daguerreotype, Deadline, Dixie John, Draw, Dress Reform Association, Drifter, Elk, Emma, Emma Catherine Henderson, Emma Henderson, Fiction, Flat Busted, Fonts, Foothills, Father's Ghost, Freight Office, Freight Wagons, Galley Trays, Gambling, General Store, Geode, George Troxwell, Girl Sleuth, Go-Backer, Godey's Ladies' Book, Gold Dust, Golden Colorado, Gold Fever, Goosebumps, Grubstake, Headlines, Historical Fiction, History Mystery, Hoop Skirts, Horsehair Upholstery, Horses, Ink, Iron Forestay, James Spaulding, Jeremy Abbott, Josephine Ellis, Judith Littleton, Kathleen Ernst, Land Office, Land Speculator, Larspur, Lead Type, Livery-Stable, Lock Of Hair, Log Cabin, Lye Soap, Maggie By My Side Song, Magpie, Margins, Mischief-Maker, Miss Amaretta Holly, Mountain Mahogany, Mosquitos, Mourning Brooch, Mr Boggs, Mr Torkelson, Mrs Barker, Mrs Beecher, Mrs Littleton, Mrs Sloane, Mule, Muleskinners, Mule Tom, Mule Train, Mystery, Newspaper, Newspaper Editor, Newspaper Publisher, Notebook, Oil Lamp, Ornery, Outhouse, Pack-Jacks, Panning For Gold, Peaceful Valley, Peppermint Stick, Picket Pole, Placer Mining, Poker, Post-Civil War, Press Lever, Pressman, Press Shop, Prickly Pear Cactus, Printer's Devil, Print Shop, Printing Cabinet, Promoter, Quartz, Reform Dress, Reform Dress Movement, Richard Henderson, Rocky Mountains, Sam Abbott, Sanitary Fair, Sheriff, Silas, Silver Sage, Skyview Books, Sorting Type, Sourdough Pancakes, Special Broadside, Spuddy, Stagecoach, Stewed Dried Apples, Stewed Gooseberries, Squabs, Sunbonnet, Tatting Lace, Telegraph Station, Territorial Capital, The Raven Saloon, The Sibyl, The Twin Pines Herald, The Vapors, The Whistler, Thunderation, Tildy Pearce, Train Cars, Trousers, Twin Pines Colorado, Typesetter, Type Sticks, Ute Indians, War Relief Work, Washington Hand Press, Wild Canary, Wooden Tympan, 1867
