Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess: 1 (Enola Holmes Mystery)

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Cochrane, Kira. (2013, December 10). The Fourth Wave of Feminism: Meet the Rebel Women. The Guardian. Accessed November 20, 2020 from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/fourth-wave-feminism-rebel-women. I didn't get on very well with the film of this book, but then the internet and its dog told me that the books were much better. So, when I stumbled across this one in an op shop, I decided - why not?

There are a great many puzzles in Miss Holmes's life. Not in the least of these is the reason why her mother abandoned Miss Holmes on the morning of her fourteenth birthday. As much as that bothered and stymied young Miss Holmes, it also burdened me with curiosity and speculation.The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own. More information

Nancy Springer is a noted fantasy author, but here lately she's been re-writing some of her - and my - favorite childhood characters. I've always been partial to that Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood, but who knew he had a daughter? Nancy did. In fact, she's written five novels about Rowan Hood and her merry band.

Moore, Kasey (April 22, 2021). " 'Enola Holmes 2' Reportedly In Development at Netflix, Brown & Cavill to Return". What's on Netflix . Retrieved April 22, 2021. I enjoyed the way the author focused on women's role in Victorian society and the way Enola and her mother choose to deal with those expectations. The solution of the mystery regarding Enola's mother to revolve around information that would typically be known only to women was clever. Nancy Springer also weaves humor into the ignorant sexist expectations and I found myself laughing out loud at times. Enola is having none of it. Her fight to stay out of her brothers' clutches is most of the story, and will, I anticipate, be the central story of the series. For a second thing, the narrator reinforces the traditional over-the-top "corsets as weapons of the patriarchy" narrative complete with tight-lacing, punctured lungs, fainting-fits, and so on - omitting to mention how such corset-related shenanigans were very much on the extreme fringe of Victorian society and loudly denounced. My own reading into Victorian life and customs suggests a somewhat more nuanced picture in which corsetry operated as sensible and comfortable foundation wear for most women. Similarly, much mileage is gotten from a boy's being forced to cosplay as Little Lord Fauntleroy.