Walls Within Walls

Eloise and the Smithforks explore the layers of her father’s inheritance scavenger hunt by examining Mr. Post’s poetry book. Though the quest seems simple on the surface—find where Mr. Post hid his treasures—they soon discover that his poem selections were not accidental and that he was imparting messages for his children from beyond the grave. By portraying the treasure hunt as she does, Sherry recognizes the significance of solving mysteries: The joy of the hunt is not in the destination but in the journey and in what one learns along the way.

When the children present their initial findings to Eloise, she is skeptical and less than impressed. She tells them, “Perhaps there was only one mystery to solve, and that was the location of my father’s poetry book. That is probably the treasure he meant” (157). Years of no progress make Eloise cynical; rather than enjoying the thrill of exploring New York City, she becomes bitter toward her father; he led her and her brother on what she believed was a wild goose chase. When considering her father’s love, she further elaborates, “There have been moments over the years when I doubted that, but after you handed me the book, I felt happier. Even if we never find the treasure, I feel better about how everything has turned out” (178). She begins to understand what her father wanted her to learn, but she still has a long way to go.

She begins to understand toward the end as she and the Smithfork children gather more clues and come closer to uncovering the truth. Brid says, “It’s almost like your dad was telling you how to live your life through some of his favorite poems” (283). In her sorrow, she recognizes that “there isn’t much of [her] life left to be lived” (283). Eloise chose not to follow the trail her father left and, by extension, did not discover the thrilling adventure her father planned for her and Julian. She also did not learn how exciting a well-designed treasure hunt can be when searching for family history and historical context. Having solved a complex mystery at such a young age, the Smithfork children are also the beneficiaries of the lessons that Mr. Post intended for his children: the fun of solving a mystery. They also make friends and grow closer to each other during the process.

Despite growing bitter toward her father, Eloise learns the thrill of solving mysteries and deciphering clues because she works with the Smithforks to uncover the secrets. Rather than making the treasure hunt about the destination—finding her father’s treasure—she becomes enamored with the quest and camaraderie that comes from working with others and solving hidden mysteries.