Dancing the Charleston

Hetty Feather #9

by Jacqueline Wilson

A new sparkling and glamorous novel from the beloved, bestselling children’s author, Jacqueline Wilson!

In a little cottage on the edge of the grand Somerset Estate, Mona lives with her aunt - a dressmaker to the lady of the house.

Life on the edge of the Somerset Estate means that Mona knows she will never have a life full of beautiful clothes and riches. But soon, that will all change . . .

When Lady Somerset dies and a new member of the family inherits the house, Mona is propelled into a life of razzle-dazzle parties, new Bohemian friends and wonderful trips to London.

However, even with these changes Mona discovers that she cannot dance away from her past.

A glittery trip back in time, from the author of Hetty Feather and Tracy Beaker !

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.

One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.

Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!

In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

For about fifteen years now Jacqueline Wilson has been one of my favourite authors. I have most of her books (it's a work in progress) and have loved every single one. I don't really know how to fully explain how meaningful her books are to me, but she has been a wonderful companion over the years!

Her historical fiction novels are highly enjoyable. While aimed at children, I still look forward to each one. The Hetty Feather series is one I love immensely. This novel is set in the 1920s, a wonderful standalone story that features an appearance from a much older Emerald Star (Hetty) that made me tear up.. Mona lives with her aunt in a cottage on the Somerset estate. When Lady Somerset dies her eccentric young son inherits the house and takes a friendly interest in Mona, helping to open a new world of options for her.

I really appreciated the journey of Mona starting to observe the world around her, and considering that if she wanted to, she could aspire to be something. During a game of Old Maid, Mona rightly questions whether there is actually anything wrong with being an old maid. Surely it shouldn't be considered such a shameful thing? Though this point feels particularly relevant to the era, it still feels important to note now.

The differing attitudes between the Somerset siblings makes for interesting reading. Two of them are quite modern, bohemian, much less judgmental, while the third is more rigid and snobbish. He is not a very likeable character, but his carefree sister is not much more appealing. While she doesn't pass judgments, which is of course refreshing, she doesn't seem to realise there is difference between allowing your children freedom, and neglecting them. She is more concerned with trailing around after her new(ish) husband than doing any sort of parenting. The entire Somerset family are cushioned by their inherited money and seem to lack any real ability or focus. Benjamin is sweet and caring, but also lacks sense at times, often knowing less about the world than Mona, who is only ten (I think).

As ever, I adore Jacqueline Wilson's characters and Nick Sharratt's wonderful drawings, which capture them so perfectly.

Dancing the Charleston also contains an exchange that made me laugh when I read it, but also popped into my head frequently today, making me smile each time. It may not be all that funny out of context, but I will include it anyway! The characters are discussing an upcoming ball.
'I'm going as a water baby,' said Bruno. 'Barbara says I will look enchanting. I'm not even going to be wearing drawers!'
'How alarming,' I said weakly.

I also loved the kittens! In recent years Jacqueline Wilson has gotten a cat (or cats possibly) and now they often feature in her work, sometimes quite prominently, especially in her lovely book Queenie.
🧜🏻‍♀️💃🐈

[Lauryn Kavanagh-Coombes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always feel like I should begin my reviews of Jacqueline Wilson novels by saying that I'm now well over the recommended age bracket for them, but I can't stop myself getting excited over every new book. This newest historical novel, set in the 20s, captures the mood of the era very well - the exciting new styles and feelings of the modern era battling with the traditional ways of the past. Mona is refreshingly excited to be up to date with the latest styles and dances, and the underlying message to the reader that a good education is important in life is suitably in keeping with the feelings of young women of the time wanting to break free of the restraints of marriage, as well as providing a good message to modern young girls reading the book.

I found Wilson's writings of the Somersets interesting. At some points I did wonder if she was going to reveal that Benjamin was gay, what with his sense of style, way of talking and outright admission that he could never see himself having a wife. But perhaps homosexuality is sadly still a way off from being acceptable in children's literature. Maybe next time.

I did find the plotline a bit gappy in the second half of the novel. The book ends just on the other side of a cliffhanger, leaving you in dark of what happens after Mona's big discovery about her past, as well as whether she decides to go to the high school after all, or even smaller details such as if she ever makes it up with her friends after their squabbles. I found it interesting that she was willing to brush aside the true nature of how she got into the high school at all and why she didn't feel the need to confront anyone about it.

