Book Review - Nancy Springer's The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer
Published by: Puffin Books
Publication Date: February 21st, 2009
Format: Kindle, 188 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)
The main reason Enola has been able to keep herself hidden from her brothers is by secreting herself away in the poorer section of London. While sacrificing luxury and safety and a well cooked meal, her landlady, Mrs. Tupper, has become something of a surrogate mother to Enola in her own mother's absence. So when Mrs. Tupper is threatened things hit a little too close to home for Enola's sake and she vows to get to the bottom of things. It turns out Mrs. Tupper isn't at all who Enola assumed, starting with the fact she's far more observant than Enola has ever given her credit for. Enola could have sworn she'd gotten away with all her different disguises, turns out Mrs. Tupper just didn't like to pry. Mrs. Tupper has kept her own history secret so what does she care if her own lodger does the same? But the time has come to tell Enola of her past because whatever "message" the thugs want from her she has no idea what they are referring to. Mrs. Tupper's husband was in the Crimean War. As was often the case she followed her husband to the front because there was no way to send money home and it was the only way for her husband to support her. When he was injured in Scutari, Turkey, Mrs. Tupper met Florence Nightingale, who was trying to help care for the wounded. Byzantine ideas about health care meant that the injured men were left alone all night, the nurses only allowed to work during the day. Mrs. Tupper's husband died one night and Florence Nightingale took pity on the young pregnant war widow who had gone deaf from the bombs at the front. She gave her a new outfit and money enough to return home to England. Sadly Mrs. Tupper lost the baby and in her despair throughy no more of the nice nurse who helped her return home. But as far as she knew there was no message. Yes, she was given a piece of paper, but she can't read and got ride of it. But apparantly that message is very important because Mrs. Tupper is soon kidnapped and Enola is demanding to see the bedridden Florence Nightingale because no one takes her landlady and gets away with it!
In a series that is peopled with fictional characters it's always a bit of a risk to bring in an actual historical figure. People have preconceived notions about what they were like and unless it's a small cameo there's more chance for it to go wrong. Now I'm sure some people actually view Sherlock Holmes as real and hopefully love the way Nancy Springer has portrayed him like I do, but he's real in a different way than say Florence Nightingale. And that was really the sticking point for me in this book. I loved the idea of Florence Nightingale being a spy, I loved the coded message in the crinoline composed of embroidered flowers, once more showing how women can subvert what society thinks of them by using home arts to convey important information, but it just didn't quite work. The version of Florence Nightingale that I have in my head really comes from two sources, Drunk History and Victoria. I know these aren't probably the best sources, but Paget Brewster covered the whole Florence Nightingale taking to her bed and ruling her little world from the comfort of her mattress so I at least knew about that weird little historical detail that actually plays an important role in Enola's case. My problem was more with how Enola talked about Florence being an invalid than necessarily in how Florence herself was handled. Enola views Florence as a strange eccentric who likes to hold everyone under her power by claiming to be an invalid. Of course she eventually admits that her "every inference concerning the remarkable Florence Nightingale proved wrong, as became apparent to [her] within a few minutes." Florence just didn't want to waste time on social niceties and just wanted to get down to work. OK, fine. That's totally believable. What wasn't cool was that Enola's view of invalids was so negative. Yes, she's from the upper classes where invalids are more likely highly strung people looking for attention, but that doesn't mean they can be all classified as malingerers. Her contempt for the ill, and let us make it very clear, we actually don't know if Florence Nightingale was ill or not, left a bad taste in my mouth that all the flowery codes couldn't ameliorate.
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