The following post includes affiliate links. More details here.

If you love some good contrast, consider Eudoria and Marmee.  They both strive to raise their daughter(s) to be informed and responsible people.  The contrast isn’t just the mothers, either as mothers or as women, but it’s also in how the siblings affect their girl(s).  The Holmes brothers compared to the March sisters is an interesting idea full of love in their unique way as well what is considered right, although really, each sibling has his or her own ideas as to this as well.  To discuss Marmee and her little women more, please join us Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. CST.  Watch, listen, or read, but refresh your soul with this coming of age tale of love, family, and finding oneself, even if what you find isn’t what society wants to see.

“Enola, you’ll do quite well on your own.”

Oh dear readers, I feel such a connection with quirky Enola, who’s struggling to figure out where she belongs in this world that doesn’t want to accept her as she is.  I too was raised by a mother who wanted me to be able to do very well on my own, with a well-meaning, sometimes overprotective older brother.  My mother didn’t abandon me, and I didn’t have to create costumes and alternative personas to validate myself, but Enola feels kindred all the same.

We shared a bit about our new obsession with Enola Holmes in the September Reading Life Review and want to share more now that we’ve both finished the book series.  First things first, I want to tackle the books.  This middle grade mystery series is such a joy.  I enjoyed it on audio (which is not my habit, but the holds list gave that as my only option) and it was a great experience.  My narrator standards are high (thank you David Tennant), and I was quite impressed by Katherine Kellgren and the subtle differences as Enola transitions across the levels of late nineteenth century London society, as well as differentiating between Mycroft and Sherlock!  I listened to these on 1.2 speed and it was a blast!  

The Enola Holmes Mysteries are quite likely to be in the audio queue for my mystery loving boys.  They (after being forced to endure the horror) love the Hardy Boys on audio, so I like the idea of Enola’s story for them, especially with the history of women’s suffrage and the pursuit of gender equality.  What I don’t like for my boys is the idea of a 14-year-old running away and making a life by herself in London (or anywhere for that matter).  It’s just not realistic in any century that older brothers, particularly of the gentry, would allow such a thing of a younger sibling of either gender.  I don’t find the movie’s change of Enola’s age to 16 to be any different from this perspective.  Overall, I don’t think it’s substantially more outrageous than other tales for children or middle grade readers, but when reading or listening as a parent (or a sister with a significantly older brother), it does give me pause. I do enjoy how Enola adapts her costumes to become different characters and find it very reasonable that most people she interacts with would believe she is who she is pretending to be.  It’s amazing (and astonishing) how much clothing can influence the way a person is perceived by others.  

Each of the books in the series does hold its own mystery while the series has an additional aspect of mystery that arcs over the whole of the series.  While the clear mystery of the series is the story of Enola’s mother, the story that interested me more is what will happen with Enola.  This is where the book and the movie differed greatly.  While I enjoyed both for different reasons, I can’t help but feel like the movie missed a great opportunity for a limited series.  Even so, the arc of the characters is very similar, and the mystery of the first book is solved in a similar enough fashion during the movie, but the treatment of dear old mom is a bit disconcerting.  While I would put nothing past darling Helena Bonham Carter, I don’t buy the vibe of the movie, but much prefer how the book lands on this (spoilers upon request).  I do love the addition of the tea house to the movie, especially as it feels like a shout out to The Witches of New York (in my reading order, not in real life, sadly).  

The crowning glory of both is how Enola owns her path and stays on it, despite society, her struggles, and how her brothers feel about it.  A close second is how Sherlock stays on the periphery of Enola’s work and his perspective on her changes, while Mycroft misses Enola’s ability to be independent all together.  Perhaps that is the genius of Sherlock, but I really think it’s more the patriarchy thoroughly ingrained in Mycroft until Enola convinces him otherwise.  

I enjoyed each of these books and the movie, and give each book a solid three stars.  They are a fun, simple, and creative addition to the well-known stories of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.  Neither is grand, but both are worthy of time and attention, particularly Mille Bobby Brown’s performance!  This was my first experience with her, as Stranger Things isn’t in my wheel-house (see also how horror is not typically in my comfort zone), but I will be paying much more attention to her in the future!  As usual, Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin gave quality performances, and it was fun to see them both in period dress!  

