Yes, I am a sucker for Victorian era heroines and Hetty Feather is a fun new addition to my list of favorites. The writing is for the 8 to 12 age group but its setting is fascinating for all ages: a London foundling hospital in the 1880's. Hetty is left at the hospital as a baby and the story follows her to a foster family in the countryside and, when she reaches school age, back to the hospital. There she is expected to learn the skills she will need to go into service when she turns thirteen. But Hetty is a girl of action, with "a nature as fiery as her hair". She has a wild imagination, a knack for storytelling and little desire to be a maid. Punishments are harsh and affection is hard to come by at the hospital, and Hetty is determined to someday find her real mother.
Although the storytelling is generally light, the realities of the time are not ignored. Children die from disease and hunger, and when Hetty ventures outside the hospital, there are real dangers around every turn. The first-person narration allows our perspective to grow with Hetty, as she learns that life at the hospital may be lonely, but at least it offers her care and safety.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson is one of England's most noted children's authors and this is her first historical novel. Her inspiration for Hetty Feather came from her visits to the Foundling Museum, whose website offers a number of resources for students and teachers interested in learning more about the history of the Foundling Hospital.
Author: Wilson, Jacqueline
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publication Date: October 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment