The book is about a girl named Hetty Feather who goes through a hard childhood. Hetty is abandoned by her mother as a newborn baby and is left at the Foundling Hospital. Hetty is given to a foster family and returns to the Foundling Hospital when she is six years old.
The story follows Hetty's life at the Foundling Hospital and the characters she meets. At around 10 years of age Hetty and the other foundlings are invited to attend Queen Victoria's Jubilee. Hetty takes the chance to run away and find her real mother. She becomes homeless before she returns back to the Foundling Hospital.
The main characters in the story are Hetty Feather, Ida, one of the hospital cooks, Polly, who is Hetty's best friend at the hospital, Madame Adeline the circus performer, and Jem, who is Hetty's older foster brother.
The characters I liked the most were Hetty and Ida. Hetty is kind, generous, intelligent, and of course very loving even after all the things she has been through. I think she makes a great friend to others. Ida who is the other of my favourite characters is a great cook and very caring. The character was so believable I even wished she worked at my school! Jem, Hetty's foster brother was not very likeable. He seemed caring and said nice things to Hetty but did not mean them. The way Jacqueline Wilson writes really made me feel like I was part of the story.
The most memorable part of the book for me was when Hetty became homeless after running away from the funfair at the Jubilee celebrations. Hetty was good at acting and made herself cry to get at least 5 shillings to buy some breakfast. The part when Matron Bottomly (A.K.A Matron Pigface ) threw Hetty's only doll on the floor made me upset for Hetty. I wouldn't like it if that was my only doll. I also found the part when Hetty finds Madame Adeline sad, she finds out that she is not her mother after all.
This book is historical and is set in Victorian London. The central theme is about abandonment. I would highly recommended Hetty Feather to readers aged 7 upwards. The way Jacqueline Wilson has written the story made it enjoyable and entertaining. I didn't want the story to end!
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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