Book Description
for The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Struggling detective Enola Holmes is determined to solve the mystery of the missing Lady Cecily, a teenager who has disappeared without a trace. Enola needs the money the case would bring, and as she learns about the baronet’s daughter she feels increasingly compelled to find her. Although Lady Cecily appears to be a respectable, gentile young woman on the surface, her collection of dark-themed charcoal drawings and a secret diary suggest a different story. Assuming an alias, donning disguises, and venturing into the dangerous nighttime streets of Victorian London, Enola risks her own safety as she searches for the missing teen. In her quest, she views firsthand the desperate living situation of London’s large impoverished population, and encounters the prevailing attitude differentiating between the “deserving” poor, and those who are considered undeserving of assistance. Although this is the second in the series, fourteen-year-old Enola’s newest case stands alone. Newly converted fans will want to seek out The Case of the Missing Marquess (Sleuth / Philomel, 2006) to learn how Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister was launched on her detective career. (Ages 9–12)
CCBC Choices 2008. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2008. Used with permission.