Amelia Peabody

The protagonist in Crocodile on the Sandbank is Amelia Peabody. She is the only daughter of a man who spends more time with his books than with people. Because of his reclusive nature, Amelia learns anything she wishes, unlike most women in the late 1800's. Like her father, she has developed a great interest in ancient peoples, their lands, and their languages—interests that were nurtured by her father. Upon her father's death, her brothers were all willing to allow her to take his inheritance until they realize its worth, over five-hundred thousand pounds. In contemporary monetary terms it would equal over thirty million dollars. Amelia is now an heiress, a spinster, and a determined woman, who intends to spend her life in adventure and exploration now that her filial duties are completed. Escaping from money-grubbing relatives, Amelia sets off on a tour of the very...