Just So Stories

Allen & Unwin

August 2023

ISBN:9781761180613

Publisher:A&U Children’s

Imprint:A & U Children

RRP: $19.99

We are big Enola fans here, both books and Netflix adaptations, so a bit morose that this is the final in the series *sad face*. But it is certainly a ripper of a finale, with another very clever blend of historical fact with the fiction.

Enola is now living independently, studying but also sometimes working as a consulting “scientific perditorian” (finder of lost things/people) and free of the pursuit of her older brothers.

Unceremoniously one day, in her office (still with Dr Ragostin’s name on the door as subterfuge), a very bristly, belligerent young man comes bursting in to seek the help of the doctor to find his missing friend. This stranger is outraged when Enola declares herself to be “Dr Ragostin” and storms out.

Thereby starts the mystery of the missing American publisher, Wolcott Balestier, who along with his sister, Caroline, is in England to seek out potential authors for his firm. And one up-and-coming author, Rudyard Kipling, has formed a great attachment to Wolcott, as well as a great affection for Caroline, and when Wolcott goes missing, ‘Ruddy’ is driven to find him. Disgusted by the thought of a young woman posing as a sleuth, Rudyard engages (of course) Sherlock Holmes, and once again, brother and sister are tag-teaming each other in a complex and dangerous investigation – particularly, when the spectre of rabies becomes apparent.

It is all jolly good fun, with this intermingling of the history of 1890, woven into the fiction of feisty and clever Suffragette, Enola, proving herself her brother’s equal in logic and reasoning. Kipling’s literary ascendancy (and his misogyny), electricity at the Savoy, ‘ascending rooms’ aka elevators, Florence Nightingale, Sir Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur making inroads into the science of inoculation (and subsequently, the cure for the otherwise deadly hydrophobia) – not to mention, the eventual union of Kipling and Caroline Balestier which lasted over 40 years – are all part of the fabric of this delicious romp through Victorian London and provides readers with a fascinating slice of life view of this period in history.

As always, there is a load of humour in this, as Enola stampedes her way through any obstacles, and manipulates the thawing of Sherlock at last… though not enough to actually melt him of course! Her relationship with old friends, and the making of new ones from all classes, is one of the secrets of her frequent advantage over Sherlock, which readers find entertaining in every new adventure.

There is definitely enough of this type of narrative to warrant its own sub-genre (girl detectives in Victorian England type thing), but to my mind this series is top of the tree and will be sadly missed. Congratulations to Nancy Springer for breathing life into one of our most memorable ‘mighty girl’ characters and the enduring popularity of Enola’s escapades.

Highly recommended for your readers from around Year 5 upwards.