Walls Within Walls

“Patrick had begun to read last year in kindergarten, but it wasn’t as easy for him as for the other kids. He jumbled things; he forgot letters.”

Patrick serves as a narrative representation for individuals with dyslexia. Instead of making Patrick’s journey one of hardship, Sherry makes it one of triumph and emphasizes his strengths rather than his challenges.

“The Posts adored collecting art and literature […] It was a culturally rich apartment. I’d imagine the poems were just decoration, though we don’t have the same sort of detail on our side.”

The heart of the Post family treasure hunt is a search for the Intersection of Art, History, and Storytelling. Mr. Post recognized the beauty and richness of New York City and strove to pass that appreciation on to his children or to whomever found his quest.

“You see, Post also loved puzzles. He sometimes used to send invitations to his salons in riddle form. If you couldn’t solve the riddle, you didn’t know where and when the salon would be held.”

While Mr. Post held a deep appreciation for art and storytelling, he also embodied The Thrill of Solving Mysteries and Deciphering Clues. Rather than making his invitation and inheritance easy, he actively encouraged others to build their own appreciation for puzzles and riddles.

“CJ lay on his bed with Mr. Post’s book of poetry. It contained only seven poems, and he had read and reread all of them and was starting to get some ideas about how Mr. Post’s treasure hunt might work, but he didn’t want to tell the others yet.”

Sherry reiterates the presence of the number seven—this time as a presence in the poetry book rather than as part of Mr. Post’s hidden message. She also begins gently instructing readers how to read poetry: repetition and careful attention.

“Now his eyes strayed to the back cover, which was brown leather with a strange inky blob smeared across the middle. The more he stared at it, the more he saw something.”

Patrick’s skills reveal themselves as part of the Family Dynamics and Teamwork in Problem-Solving theme. While Mrs. Smithfork notes that Patrick has excellent attention to detail, this is the first time this skill applies to something anyone could have easily seen.

“Without anyone showing them where to go, the two women made the two right turns that took them down the hall to the kitchen.”

Eloise Munn making her way through the apartment unaided foreshadows her connection to the building. Though the reader does not know it yet, Sherry is preparing the narrative for the reveal that Eloise Munn is Eloise Post and that the apartment is one quarter of her home.

“I used to […] Now he hires people to do it.”

This moment is the first time CJ acknowledges his resentment toward his father and their new life together. Despite the wealth his father’s gained, CJ misses the days when their familial bond allowed him to be part of his father’s work, not just reaping the seeming benefits of it.

“The next was a reference to a tiling system named for a builder, Rafael Guastavino.”

Sherry introduces the name Rafael Guastavino as a passing reference in a search for relevant information. His introduction parallels social perceptions of the artist—someone whose name exists but is not worth remembering.

“He was tall but stooped a little with age. He had the look of a wizened teacher, neat but not formal.”

The author characterizes Mr. Torrio as a normal person, potentially educated. Throughout the narrative, Julian exists in the shadows and appears with ominous foreboding. The characters forget that his humanity exists as they create a narrative of the monster he seems to be.

“In the back part of his mind, he bristled, thinking Brid was right, that the man looking for the Post book at the library had followed the children home, and he knew the book’s secrets and wanted the book for himself.”

The novel’s tone is whimsical and fanciful until the appearance of Julian Post. However, after he enters the plot, CJ, Brid, and Patrick are forced to consider the dangerous consequences of engaging in the Post treasure hunt.

“He would read each poem three times. The first time he would try to have no opinion; he would just read to get a sense of the author’s frame of mind. The second and third times, he would read with a little more concentration.”

Sherry encourages poetic literacy by providing authentic teaching suggestions for the best approaches to reading a poem. Instead of reading with the hope of understanding the poem right away, she encourages her audience to approach a poem slowly and look at the big picture before delving into its depths.

“Nobody had spoken to him all day except in homeroom. When his homeroom teacher had introduced CJ to the class, it made him feel like a freakshow.”

CJ’s first day of school contrasts with his normal school experience. He is unliked and has no friends because he has not taken the time to meet people. He does this because he still actively resists feeling at home in Manhattan.

