The Philadelphia Adventure features an interesting array of characters, including a heroine with marmalade-colored hair and the ability to curse in six languages, a kindly but bumbling professor, a lanky, gawky language scholar who meditates while standing on one leg, and two former sailors, twins with dubious past reputations. In addition, there are two children, one of whom has a penchant for kicking shins, and their governess the traitorous Senhora Da Costa. Looming over all, distorted by his capacity for evil, is the vile Dr.

Helvitius. The book makes use of a sprinkling of real personages including President Grant and Dom Pedro, emperor of Brazil, as well as the imaginary General Daniel "Dapper Dan" Gallaway, based on the real General George Armstrong Custer.

The characters are drawn with wit and ingenuity and depict Alexander's inventive skills. Vesper is now twenty years old, having aged...