Perhaps this book will lead onto a sequel. I do hope so. Mona is a very enjoyable character to follow, although I do find one of Wilson's faults is that she seems to base her characters all from the same cookie-cutter mould; a shy, bookish girl who is skilled at English but struggles with arithmetic at school. In my opinion she's either intentionally or not basing her characters on herself. These same qualities are described in detail in her autobiography, Jacky Daydream.

Overall this was an enjoyable book with a few surprises hidden inside - not least a surprise appearance and much-needed life update from our favourite red haired Victorian....!!

[Aoife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mona lives with her aunt on the grounds of a great house in the village, owned by the Somerset family. When Lady Somerset dies, Mona's aunt fears they will soon be without a home but when the new homeowner takes over, he treats the women like family and soon Mona is introduced to a whole new world of dancing the Charleston, fine dining and family secrets.

This was a sweet book and a good audiobook listen. I definitely think it would be a good one for a middle grade reader to read or listen to on a long car journey as it's lengthy enough (about 12 hours long). Mona was a sweet character to follow, and has ups and downs with friendships, her relationship with herself and her aunt. I enjoyed the little adventures she went on and the build up to her summer with the Somersets.

I actually think this book could have been a tad shorter as by the time we got to the last few chapters, my attention had definitely wavered a bit. I also would have liked the 'reveal' about Mona's family to have come a bit sooner, as it definitely felt like she found out and then the book was over and there wasn't a real chance for her to really take it all in. I also would have liked to have seen a proper make-up between Mona, Maggie and Peter.

I liked reading one of Jacqueline Wilson's newer novels as up until now I've read a lot of her older ones from when I was a child and teen. The writing in this wasn't incredibly childish and could be enjoyed by adults as well which is one of the reasons why I think Jacqueline Wilson's books are so good!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It is a beautiful story of a girl, Mona, who is only 11 who lives with her aunt in a little cottage at the bottom if a Manor where Lady Somerset lives. Aunty makes dresses for Lady Somerset until one day she dies and Mona and Aunty wonder what will happen to them next. I read this book so quickly, it was an easy but delightful read and I felt that I learned a bit more about the 20's as I've only read Gatsby. But that ending though 🤯 was not expecting that big plot twist. Any fans of Jacqueline Wilson have to read this book!

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as I am going to hear Jacqueline Wilson speak at The Hay on Wye festival. It is thanks to Wilson that I became a book worm. I remember so clearly receiving Tracy Beaker and Bad Girls for my 9th birthday and reading Tracy Beaker in a day which I had never managed before.

Anyway, Dancing the Charleston is about Mona who lives with her aunt who is a dress maker at the edge of an estate owned by the Somerset family. But opportunities start to open up for Mona when lady Somerset dies and a relative inherits the estate.

I found the beginning of this book a bit difficult to get in to but once I started I couldn't stop reading. This is vintage Wilson exploring loneliness, not feeling like you fit in and a good old family mystery which I half worked out fairly early on but it didn't bother me! Mona is an interesting character who is finding her way in the real world and she has her quirks and eccentricities. The relationship between her and her aunt was well portrayed and I am impressed with how much research Wilson had done. This has made me want to read the Hetty Feather series as I had never read a historical novel by Wilson unless you count The Lottie Project.

A good read if you are a Jacqueline Wilson fan or if your child wants to learn more about the 1920s.

[Aditi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll go for a 3.5 because it left me wanting a lot more. I wanted to see much more of what happened in the future and how Mona goes to school.

This is the story of Mona who lives with her Aunt in a cottage. Her Aunt is a dressmaker and Mona is an orphan. They live in the cottage on the grounds of Somerset Manor, a large palatial home owned by the Somerset family. Mona's aunt is the dressmaker for Lady Somerset and they make a decent living out of what they have, until Lady Somerset passes away and they have to fear for dear life as to where they're gonna go. But Lady Somerset turns out to be better than that and leaves an allowance for Mona.

Mona is a bright girl, who loves to read and playing with her dolls. She has a friend in Maggie, who I despised towards the end simce she turned out to be mean and jealous and plain wicked.

Mr. Benjamin inherits the manor from her mother and I loved the depiction of queer in the book, the queer being Mr. Benjamin. He's such a lovely man, full of love and life and flamboyance and he really takes a shine to Mona for reasons known later in the book. But he's a great guy who is nice to everyone.

We see some other characters in the book like the Somerset children who are all lovely to read about except Cedric and Ada. And Peter who is sweet on Mona initially but turns out to be a jerk later.

