Amelia Peabody

If you have never had the privilege of meeting Amelia Peabody, I would like to introduce you to one of the greatest female heroines ever penned.

Amelia begins her journey in Victorian England in the late 19th century.  She is a smart, intelligent woman who has been confined by the strictures of society in which she lives.  She spends her days taking care of her father and reading as much as she can.

Her life takes a drastic turn when her father dies and she finds herself the sole beneficiary of her father's vast fortune.

The first thing Amelia does is to arrange a trip for herself to visit the sights of the ancient world.  With the determination that marks everything she does, she arranges herself a trip to Italy, followed by a trip to Egypt.  Keeping convention in mind, she hires a chaperon for herself, because it would be unseemly for a woman in her thirties to travel by herself...

While traveling through Rome, Amelia meets Evelyn, a young English woman who has been tricked and abandoned, left to fend for herself in a strange country with no resources other than her wits.  When Amelia discovers Evelyn, she finds the sister she has never had.  Determined to continue on her journey through the ancient world, Amelia hires Evelyn to be her chaperon, and sends her original chaperon back to England.

Upon arriving in Egypt, Amelia finds her passion in life:  Egyptology.

Resigned to the fact that, as a woman, she will never be able to research or dig, or make a significant contribution to the field of Egyptology, she is still determined to learn all that she can, and visit as many sites of historical significance as is possible.

And then, Amelia meets Radcliffe Emerson, and that changes everything.

Emerson is like a bull in a china shop.  Loud, and determined to get his own way.  He is a leading authority on Egyptology, and his brother, Walter, is one of the top experts in the world on Hieroglyphics.

When Emerson and Peabody meet for the first time, sparks fly, people are outraged, and Emerson's "magnificent temper" is displayed for the very first time.

And thus begins the most amazing love story ever told through the course of literature.

Emerson and Peabody are an amazing couple.  Peabody breaks the bounds of Victorian society, by not only being an authority on Egyptology, she also speaks her mind, works excavations with her husband, and engages in the questionable, yet daring practice of wearing PANTS when working in the heat or climbing in and out of "dusty old tombs".

Throughout the series of books, Amelia and Radcliffe work together to become the leading authorities on Egyptology.  They also battle villains, thieves, and other dangers every dig season. 
As the series grows, so do the characters.  All of the main characters change, grow, and age.  New perspectives are added to the stories as the children grow, and new insights are added to the stories.

Throughout the entire series, the palpable love between Peabody and Emerson drives a hard line through the story, centering the reader on the importance of love and respect in any relationship.

These absolutely brilliant novels are written by the fabulous Elizabeth Peters, aka Barbara Mertz.  Mrs. Mertz writes a compelling tale, set in a time when big discoveries were being made in Egypt every season.  She writes about the struggles of smart women to contribute to society at a time when doing so was strongly discouraged.  She makes the reader feel as if she is invincible, just because she spent some time with the Emerson family.

Barbara Mertz has written titles under the name Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Michaels, and Barbara Mertz.  In all, she has more than 35 titles to her name.  Her non-fiction books on Ancient Egypt are still in print.

Sadly, Barbara Mertz passed away today.  You can link to her obituary in the Washington Post here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/barbara-mertz-writer-better-known-as-barbara-michaels-and-elizabeth-peters-dies-at-85/2013/08/08/e92bb442-004b-11e3-9a3e-916de805f65d_story.html

I feel as if I've lost one of my best friends, and I never even met the woman. She truly was one of the greatest mystery authors of our time.  It's not often you find a funny, smart, and challenging mystery to read.  I'm going to miss her.