Hetty Feather
Encyclopedia
Hetty Feather is a book by best selling author, Jacqueline Wilson
. It is about a young girl who is abandoned by her mother at the Foundling Hospital
as a baby and follows her story as she lives in a foster home before returning to the Foundling Hospital as young child. The book is recommended for ages 9–11 according to the Jacqueline Wilson website.
Martha is the eldest of the fostered children, and is taken away back to the Foundling Hospital. Martha's eyes were poor and she squinted. Hetty fears that she will have to go soon too. When Peg tells the other children about the Hospital, Jem promises Hetty that he will marry her once she is out of the hospital. Saul is a cruel child slightly older than Hetty who she has never got along with. To their surprise, Saul is suddenly sent away to the hospital. Despite how much Hetty hated Saul, she cried when Peg started to take Saul away. Saul cried too, but Jem and Nat pulled Hetty away while Peg took Saul out of the house.
As Hetty got older, a circus moved into town. There was a parade through the streets, and Hetty loved it; especially Madame Adeline who rode a horse. Neither Hetty or Jem had enough money to buy tickets, so they could go to the circus, and Peg highly disapproved. She said that the circus was a wicked place, and that they were not to go. Hetty and Jem sneaked to the circus and crept in through the side of the circus tent narrowly avoiding the security guard. As they watched the show, Hetty grew fearful that they had missed Madame Adeline. But towards the end, Madame Adeline entered riding a sleek black horse followed by five others. When she asked for a volunteer to come up and help her, Hetty was more than eager. Luckily, she got picked and got to ride one of the horses. When Madame Adeline asked Hetty if she could stand on the horse, she could. The crowd cheered and clapped as Hetty returned to her seat, excited that she had met Madame Adeline.
When they left the circus, Hetty was sure that Madame Adeline was her mother, and wanted to go back and meet her again. Hetty suspected this because of Madame Adeline's red hair. Gideon wanted to go to the circus with them, but Hetty knew he was a horrid tell-tale. He tried to follow them but got lost in the woods. Luckily John found him under the Squirrel House Hetty and Jem used to play in. But after that, Gideon lost his voice.
A few years after, Hetty is sent back to the Foundling Hospital where she meets Ida and after a little time makes a new friend, Polly. Unfortunately, Polly is adopted a few years later. During the flu season, her foster brother Saul and a girl named Sarah die due to illness.
When Hetty is a little older, the children at the Foundling Hospital go to the Queen's Jubilee. On the trip, Hetty manages to run away to see Madame Adeline. She discovers that Madame Adeline is not her mother (as Madam Adeline broke her womb when she was young), and later runs away to live on the streets. Hetty is nearly kidnapped by a weird man until a girl named Sissy saves her. Sissy then takes Hetty to her home, where she meets her terribly ill sister, Lil and her father. Sissy and Hetty go out to sell flowers, where they are spotted by a writer named Sarah Smith. Sarah takes Sissy and Hetty to a restaurant, where she asks questions for her new book "Penny for a Posy". After asking her questions, Sissy leaves and Sarah takes Hetty back to the Hospital after buying her ink and a book.
When Hetty is returned to the hospital, Ida collapses and loses her shoe. Hetty takes the shoe back to Ida, where Ida reveals she is Hetty's mother. She also tells Hetty about her father, Robert, who went to sea. He had promised to write to her, but he never came back nor did he write letters. The book ends with Ida and Hetty planning a happy future together.
Ida - The kind cook at the Foundling Hospital who is later revealed to be Hetty Feather's biological mother.
Gideon - Hetty's foster brother. Although he is five days older than Hetty, she calls him her 'little brother' since he is always so timid.
Jem - Hetty's other foster brother and Peg and John's biological son. He takes a shine to Hetty and promises to marry her once she leaves the hospital.
Matron Bottomly - The head of the senior school in the Foundling Hospital.
Polly/Lucy - Hetty's best friend at the Foundling Hospital. She is adopted by a couple whose daughter had died of flu.
Matron Peters - The head of the infant's school. Hetty calls her "Matron Pigface Peters".
