THERE'S SOMETHING I FORGOT TO TELL YOU (TOWER ROOM)

Davis follows up Little by Little (2019) with the final installment in her Tower Room series, featuring two industrious tweens determined to complete a mission.

The Tower Room is a magical space in a house in Toronto that allows certain people to be transported back in time under the guidance of a man named Leo. In the previous book, an 11-year-old named Charlotte Lisa Hansen, Leo’s granddaughter, was one of those people. She and her pal, Henry Jacobs, journeyed back to 1939 to the childhood of a woman named Gwendolyn MacFarlane, and made sure that she didn’t come into possession of a brooch called the Tree of Life. In this work, the year is 1999 and although Charlotte and Henry are still young, Gwendolyn is a rather well-to-do, snobbish 71-year-old who’s led an unhappy, self-involved life. Gwendolyn accompanies Charlotte and Henry on a trip to London, although the elder woman doesn’t particularly like minding children (especially Charlotte) and isn’t fond of most people in general (although she has a fondness for Henry). As an example of her haughty ways, she purchases two first-class tickets for herself for the trip “thereby eliminating the possibility” of talking to a stranger. The trio are set to meet a woman named Sarah Nyman, who now runs a theater school for kids and who played a key role in Gwendolyn’s childhood; Sarah was also in a relationship with Gwendolyn’s brother, Charlie, a Royal Air Force pilot who died in World War II. The trip will be an opportunity for Gwendolyn to confront aspects of her past that she may not even realize are still bothering her. And, naturally, there will be plenty to keep Charlotte and Henry busy.  

This combination of knowledgeable children and a snooty curmudgeon makes for some humorous interactions. As strange and serious as the set-up may be, the story features plenty of humor, as when Henry points out that his parents seem to “like the idea of having a child in the abstract,” or when Gwendolyn’s stuck-up nature is illustrated by details such as her holding her teacup “at a precarious angle while she viewed the birds, chipmunks, and late blooming dahlias with a sense of superiority.” The main plot, however, takes some time to develop; early pages are spent with Henry’s parents discussing with Gwendolyn and others whether Henry should make the trip to England at all; this doesn’t do much to ignite an interest in the journey to come, despite the lively banter. Nevertheless, the characters are distinct and likable, with turns of phrase that quickly gives readers a sense of each individual, as when young Charlotte explains how she doesn’t require much sleep, which “makes things difficult for the people around me, but they simply must learn how to cope.” Much of the book’s appeal lies in following Gwendolyn’s emotional journey and finding out what, if anything, she will learn about herself in the end.

This offbeat take on time-hopping stories begins slowly but finds momentum in memorable characterization.