“Nah […] she had a brother, supposed to be a nice kid. But he, um, well, he disappeared for a while. I heard he was away at some boarding school.”

Ray’s hesitation when discussing Julian foreshadows that he knows more about the Post family than he reveals. Though he does not know the entire story of the Post/Torrio family situation, he knows more about Eloise Post and how Julian “disappeared,” but he attempts to pass it as local gossip.

“Guastavino and his son were tile makers and builders. They designed fireproof buildings at a time when New Yorkers were worried about fires.”

When Guastavino returns to the narrative, Eloise ensures to fill in the gaps history leaves where he stands. She tells the Smithforks his history and weaves a true historical narrative into the mysterious plot evolving around them.

“Everyone in New York City, everyone who is to survive in this town, needs a place like this, a place to be alone.”

New York is known for being a busy and loud city; Eloise insists that surviving in this climate requires a place that juxtaposes the city’s clamor. Within the city, quiet places exist, and Sherry encourages the Smithforks and her audience to find their own quiet places in the loud and busy world they live in.

“They passed a spectacular piece of graffiti that read Poder a Dominica […] with a Dominican Republic flag. Down the street, they heard the sounds of balls bouncing, and the shrill voices of children mixed with salsa music.”

The city is a hub of diversity, stemming from the immigrant processing that occurred at Ellis Island. Sherry includes a nod to that but keeps the overall diverse representation to a minimum when it would make sense to present it to greater effect.

“It makes me wonder if more really means more. Does a bigger company with bigger profits make for a happier life?”

Anne asks a philosophical question about the value of money and whether or not having more money contributes value to a family’s life. This philosophical question becomes one of the central questions around the Family Dynamics and Teamwork in Problem-Solving theme because part of the conflict the Smithforks encounter stems from Mr. Smithfork acquiring wealth.

“Not a problem, but you don’t lie to your friends, okay?”

CJ has forgotten how to have friends; Brent reminds him of unspoken rules. By doing this, Brent tactfully avoids character-to-character external conflict with CJ and also avoids creating an internal conflict for CJ where he feels guilty for how he treats Brent.

“Masses of people, new immigrants, came through this island every day back in the old days. Five thousand immigrants were processed every day in the new building.”

Sherry uses Ellis Island’s process of allowing immigrants in to demonstrate the progress New York City has undergone while appreciating the history of what the city used to be. She recognizes that the New York of today could not exist without the New York of old, and that includes the masses of immigrants that now make the United States collectively what it is today.

“Home. She was surprised to hear her own thoughts call Manhattan home. Yes, she didn’t have any real friends yet, and the schoolwork was hard, but she was beginning to like living around so much history.”

Brid’s character arc begins to shift in this moment. No longer is she rooting herself solely in her past when Brooklyn was home. Instead, she is starting to let herself make roots in Manhattan, see the historical wonder around her, and find her place within the ever-changing story.

“Oh, you know, progress. People forget. They let things decay and fall apart. The guy who built this place probably thought he’d be famous or something, and here we are, and I’ve never even heard his name.”

One of the final nods to Guastavino reflects how his name has changed for the Smithforks since the beginning of the story. No longer is Guastavino an unknown name—instead, he’s someone who they want to ensure everyone remembers, and they strive to continue telling his story even as their adventure through his buildings comes to an end.

“The bigger thought is to follow your heart and take a chance every once in a while.”

The Posts and the Torrios understood the meaning of the poem as Eloise discusses it. They took chances and risked their reputations to protect Julian from the people who wished to harm him. However, the implication came back to create a rift between the two families that could only heal once their stories reconvened and they understood each other—taking a chance and following their hearts rather than what they believed to be true.

“Well, it seems your parents tried to do their best for you […] Sometimes we parents do things we think are best for our children, but we can never be sure.”

The broken bonds between the Post family siblings are healing, and so is the rift between the Smithfork family. They begin to understand each other better and prepare to move forward into the future together rather than continuing to live in an isolated past.