''Sapphire Battersea'' is the 2011 sequel to ''

Hetty Feather ''Hetty Feather'' is a 2009 novel by English author Jacqueline Wilson. It is about a young red-haired girl who was left by her mother at the Foundling Hospital as a baby and follows her story as she lives in a foster home before returning to t ...

'', written by English author

Jacqueline Wilson Dame Jacqueline Wilson (' Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for tackling realistic topics such as adoption and divorce. Since her debut novel in 1969, ...

. It is the second installment in the Hetty Feather Trilogy. The story continues where ''Hetty Feather'' left off. Hetty, now 14 years old, is discharged from the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital (formally the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children) was a children's home in London, England, founded in 1739 by the philanthropy, philanthropic Captain (nautical), sea captain ...

and begins life as a

scullery maid In great houses, scullery maids were the lowest-ranked and often the youngest of the female domestic servants and acted as assistants to a kitchen maid. Description The scullery maid reported (through the kitchen maid) to the cook or chef. Alo ...

Plot

After finding out that Ida, the kitchen maid of the

is her mother, Hetty regularly sneaks into her room at night to bond with her. Hetty dreams of being a successful author, writing stories under her true name, Sapphire Battersea. However, one night, Hetty is followed by another girl, Sheila Mayhew, who often bullies her. Hetty and Ida's relationship is found out and as a result, Ida is fired and is sent away to Bignor-on-Sea (named after

Bignor Bignor is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of the English county of West Sussex, about north of Arundel. It is in the civil parish of Pulborough. The nearest railway station is south east of the village, at Amberley ...

but based on

Bognor Regis Bognor Regis (), also known as Bognor, is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns include Littleham ...

and

Middleton-on-Sea Middleton-on-Sea is a village, civil parish and an electoral ward in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, lying to the east of Bognor Regis and neighbouring Felpham. The parish also contains the settlements of Elmer and Ancton. The sout ...

) as a housekeeper to an elderly woman by Miss Sarah Smith, a member of the Board of Governors and a friend of Hetty's. When the time comes for Hetty to be discharged from the hospital, Miss Smith arranges for Hetty to be sent to Mr. Charles Buchanan, a fellow writer, as a

in the countryside of Kingtown. As Hetty is picked up by Mr. Buchanan's cook, Mrs. Briskett, a young man calls out to her and unsuccessfully tries to chase down the cab she was in. This young man is later revealed as Hetty's former foster brother, Jem. After spending most of her childhood cooped up in the Foundling Hospital, Hetty is often confused, scared and in awe by the outside world. As she settles into her job, Hetty becomes a secretary of sorts to Mr. Buchanan, copying his stories as Mr. Buchanan's handwriting is hard to read. In return, Mr. Buchanan agrees to help refine Hetty's memoir, and to supply Hetty with stamps so she can continue to write to her mother. She also finds a potential love interest in Bertie, the local butcher's boy, who takes her out to the fair, on a boat ride, and for a walk in the park. Hetty also accompanies the parlourmaid, Sarah, to a seance with Madame Berenice, a

medium Medium may refer to: Aircraft *Medium bomber, a class of warplane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film * ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...

. During the seance, an apparition of Hetty's long-dead foster brother, Saul, appears before Hetty, frightening her. Hetty's new life is soon shattered when she accuses Mr. Buchanan of plagiarising her work after she finds a poorly written manuscript of her memoir in his office under the name ''Emerald Greenwich''. Hetty is immediately fired. Before she leaves, Sarah gives Hetty her suitcase and Mrs. Briskett gives her a jar full of money as well as some food to take with her. Hetty goes to see Bertie for the last time before setting off to Bignor to be with her mother. On the train to Bignor, Hetty makes friends with the kindly Greenwood family. Hetty reunites with her mother, but is shocked to see how sickly she has become. She calls for a doctor who diagnoses Ida with

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

. When the doctor breaks the news to Miss Roberts, the woman Ida was caring for, she fires Ida on the spot and refuses to hire Hetty—for fear that they would infect her. Ida is admitted to an

infirmary Infirmary may refer to: *Historically, a hospital, especially a small hospital *A first aid room in a school, prison, or other institution *A dispensary (an office that dispenses medications) *A clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambul ...

while Hetty stays with the Greenwood family for two weeks. She becomes like a part of the family, while continuing to visit Ida. The Greenwoods offer to take her with them when they leave Bignor, but Hetty declines. She gets a job at Mr. Clarendon's Seaside Curiosities as "Emerald the Amazing Pocket-Sized

Mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are ...

