The Parker Inheritance

The written word is featured in the novel as characters read books, find letters, and examine key documents both in person and on the internet. Even the first page of the text describes “the letter, with its small, black, single spaced words and sharp edges” (1). This letter will serve as the crux of the entire plot, requiring Candice and Brandon to continue returning to its words to try to decipher the meaning. The letter takes on a personality of its own, being referenced multiple times in relation to the mystery.

Books are also mentioned frequently in The Parker Inheritance; both Candice and Brandon love to read and have many conversations about the types of books that exist, working to break down the biases they have been taught about different potential genres. Later in the novel, Brandon’s older sister Tori explains what she’s learned through Brandon’s new ideas: “Brandon’s been telling me and Mom how there aren’t any boy books or girl books. If that’s true, there aren’t any old people or young people books either” (185). The frequent referencing of types of books, including mystery books like The Westing Games, makes it clear that books and classifications they embody are important to the author.