Saul - Hetty's foster brother. He is described as having a "withered leg" and is a year older than Hetty. He dies of influenza
in the Foundling Hospital.
Martha - Hetty's foster sister. She has bad eyesight and is three years older than Hetty. She is talented at singing.
Nurse Winterson/Winnie - The kind nurse at the Foundling Hospital.
Peg - Hetty's foster mother.
John - Hetty's foster father.
Eliza - Hetty's foster sister and is Peg and John's daughter.
Eliza - A foundling who shares the same name as Eliza and is also Hetty's foster sister who is four years younger than Hetty. Hetty is appalled when she discovers that Jem also promised Eliza that he'd marry her.
Harriet - A kind older girl at the Foundling Hospital.
Madame Adeline - A circus performer who Hetty believes is her mother.
Sissy - A 14 year old who rescues Hetty from a strange man and lives in a small room with her sister Lil and her father. Sissy also sells flowers.
Lil - Sissy's little sister. She is terribly ill and passes away when Hetty returns to the hospital.
Miss Smith - An author writing "Penny For A Posy"; which is about young flower sellers. She accompanies Hetty back to the Foundling Hospital and also buys Hetty a notepad and a bottle of ink for Hetty's jay feather quill pen from Polly. In her book she writes 'To Hetty and Sissy; and in memory of Lil.
Shelia - A girl of eight who lives in the same dormitory as Hetty. She is best friends with Monica, but bullies Hetty.
Monica - Shelia's best friend.
Jacqueline Wilson
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, DBE, FRSL is an award-winning English author, known for her vast and diverse work in children's literature. Her novels have been adapted numerous times for television, and commonly deal with such challenging themes as adoption, divorce and mental illness...
. It is about a young girl who is abandoned by her mother at the Foundling Hospital
Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital in London, England was founded in 1741 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" was used in a more general sense than it is today, simply...
as a baby and follows her story as she lives in a foster home before returning to the Foundling Hospital as young child. The book is recommended for ages 9–11 according to the Jacqueline Wilson website.
Plot
Hetty was abandoned at the Foundling Hospital (a home for unwanted children) as a baby and lives her early years as a foster child under the care of Peg and John who she knows as her mother and her father. There are several other foster children in her home as well as Peg and John's own children. Jem, Nat, Rosie and Eliza are the pair's own children; whereas Martha, Saul and Gideon are foundlings. There are also Bess and Nora, who are away in service, and Marcus, who is a soldier. Hetty especially likes Jem, who is five years older than she is. Hetty and Jem have a small squirrel house, which is actually a hollow trunk of a tree. Jem and Hetty play in the house everyday, until one day Saul accompanies them to the house. Hetty accidentally pushes Saul from a low height, which would have done him no harm, but he wails to Peg that he is hurt very badly. Peg bans Hetty and Jem from going to the Squirrel House.Martha is the eldest of the fostered children, and is taken away back to the Foundling Hospital. Martha's eyes were poor and she squinted. Hetty fears that she will have to go soon too. When Peg tells the other children about the Hospital, Jem promises Hetty that he will marry her once she is out of the hospital. Saul is a cruel child slightly older than Hetty who she has never got along with. To their surprise, Saul is suddenly sent away to the hospital. Despite how much Hetty hated Saul, she cried when Peg started to take Saul away. Saul cried too, but Jem and Nat pulled Hetty away while Peg took Saul out of the house.
As Hetty got older, a circus moved into town. There was a parade through the streets, and Hetty loved it; especially Madame Adeline who rode a horse. Neither Hetty or Jem had enough money to buy tickets, so they could go to the circus, and Peg highly disapproved. She said that the circus was a wicked place, and that they were not to go. Hetty and Jem sneaked to the circus and crept in through the side of the circus tent narrowly avoiding the security guard. As they watched the show, Hetty grew fearful that they had missed Madame Adeline. But towards the end, Madame Adeline entered riding a sleek black horse followed by five others. When she asked for a volunteer to come up and help her, Hetty was more than eager. Luckily, she got picked and got to ride one of the horses. When Madame Adeline asked Hetty if she could stand on the horse, she could. The crowd cheered and clapped as Hetty returned to her seat, excited that she had met Madame Adeline.
