I was so pleased to receive a proof of the sequel to Hetty Feather, knowing there would be thousands of eager fans dying to get their hands on a copy. I immediately delved into this to conjure up ideas for the Jacqueline Wilson Festival happening in October, and I wasn’t disappointed. We join Hetty; or Sapphire as she likes to be called, back in the Foundling Hospital with the mother she finally found. Yet the feistiness that makes me love this character so much, was about to get her in to trouble once more. Soon enough she is separated from her mother again and sent to work as a scullery maid. After upsetting her employer she sets off to be reunited to with her mother. This time her adventures lead her to the seaside, as well as unexpected sadness. Sapphire Battersea is full of wonderful things, descriptive scenes of a Victorian Britain, comical and fearsome characters, fabulous friendships and romantic suitors. Yet as with all Jacqueline’s books there’s an undercurrent of seriousness throughout. Hetty is a pleasure to read, she makes me laugh. I love her honesty and admire her bravery and ambition. The sad thing is; she really does have to be brave as the story takes a turn for the worst. Some parts of this book are genuinely upsetting.
Though it seems nothing can keep our Hetty down for long, her determination shines through and we’re left waiting to see what will happen next to this extraordinary girl.
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