The Legend of Crystal Lake is a juvenile/young adult story about a young English girl named Sarah who comes to America (specifically Texas) with her father and sister after the death of her mother.

Sarah's mother had been the Royal swan keeper, and Sarah had taken her mother's place as a swan keeper, and for some reason, twenty Royal swans accompany the family on the journey. Sarah is not happy about going to Texas and declares that she knows she will not like it.

The voyage across the ocean to New Orleans is a rough one, and Sarah has a hard time keeping up with the swans, feeding and watering them, and other demands they created. One of the swans becomes her favorite and she gives it the name of Celina. When the family arrives in New Orleans and sets out for Texas, the adventure begins.

The story becomes a schoolchild's view of the early settlements of Texas and follows the history we all learned in school. There is the Austin colony organization, Indian raids, and scary Mexican incidents. All of these scenes are historically accurate. Sadly ten swans including Celina get lost from Sarah and her family during one of the episodes.

The story holds a surprise for San Marcos readers, for when the travelers reach a certain area the author writes: "A tattered green flag fluttering on a pole greeted them as they arrived late that day at the abandoned Spanish outpost named Villa San Marcos de neve, which had been used by the remnants of the failed Gutierrez-Magee expedition. They rode toward the northern perimeter, where two log cabins remained."

Sarah is entranced with the San Marcos River and Crystal Lake, where she finds real swans and makes some friends. But will Sarah's adventures and searches lead her to the lost swans and Celina?

-Dorothy Wimberley Kerbow
San Marcos Daily Record

The Legend of Crystal Lake is a wonderfully crafted tale of endurance and triumph. With larger than life characters and colorful description, a reader cannot fail to gain insight into the challenges of life on the frontier.  Sally A. Roberts weaves a magical mixture of fact and fiction.  I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

-H.J. Ralles
Author of "Keeper of the Kingdom
Top Publications February 2001

This book is truly a historical fiction written for both young and old.  Not only does the author seamlessly weave into her story the events and frontier conditions of Texas in the early 1800's; she enables the reader to clearly envision this historical period by means of imagery and figurative language.

-Patricia Finn
Educator

Enjoying the graceful swans gliding across the lake will remind the reader of the pleasure of a visit to San Marcos.  Although a work of fiction, many people and places are real.  The glossary and epilogue add to the value of The Legend of Crystal Lake to use in teaching Texas history.

-JoAn Martin reviews for The Baytown Sun, and Texas Review of Books.
Josbook@mindspring.com

"The Legend of Crystal Lake" would make an excellent take-along on a Texas car trip this summer.  Local author Sally A. Roberts sets her novel in the decade before the Texas revolution.  Twelve-year-old Sarah Kensington's widowed father moves the family from England at the invitation of Sarah's cousin, Jane Long, who is sometimes called the Mother of Texas.  Sarah, determined to carry on her mother's role of royal swankeeper, brings a flock of 21 birds with her.  She must protect them through countless frontier adventures on her journey to San Antonio.  Historical note: After her husband's death, Mrs. Long joined Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred settlement in 1824.  Ms. Roberts' multicultural tale contains one of the most interesting friendships in Texas history, that of Jane Long and her slave Kian, who were left to fend for themselves in the wilderness and later ran two boarding houses that were the settings of major events in Texas history.

-Deborah Wormser, book reviewer with the Dallas Morning News. 
Ms. Wormser is also  a children's author, songwriter, and science and medical writer.
The above review was featured in Ms. Wormser's book review column in the Dallas Morning News.
dwr9477@aol.com

This is the story of Sarah Kensington, a twelve-year-old, who travels to the 1820's Texas frontier to live with her cousin after the devastating loss of her mother.  Sarah had promised Mother to care for the swans and to carry on her Mother's tradition as Royal Swan Keeper.  Celina, her pet swan, seems to be her only true friend.  Her struggles during the trip to the New World by sea include coping with seasickness.

Sarah's journey from New Orleans to San Antonio with 21 swans to care for helps her to discover her own strengths and weaknesses in her struggle to keep the swans alive and travel the dangerous trails in this story of adventure in a hard land.

There are historical characters in this story, including Stephen F. Austin, Santa Ana, and Jane Wilkinson Long, and the history of the times prior to the push for Texas Independence is accurately told.  Roberts has crafted an exciting story that will leave you wishing for more.  The characters are well-rounded and believable; the plot keeps you turning pages to see what can possibly happen to Sarah next.  Can we hope for a sequel?  Roberts has included a bibliography of suggested reading at the end of the story.

-Beverly J. Rowe, Myshelf.com