The Story of the Amulet · Character
Old Nurse
The children's caretaker, who clears the kipper bones, frets about dull afternoons, and mistakes a trip to ancient Egypt for the Royal Academy.
supporting
Also known as Nurse, poor old Nurse
First appearance: the story of the amulet
As a supporting figure in The Story of the Amulet, Old Nurse is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Receives the sorry-present with joy; later revealed to have died in the future timeline.
Old Nurse keeps the Fitzroy Street household running while the children slip through the Amulet into Babylon and beyond, and she notices only that they seem quiet and pale. Her cheerful blindness to their adventures — she assumes they mean the Royal Academy — makes her both comic relief and a quiet source of tension, since every journey risks the one minute when the Queen of Babylon might arrive and find no one home to greet her.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
16 connectionsA slice of how Old Nurse sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Family
- Other
Character groups
- Core Family and Companions
- Protagonist
+11 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene marks the dramatic climax because Cyril articulates the central crisis—that searching the Past for…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Jane
family · positive
Jane has a warm, childlike attachment to the Old Nurse, who cares for the children and… How this plays out →
- Anthea
family · positive
- Cyril
family · positive
- Anthea
family · positive
- Cyril
family · positive
- Jane
family · positive
Jane has a warm, childlike attachment to the Old Nurse, who cares for the children and… How this plays out →
- Anthea
family · positive
- Jane
family · positive
Jane has a warm, childlike attachment to the Old Nurse, who cares for the children and… How this plays out →
- Cyril
family · positive
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Old Nurse in the story of the amuletIn the story
Old Nurse appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Old Nurse unlock in the free preview.
See Old Nurse in the story of the amulet