Nancy is a character with battering-ram energy in all she does, exuberantly seeking opportunities to go to ‘war’ with her friends and family. A warm-hearted warrior tomboy.

‘Nancy … gave Susan a look as powerful as a battering ram.’

For more of a taster of these timeless classics, see our review here, or simply enjoy some splendid cover illustrations for the books.

Source: Arthur Ransome, Secret Water (London: Vintage, 2014 (1939)), p. 305