", making a tail out of a green dress, a

bodice A bodice () is an article of clothing traditionally for women and girls, covering the torso from the neck to the waist. The term typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the ...

of pink gauze and a scallop-shell bra. While working here, Hetty makes friends with Freda, a female "giant". Ida succumbs to her illness and eventually dies in Hetty's arms. With Freda's help, Hetty holds a funeral for Ida. Hetty returns to Kingtown and goes to see Madame Berenice for a seance, with the hope of contacting her now-deceased mother. During the seance, Hetty finds out that Madame Berenice and her sister/

accomplice Aiding and abetting is a legal doctrine related to the guilt of someone who aids or abets (encourages, incites) another person in the commission of a crime (or in another's suicide). It exists in a number of different countries and generally al ...

are frauds, but decides not to expose them, as it provides hope (however fake it may be) for Madame Berenice's other clients. Sarah, who was at the seance, takes Hetty back to Mr. Buchanan's house for slice of

rabbit pie Rabbit pie is a game pie consisting of rabbit meat in a gravy with other ingredients (typically onions, celery and carrots) enclosed in a pastry crust. Rabbit pie is part of traditional American and English cuisine. It has recently found rene ...

. In the kitchen, Hetty meets Mr. Buchanan's new servant girl, Rose-May, who reveals that Bertie is now taken with her. Upon hearing this, Hetty runs to the

outhouse An outhouse — known variously across the English-speaking world otherwise as bog, dunny, long-drop, or privy — is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket ...

and vomits. While lamenting the fact that she's truly an

orphan An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew language, Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages ...

now, she hears Ida's voice informing her that she isn't an orphan- her father is still alive. The book ends with Hetty declaring "I am Sapphire Battersea," with her intent to seek out her father.

Characters

*Hetty Feather (Sapphire Battersea): The

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

. Now fourteen-years-old, red haired Hetty is discharged from the

and put to work as a

for writer Charles Buchanan but is fired when she accuses him of

stealing Theft (, cognate to ) is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal short ...

her memoirs. After spending most of her childhood inside the Foundling Hospital, Hetty is rather out of touch with the outside world, being frightened by a dog, not knowing how to crack open a

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

among other things. *Ida Battersea: Kitchen maid of the Foundling Hospital and Hetty's mother. After their relationship is found out, Ida is fired and sent away to the seaside town of Bignor to be a housekeeper to the elderly Miss Roberts. Ida is diagnosed with

and it eventually claims her life. *Bertie: The

Butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale ...

's boy and eventually, love interest for Hetty. Prior to the story, Bertie accidentally sliced of the top of three of his fingers on his left hand and was also in a

workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...

at some point. After Hetty leaves Kingtown, he becomes taken with Mr. Buchanan's new servant, Rose-May, telling her he'd make a

tippet A tippet is a piece of clothing worn over the shoulders in the shape of a scarf or cape. Tippets evolved in the 1300–1400 in fashion, fourteenth century from long sleeves and typically had one end hanging down to the knees. A tippet (or tapp ...

out of rabbit skins for her. Bertie is constantly known for flirting with girls, including Hetty, Rose-May, and the two girls from the draper's shop. *Mrs. Briskett: Mr. Buchanan's cook, described as a large, meaty woman. She disapproves of Madam Berenice and her seances, as they go against her Christian morals. She is very talented at

baking Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but it can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot Baking stone, stones. Bread is the most commonly baked item, but many other types of food can also be baked. Heat is ...

. *Sarah: Mr. Buchanan's

parlourmaid A maid, housemaid, or maidservant is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era, domestic service was the second-largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids a ...

, described as looking like a potato. Sarah, is a regular client of Madame Berenice's seances. Hetty chooses not to expose Madam Berenice as a fraud mainly for Sarah's sake. *Mr Charles Buchanan: Hetty's master and an author, described as looking and acting like a

monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...

. Hetty finds his stories to be painfully dull and unreadable. He fires Hetty after she accuses him of stealing her memoirs and trying to turn it into a story of his own under the title of ''Emerald Greenwich''. *The Greenwood Family: Mr & Mrs. Greenwood, Charlotte, Maisie and Flora: A kind family visiting Bignor for two weeks. They allow Hetty to stay with them and for a while she almost becomes a part of the family. While they propose that Hetty goes home with them to

Arundel Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much la ...

, Hetty knows deep inside that this will never work out. Nevertheless, they give Hetty their address and encourage her to visit them. Hetty describes them as being the most kindest people she's ever met. *Madame Berenice & Emily: A medium who holds seances. Hetty finds out that she and her sister, Emily, are frauds. Madame Berenice pretends to be possessed by the dead while Emily covers herself in a white veil, pretending to be a ghost. *Miss Sarah Smith: An author, member of the Board of Governors and Hetty's ally. She gives Ida a good reference to help get her a job when she's fired from the Hospital and recommends Hetty to Mr. Buchanan. Hetty enjoys reading her stories. *Rose-May: Mr. Buchanan's new servant. She's described as being small, fair with big blue eyes. She's a devout

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

who refuses to go to Madame Berenice's seances. Hetty finds her repulsive.

Sequels

The book is followed by '' Emerald Star'' which was released 27 September 2012. The series continues with ''Diamond'' which is about a girl who Hetty met in ''Emerald Star''. This is followed by ''Little Stars'' which follows Hetty and Diamond after the events of ''Diamond''.

References

* {{Jacqueline Wilson 2011 British novels Hetty Feather novels British children's novels Children's historical novels Novels set in Victorian England Battersea, Sapphire 2011 children's books Sequel novels Novels set in London Doubleday (publisher) books Children's books set in London