A Millionaire of Yesterday

"A Millionaire of Yesterday" by E. Phillips Oppenheim is an early 20th-century novel about wealth, ambition, and social class differences as seen through the eyes of Scarlett Trent and Monty. The story kicks off in a tough, impoverished part of Africa. Trent is shown as a practical, tough character, which is very different from Monty, who is more refined but also weakened. They're waiting on someone important for their mining deal to go through, which creates tension. This tension comes from the outside environment and from Monty's problems with alcohol, as well as Trent's ambition. Their contrasting characters and the high stakes of their treasure-seeking adventure set up future problems as they face their own issues and nature's challenges.