Finally there's the secret which comes out in the end.
All in all it was good but I felt unsatiated in the end. Also I didn't understand why the book was named Dancing the Charleston. There wasn't so much Charleston in it.

[Eris Varga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are they not gonna address that she fancied her cousin or 💀

[Chloe Sellers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book, it had an amazing plot twist at the end and it left me shocked. Honestly I would love a sequel.

[cielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

JW my goat. she does historical fiction so so well.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars
Jacqueline Wilson is purely amazing at writing children's characters and captures them so well. She also has a brillaint talent for writing Children's historical ficition. It's been a while since I read a Jacqueline Wilson book, probably about 5-8 years ago, so I was a little worried going into this that I wasn't going to enjoy this as much as I would have years ago when I was a child. But I am pleased to say I enjoyed it. A lot. I really enjoyed Mona's character. She was flawed but still incredibly likeable. And Mr Benjamin was a great charcater too! Generally, all the characters were well developed.
The pace was good. For the majority of the book, it went at a good pace and I never once felt bored and like things were dragging.
However, my two problems I found with this book were due to the ending. One of those problems was that it felt a little bit rushed. I can't state the specific amount of pages in which the 'secret' came out, but it didn't feel like a lot. At all. (I actually guessed the 'secret' at one pint but this didn't hinder my enjoyment. I think as a child, I wouldn't have seen this coming at all.) My second problem was the fact Mona's friends were heavily prominent throughout the story and then at the end, they weren't mentioned at all? I wouldn't have minded whether they stayed friends or not, but it just felt odd not having them mentioned in the conclusions.
Overall, though, this was thoroughly enjoyable book and would definitely recommend!

[Jessica Min · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s definitely a noticeable pattern with Jacqueline Wilson’ heroins from her historical England novels - young girls who are feisty, good at imagining, bad at maths, unfortunate circumstances etc. Mona fits this perfectly, although I find her less likeable than the previous Victorian era heroines of Wilson’s novels. It’s hard to put my finger on why exactly, but she comes off as slightly entitled/pushy, as opposed to just feisty and spirited like previous heroines have been.

It’s an enjoyable enough book but I don’t feel there was much by way of a plot. Mr Benjamin was a delightful character but I don’t know how realistic all the family and living dynamics were. The lack of plot/sense of movement in the story, and how some things were just left to tail off with no resolution, were the biggest drawbacks and what stopped this being a really strong Jacqueline Wilson book.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I was very interesting and one of Jacquelines bests! Tho I do think it took a while to get up to the really important bit, Mona finding out that her aunts her mother
Overall it was really good

[17bushellk003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good and I'd recommend it

[Jaden⚡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5

[megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My childhood consisted of reading every Jacqueline Wilson book there was, and now 8 years later her stories are still enjoyable. Dancing the Charleston follows the story of 10 year old Mona who lives with her Aunt on the estate of Somerset Manor in the 1920s. After the death of Lady Somerset, both of their lives change forever.

Jacqueline Wilson’s Victorian era books were my favourite growing up, especially the Hetty Feather tales, and learning about the 1920s was equally as pleasant. We learnt about both the rich and the poor during this era through multiple families in both the village and in the upperclass, and a different viewpoint than the ultra rich versus the servants that Wilson’s books are usually focused on. The story itself was quite simple and enjoyable enough, sharing many elements of life for post WW1 children.

The detail in this story was fantastic, from the elaborate and bright rooms in the Manor to the fine dresses sewn by Mona’s aunt and the rising 1920s fashion - each item was brought to life before your very eyes. The chapters at the exhibition towards the end of the story were particularly amazing. I was over the moon when we see who Mona meets there, the little references put in makes both present and younger me smile with happiness. Every character was well written and it was quite simple to keep track of them all as more were introduced. I really enjoyed reading about the Somerset’s, especially Barbara’s children. Maggie was a character that was getting on my nerves towards the end, her rude and jealous attitude was horrible.

My only criticism of the book is that there were a few plot points that could have been expanded. The plot line of Mona’s education and how she enjoys it at the High School and how the big revelation affects the character relationships, even if some of them knew prior. Although, the plot twist at the end is done very well and still was a surprise even if it was spoiled for me thanks to a comments in the reviews here. I was also a bit confused about the title as Charleston is barely mentioned, but I could maybe argue a connection to the underlying plot twist.

