A tour of every book in Enola Holmes 2
Have you watched the newest Enola Holmes movie and wondered how you can have a library like the Holmes siblings? Slide through the movie here to see when and where you can find each book in the movie, and if you can add that book to your "to be read" pile.
The Young Person’s Guide to Science
Enola sees The Young Person’s Guide to Science on the desk as she’s talking to Bessy about her missing sister, Sarah Chapman.
A quick search for The Young Person’s Guide to Science turns up a book of almost the exact same name (A Young Person’s Guide to Science), however it wasn’t published until 1993. The real book, written by Roy A. Gallant, is recommended for ages 11-15, and it covers a broad range of topics that you might find being discussed if you were to walk into any junior high school science classroom: food chains, thermodynamics, the Earth’s origins, and chemical reactions. This book can only be a brief glimpse at these topics, as it is only 240 pages long - a decent place to start for many kids who may be curious about the world around them.
History of the Amazons
Enola has a flashback to the library with her mother, and her mother flings a book at her from the ladder which we can barely make out as History of the Amazons.
This moment is very brief, and it’s not likely that the viewer is supposed to be able to read this title, but it does seem significant to this story and the Enola Holmes character that the book she holds is about powerful women warriors.
Since Enola struggles with competing amongst nearly all men in a historically male-dominated field of the science of deduction and reasoning (as mentioned throughout the film such as when she discusses the “pantheon of great Victorian detectives”), her glance at this book may help maintain Enola’s sense of being empowered rather than dismayed. [Alternatively - and in my mind super cheesy and much less likely - this title is a reference to co-star Henry Cavill’s previous role as Superman, who, in the comic books, is a member of the Justice League alongside Wonder Woman, who is an Amazonian warrior herself.]
While this exact book may be fictitious, there is no shortage of books out there describing the accomplishments - real and of mythical storytelling - of powerful female warriors. Check out these two titles about the legendary Amazonian warriors.
Financial Crime - Commercial & Bank Fraud
Enola uncovers Financial Crime - Commercial & Bank Fraud while browsing through Sherlock’s disheveled apartment.
While this book we see may be more like a textbook, a more interesting read about financial crime may be Bernie Madoff: The Wizard of Lies by award-winning New York Times reporter Diana Henriques. This true tale is about Bernie Madoff who is responsible for building the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme. He was caught and sentenced to ten years in prison in 2009, and he recently died in 2021. You can also see a film adaptation of this scandal called The Wizard of Lies starring Robert de Niro and MIchelle Pfeiffer on HBO Max.
Enola at Sherlock's desk
Sherlock enters 28 Bell Place while Enola is still at . She is sitting down at his desk to read Debrett’s Peerage 1885. We also see Gentleman's Magazine January to June and The Graphic.
Debrette's Peerage 1885
Peerage refers to a legal system that is made up of hereditary and non-hereditary titles and noble ranks, including knightage and baronetage. Debrett has recorded the British titles since 1769. https://debretts.com/ Finding an 1885 copy may be difficult, but there are plenty of past Debrett’s titles listed on thrift and resale online book shops. I even found a Debrett’s Texas Peerage from 1983 on eBay:
The Graphic
The Graphic was a real British weekly newspaper, first published at the end of 1869. As Sherlock Holmes lived in the later half of the 1800s, The Graphic was at that time a relatively new publication. The Graphic was a great influencer of art and artists, among whom included Vincent Van Gogh. The newspaper changed its title to The National Graphic in 1932 before ceasing publication after 3,266 issues.
The Gentleman's Magazine
From Wikipedia: The Gentleman's Magazine was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term magazine (from the French magazine, meaning "storehouse") for a periodical.
Enola decides to attend the Ball
Rules of Etiquette by A.H. & E. Hollingsworth
Enola decides to attend the Ball, feeling unprepared, we see the cover of Rules of Etiquette by A.H. & E. Hollingsworth.
While I couldn’t find this exact book by an author under the name “A.H. & E. Hollingsworth,” there are plenty of etiquette books out there, such as the classic Emily Post series of etiquette books for many occasions.
If you’re set on finding a set of etiquette rules from the late 1800s, look no further than Rules of Etiquette and Home Culture credited to Walter R. Houghton. You can buy a reproduction of this book on Amazon, which says about the book: “this work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.”
Sherlock has an epiphany
Le Langage de Le Danse
Sherlock realizes the convergence of clues on his case map is dance steps and pulls out Le Langage de Le Danse by Harry Bradbeer.
It was never written of Sherlock Holmes that he was a good dancer. As Sherlock is known to have a wide array of knowledge on many different subjects, it’s no stretch to imagine Sherlock has some awareness of ballroom dancing.
Now, the book shown in the movie is fictitious. However, there is a book by that name published in 1990 by Mary Wigman. Another great option is The Complete Beginner's Guide To Ballroom Dancing by Betty White (yep, that Betty White!) and Robert Burns.
Rolling credits
Enola Holmes Mysteries Book Series by Nancy Springer
Are you interested in reading the series of Enola Holmes mysteries? It’s definitely been teased at the end of this movie that there will be more to come, so catch up and read ahead if you’d like with the Enola Holmes Mysteries series by Nancy Springer.
You can also read the classic Sherlock Holmes series, as well as a number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations by other authors.
The Language of Flowers
Did your date just insult you…with peonies? As it turns out, there is a lot going on behind a bouquet of flowers. The language of flowers is known as floriography. Cultures throughout history have put meaning and significance behind different blooms, making a bouquet into a message in itself.
From the species of the flower to the color of the flower itself, you could convey feelings of love, jealousy, friendship, and even anger (such as in those peonies you got after what you thought was a great date). To learn more about the art of floriography, you can find a number of books that may be handy to have if you ever want to send a bouquet to a loved one (or to a not-so-loved one!).
Also in...
- Books & Stories
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- I Heard the Bells highlights Longfellow's influence on American history
- The Chosen's Season 3 theatrical opening outpaces Hollywood
- Remembering the Alamo and Pedernales Falls State Park
- Screen Tours
- See How They Run (and where) in London's West End
- See what they drink in See How They Run
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Enola Holmes 2
Now a detective-for-hire like her infamous brother, Enola Holmes takes on her first official case to find a missing girl, as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends — and Sherlock himself — to unravel.
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