| Sapphire Battersea | |
| Author: | Jacqueline Wilson |
| Illustrator: | Nick Sharratt |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Children's novel |
| Publisher: | Doubleday |
| Pub Date: | 2011 |
| Media Type: | Print (paperback) |
| Preceded By: | Hetty Feather |
| Followed By: | Emerald Star |
Sapphire Battersea is the 2011 sequel to Hetty Feather, written by English author Jacqueline Wilson. 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 and begins life as a scullery maid.
After finding out that Ida, the kitchen maid of the Foundling Hospital 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 but based on Bognor Regis and Middleton-on-Sea) 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 scullery maid 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. 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. 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 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", making a tail out of a green dress, a bodice 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 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. 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 and vomits. While lamenting the fact that she's truly an orphan 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.
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.