When they left the circus, Hetty was sure that Madame Adeline was her mother, and wanted to go back and meet her again. Hetty suspected this because of Madame Adeline's red hair. Gideon wanted to go to the circus with them, but Hetty knew he was a horrid tell-tale. He tried to follow them but got lost in the woods. Luckily John found him under the Squirrel House Hetty and Jem used to play in. But after that, Gideon lost his voice.
A few years after, Hetty is sent back to the Foundling Hospital where she meets Ida and after a little time makes a new friend, Polly. Unfortunately, Polly is adopted a few years later. During the flu season, her foster brother Saul and a girl named Sarah die due to illness.
When Hetty is a little older, the children at the Foundling Hospital go to the Queen's Jubilee. On the trip, Hetty manages to run away to see Madame Adeline. She discovers that Madame Adeline is not her mother (as Madam Adeline broke her womb when she was young), and later runs away to live on the streets. Hetty is nearly kidnapped by a weird man until a girl named Sissy saves her. Sissy then takes Hetty to her home, where she meets her terribly ill sister, Lil and her father. Sissy and Hetty go out to sell flowers, where they are spotted by a writer named Sarah Smith. Sarah takes Sissy and Hetty to a restaurant, where she asks questions for her new book "Penny for a Posy". After asking her questions, Sissy leaves and Sarah takes Hetty back to the Hospital after buying her ink and a book.
When Hetty is returned to the hospital, Ida collapses and loses her shoe. Hetty takes the shoe back to Ida, where Ida reveals she is Hetty's mother. She also tells Hetty about her father, Robert, who went to sea. He had promised to write to her, but he never came back nor did he write letters. The book ends with Ida and Hetty planning a happy future together.
Characters
Hetty Feather - The main character who is abandoned as a baby at the Foundling Hospital. She is notorious for her fiery temper, red hair and tomboyish antics.Ida - The kind cook at the Foundling Hospital who is later revealed to be Hetty Feather's biological mother.
Gideon - Hetty's foster brother. Although he is five days older than Hetty, she calls him her 'little brother' since he is always so timid.
Jem - Hetty's other foster brother and Peg and John's biological son. He takes a shine to Hetty and promises to marry her once she leaves the hospital.
Matron Bottomly - The head of the senior school in the Foundling Hospital.
Polly/Lucy - Hetty's best friend at the Foundling Hospital. She is adopted by a couple whose daughter had died of flu.
Matron Peters - The head of the infant's school. Hetty calls her "Matron Pigface Peters".
Saul - Hetty's foster brother. He is described as having a "withered leg" and is a year older than Hetty. He dies of influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
in the Foundling Hospital.
Martha - Hetty's foster sister. She has bad eyesight and is three years older than Hetty. She is talented at singing.
Nurse Winterson/Winnie - The kind nurse at the Foundling Hospital.
Peg - Hetty's foster mother.
John - Hetty's foster father.
Eliza - Hetty's foster sister and is Peg and John's daughter.
Eliza - A foundling who shares the same name as Eliza and is also Hetty's foster sister who is four years younger than Hetty. Hetty is appalled when she discovers that Jem also promised Eliza that he'd marry her.
Harriet - A kind older girl at the Foundling Hospital.
Madame Adeline - A circus performer who Hetty believes is her mother.
Sissy - A 14 year old who rescues Hetty from a strange man and lives in a small room with her sister Lil and her father. Sissy also sells flowers.
Lil - Sissy's little sister. She is terribly ill and passes away when Hetty returns to the hospital.
Miss Smith - An author writing "Penny For A Posy"; which is about young flower sellers. She accompanies Hetty back to the Foundling Hospital and also buys Hetty a notepad and a bottle of ink for Hetty's jay feather quill pen from Polly. In her book she writes 'To Hetty and Sissy; and in memory of Lil.
Shelia - A girl of eight who lives in the same dormitory as Hetty. She is best friends with Monica, but bullies Hetty.
Monica - Shelia's best friend.