What have you read and watched and enjoyed both but found them very different?  

~Nikki 

Author Nancy Springer is a prolific writer to say the least, having written over 50 novels, for children, adults, and ages in-between. She’s won the Edgar Allan Poe award from the Mystery Writers of America two years in a row. Genre isn’t a stop to her writing either, because besides mystery, her works can be found in the fantasy, contemporary fiction, young adult, middle grade, and horror sections. She currently resides in the Florida panhandle with her second husband where besides writing, she partakes in birdwatching and fishing. In reading her biography on her website I am amazed at her self-knowledge and willingness to do what she deemed necessary to have a happy life outside of her career as a writer. Maybe that’s why she was so good at her job.

Enola Holmes was also good at her job, as a scientific perditorian, a professional finder of lost things and people. And had six adventures entitled, in order: The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, and The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye. The kindle version of book 1 is currently $2.99 on Amazon and the others are $6.99. Even though both Nikki and I listened to the entire series on audio – a thrill and a joy while driving and putzing around on the internet, respectively not at the same time – there is also a series of graphic novels illustrated by Serena Blasco, but only three of them are currently available in English. I have downloaded The Case of the Missing Marquess as a free read through my Amazon Prime membership, and the illustrations are lovely watercolor and ink like drawings. Also, the digital version of this graphic novel is AMAZINGLY interactive. You can double click on the frame you want to focus on and it becomes full screen, then swiping takes you to the next frame in the series. Holy. Whoa. This blind mid-thirties reader definitely needs all the help she can get to read the graphic novels in her life. Speaking of her life and this little spot on the internet we call home, if you’re thinking that these books, or anything from Amazon would be great for your collection, we would really appreciate you doing some of your shopping through our affiliate links. It helps us feel super loved and unlike Knox and Jamie of The Popcast, we won’t go notifying everyone who listens (reads?) about the weird things you’ve bought through our affiliate links [Nikki here: However, we may discuss your book purchases amongst ourselves, and we’d love the opportunity.]

I had watched the movie before listening to any of the books, because I have a minor obsession with Henry Cavill (like you don’t) and I was really surprised about all the things that were different between the stories. Not good or bad, just different. Here are some of my observations.

I prefer book Enola’s theory that she shouldn’t have to dress like a boy, as is done in Shakespeare, in order to not be recognized by her brothers or strangers during her adventures. The way she uses the garments, social, and beauty standards of the time to become someone unlike herself is amazing. Yes, please let’s hide money in our ‘bust enhancers.’ Movie-Enola dresses as a boy right away to run away from her brothers which makes sense if you don’t have another source to go by. I was also surprised at the diverse cast that was involved in the movie, which I love and appreciate on the first watch, but then seemed to stretch plausibility upon subsequent watches, especially after listening to the books. (I’ve watched it four times, don’t get at me. It’s research.) I was expecting the books to mention how London was (and is) amazingly diverse in its peoples given the length and breadth of the British Empire especially during the reign of Queen Victoria, but I found it lacking given the amazing and pointed use of people who don’t look like me in the cast. My favorite thing about the movie though, was how Millie Bobby Brown broke the fourth wall, oftentimes just with a look of incredulity at something a male co-star said or did. Classic! [Nikki here: This is the only thing I don’t like about the 1996 Emma, but I also adore it here.] The smallest mention in the books was how young Enola rented a space for her Scientific Perditorian practice but rented the living quarters above it to other tenants that covered the cost of her rent of the entire building. This Victorian girl was in the real estate rental arbitrage game before it was popular!

Here’s another one of my #moviebeforethebook situations and both versions stand up to criticism and praise in equal measure. I love both for different reasons. What’s your favorite ‘little thing’ from a book or movie that just clicks and makes you think: ‘Genius!’?

~Ashley

PS: Goodreads Readers Choice Awards Final Round of voting is open now until November 30th. Choose wisely!

PLEASE SUPPORT US WHEN YOU SHOP BY FIRST CLICKING ON THE IMAGES BELOW: