By Nancy Springer
“But meanwhile, as she looks at the newspaper clipping, her rather long and angular face softens, rendered almost beautiful, by a smile: for she knows that in the secret code of flowers, a rose of any sort signifies love.”
– Nancy Springer
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Would you like to read ‘Enola Holmes’ with your teen’s book club? Download our BTB Book Club guide for teens below.
Book Summary
Genre:
Historical Fiction, Mystery
Themes:
Independence and Autonomy, Abandonment, Societal norms in Victorian England, Family relationships, Womanhood
Ages:
13 years +
Storyline:
Enola Holmes, sister to the famous Sherlock Holmes, discovers on her birthday that her mother has disappeared. Determined not to be sent away to boarding school, Enola disguises herself and begins the search for her mother, starting with hidden ciphers her mother left for her to find.
Enola’s search for her mother takes a turn when she stumbles upon another mystery. Lord Viscount Tewksbury Basilwether has gone missing and his mother is distraught. Enola finds quite the adventure once she discovers “Tewksy,” all while determined to stay hidden from her brothers. She discovers that people are not quite as they seem and finds herself and Tewksbury in perilous situations.
Can the resourceful Enola rescue Tewksbury and deliver him safely to Scotland Yard? While the mystery of the missing Marquess is inevitably solved, Enola is still left with questions about her mother’s disappearance and is determined to find answers.
Content Warning:
This is not a Christian book and parents and teens should use discernment when deciding if it is the right fit for their book club friends.
The Holmes family are intellectuals and have not made God an integral part of their lives, instead choosing to believe in ‘ science’, although the family does have a church background.
There is a mention of drunkenness and prostitution on the London streets (nothing descriptive), as well as extreme poverty.
Throughout her investigation, Enola is aggressively pursued, kidnapped and restrained by men who intend her serious harm.
A divinator/mystical fortune-telling woman is briefly mentioned as a contemporary investigator, however it’s discovered this person is a fraud.
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