Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady: An Enola Holmes Mystery

Enola Holmes is back in her second adventure, and this time she's in the heart of London. While she's prowling the dark streets and dangerous alleys of 19th century England, she's also being hunted by her brother Sherlock Holmes. Nancy Springer has created an excellent series for young readers as well as Holmes aficionados. Two other books have already been published since this one, and a fifth is waiting in the wings. However, I can't help but grin just a little at the thought of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sitting down to read one of Springer's books. I wonder what his reaction would be. Everyone knows Doyle had a love/hate relationship with his most famous character because he wanted to write more historical (for the time) romances of knights and adventure. Unfortunately for him, but not for the world, Sherlock Holmes resisted even death and came back again and again. In the medieval romances Doyle wanted to write, women still remained as objects of affection and were helpless to save themselves. That's not what Enola Holmes is all about. She is a plucky and self-sufficient heroine that today's youth will readily embrace. I can't help but wonder if Doyle would be less enthusiastic over Enola's relationship to his Great Detective and her contribution to the ongoing mythos, or to the fact she is female. Either way, Springer has delivered an original character and world steeped in history, social contradictions, and breakneck adventure. Enola has successfully set herself up under another name as a secretary to a Perditorian (a finder of persons and things, quite similar to Sherlock Holmes). Interestingly enough, Enola becomes quite sympathetic about the disappearance of young Lady Cecily. This case is one of the few that Sherlock Holmes has turned down. Also interesting, the person that brings the case to Enola's attention is none other than Dr. John Watson. As everyone knows, Dr. Watson is Sherlock's constant companion and confidant. I couldn't help feeling just a little bit anxious over Enola's meeting with Watson. Watson was never the observer and detective that Sherlock was and served more as a raconteur of the investigations, but he was no fool either. I kept waiting on the edge of my seat for Watson to point at our young heroine and yell, "A-ha! The game is afoot!" Instead, he was there to hire her fictional employer to find herself. Sherlock is working himself into a state over his sister's disappearance. Enola becomes torn when she hears how much her brother is worried over her. I love the fact that Enola worries about her brothers even though she's not had much chance to be close to them. One of the things that Enola most wants is family. She never had much of a growing up because her brothers are so much older than she is. Then there's the matter of the mysterious disappearance of her mother, which first set her on the run from her brothers' efforts to put her in a young ladies school. With that threat hanging ov

The year is 1889. Fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes always thought very little of her mother, but once she disappeared - on her birthday, no less! - Enola realized just how very much she truly wanted her mother by her side, and felt as if she had been plucked into a lonely existence. That is, until her older brothers - Sherlock and Mycroft - came about, attempting to turn her into the proper young lady she has strived so hard not to be. Refusing to conform to the standards of society, Enola takes her life into her own hands, and escapes the clutches of her controlling siblings to embark on a high-risk life among the streets of Victorian London. Others of her young age may be frightened, but to Enola, frightened isn't even so much a part of her vocabulary. Working as a perditorian, Enola is convinced that she will be able to kill a large part of her days, but business is slow. Luckily, she has her mother's ciphers to piece together, constructing secret messages to communicate with her lost parent. Using a handful of aliases, and disguises, Enola has managed to keep the coppers off her trail, but it may not stay that way for long. Sir Eustace Austair's teenage daughter, Lady Cecily, has recently disappeared from her privileged life. The only clue to her disappearance being a large ladder placed against her windowsill. Enola, being similar in age to Lady Eustace, is convinced that she has the ability to locate the girl and return her to her cushy lifestyle. But upon some investigation, Enola comes to realize that Lady Cecily may not want to be found. The girl is a magnificent artist who manages to capture the hopelessness and sadness of the London street folk, and seems bent on ranting on about the horrible times these individuals experience after being cast out from their homes. Enola wonders if the girl hasn't purposely runaway to live among these people. But with a few interviews, she comes to believe that something more sinister is at work here. Something involving magic and hypnosis. Maybe even kidnapping and threats. Enola knows that it's up to her to rescue Lady Cecily, but, if she's not careful, doing so may cost her, her very own life. I fell in love with Enola Holmes when she debuted in THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS, and I have only grown to adore her more since completing THE CASE OF THE LEFT-HANDED LADY. Nancy Springer has done such a splendid job of bringing Enola, and the 1800's to life. Enola is such a spirited, hardheaded, brave, independent young woman, whose determination to prove her brothers wrong, and fulfill her mothers prophecy - that she will do quite well on her own - is thrilling. The maturity that she displays in each and every situation is both humorous and remarkable; while Enola's ability to fool just about anyone leaves the reader praising her for her handiwork. The backdrop of Victorian London makes the tale even more lovely, as you are treated to cobblestoned streets, unscrupulous individuals, and drizzly, windswe

While written for young adults, the Enola Holmes books have a lot to recommend them for readers of any age. This is the second book in the series; I strongly recommend that you read "The Case of the Missing Marquess" first. Nancy Springer has created a smart, brave leading character, while still being true to the spirit of the Conan Doyle stories. When I heard about these books, I rolled my eyes at the idea of Sherlock holmes' younger sister. But Springer does a fine job of making the characters and relationships plausible. I'm looking forward to Book Three!

This is the second in a series of mysteries featuring Enola Holmes, a much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. The flavor is somewhat like Laurie King's The Beekeeper's Apprentice, but written for 10 (precocious) to 14 year old girls. In her continuing escape from Victorian strictures, Enola has set herself up as a finder of lost people and things by pretending to be the assistant to (an always absent) Dr. Ragostin. She does her work by employing a number of personas and disguises to move between the various societal levels of London's inhabitants. Enola enegages in solving the mystery of a missing young woman, and her search brings her in perilously close contact with her brother, Sherlock, who wants her to return to the approved life and activities of a young lady of breeding. Humor, psychological insights, a decent mystery, historical details, and character motivations abound. Enola is an intelligent, but lonely/isolated female protagonist who feels compelled to improve the lives of those less fortunate, and is an interesting person with whom to spend a few leisure hours. I liked the book very much, but this title should not be given to younger readers with abandonment issues. Enola's mom, who had left her on 14th birthday, continues to absent herself from Enola's life despite a request from Enola for assistance.

This is the second in a series of mysteries featuring Enola Holmes, a much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. The flavor is somewhat like Laurie King's The Beekeeper's Apprentice, but written for 10 (precocious) to 14 year old girls. In her continuing escape from Victorian strictures, Enola has set herself up as a finder of lost people and things by pretending to be the assistant to (an always absent) Dr. Ragostin. She does her work by employing a number of personas and disguises to move between the various societal levels of London's inhabitants. Enola engages in solving the mystery of a missing young woman, and her search brings her in perilously close contact with her brother, Sherlock, who wants her to return to the approved life and activities of a young lady of breeding. Humor, psychological insights, a decent mystery, historical details, and character motivations abound. Enola is an intelligent, but lonely/isolated female protagonist who feels compelled to improve the lives of those less fortunate, and is an interesting person with whom to spend a few leisure hours. I liked the book very much, but this title should not be given to younger readers with abandonment issues. Enola's mom, who had left her on 14th birthday, continues to absent herself from Enola's life despite a request from Enola for assistance.