I’d have to rate this a 3.5, a great and simple story that has all of the amazing elements which makes Jacqueline Wilson books such childhood staples. But it would have been nice to see beyond their future too, the pace seemed a bit slow at times and ended a bit abruptly. I can’t wait to read some of her newer works and re read the ones that outlined my childhood.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think there are interesting characters, I liked learning about the fashion and other trends that were around that time I enjoyed the ending it was bittersweet. Though I wished to have seen what Mona decides to do with High School and her fight with her friends. And of course, Nick Sharrets illustrations are excellent as always.

[Nada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bro Jacqueline Wilson is so underrated but SHES SO GOOD. I loved this book, totally recommend. It has a huge plot twist (ik all my plot twist lovers out there, if you’re reading this, then THIS is for you). Such a cute story about a girl and her aunt and her neighbours. I recommend. Just go out there and read it. It’s cute.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the "twist" of the story was very obvious from the beginning and didn't feel as much connection to these characters as I would usually do. A nice read but not one I felt was up to JW's usual standard.

The Hetty Feather cameo was an unexpected plus, though.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely... Amazing!

[Varsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the reason why I love reading middle grade!! You never know when you might come across such gems!!

Jacqueline Wilson has definitely become a favourite author of mine. I read The Primrose Railway Children by her a few years ago and also gave that book 5 stars. Her writing style is very reminiscent of Enid Blyton and her books are great for readers who would like to read more books in the same vein but with more emphasis on character development and less problematic content like casual racism and xenophobia which some of Blyton's books do have.

I didn't realise that this book was part of the Hetty Feather series when I started reading it but you can certainly read it as a standalone since the only connecting link between this book and the rest is that there is a cameo appearance of one of the main characters from the series towards the end of this book.

I really loved the British countryside setting of the book and main character Mona was absolutely delightful!! Her desire to get a good education and her optimism regardless of her non-ideal living conditions is truly inspiring.I love to see MCs who care about academics! I related to her quite a lot as a girl who has also been ostracized by my peers and labelled the resident weirdo.

I love how the children in the book are written realistically - they do naughty things and can be horrible at times but they always repent their actions and try to make it up to those they have wronged. The latter part is something that's sorely lacking in a lot of middle grade these days where the characters are just horrible brats period. They aren't even slightly remorseful or regretful of their behaviour, often times they don't even realise their wrongdoings. In that aspect, I found this book extremely refreshing and lovely.

The characters are also period accurate to the historical setting of this book: the 1920s. Their dialogue and mannerisms are all pretty consistent with the era but when they say nasty things some or the other character will always either call them out on it or atleast mentally disagree with them. In that way it neutralizes the insensitive comments that were commonplace back then.

I believe that one of the characters,Mr. Benjamin, is alluded to as being queer. It's highly probable but then again it's only a head canon of mine. But it can quite easily be inferred from some of the sentences if you look past the period language.

I did predict the twist quite early on in the book though I kept dismissing the idea as absolutely ridiculous. It honestly started out as an intrusive thought but as the story progresses more clues began to add up in my head and I was pleased to find my theory proven correct at the end. It was a bit of a long shot though.

I enjoyed every minute of my reading experience with this book and I will certainly be devouring all of Jacqueline Wilson's books that I can get my hands on!!

[Dan TheMan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Jacqueline Wilson book and I absolutely loved reading it.

"Dancing the Charleston" is very character driven as the overall plot is not exciting or adventurous. However, the characters are the story's strength and I adored Mona and Mr Benjamin.

Mona seems really grown-up in certain parts of the book. She is the sweetest even though she does not live a very comfortable life. Having lost her parents and living with an aunt who struggles to have enough to support the two of them, she does not complain, but supports her Aunty in every way possible without losing her imaginative and childlike innocence. Being an outsider and not belonging to either the villagers nor the Somersets, she longs for connection and a place in this world where she can pursue her dreams of becoming a writer and experiencing friendship.

Mr Benjamin on the other hand is quite the opposite. He is bold and flamboyant and probably gay, though that is never mentioned in the book. Mona once says that he is the only one who is content the way that he is and that is totally correct. He is honest, true to himself and unapologetically authentic. Sometimes it feels as if he is the actual child of the story and I do not mean that as an insult. He is open-minded and does not care what others think about him while treating everyone with the most of respect. He is funny, clever and prejudice-free and I wish more people would have such a positive outlook on life. I definitely strive to be more like him in my own life.

All in all, this sweet and innocent story really touched me deeply and I thank the author for introducing me to these characters that I loved reading about while also learning something about the 1920s and some of the problems people had to deal with back then.

[Amelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being a grown woman, I always rush to borrow the latest Jacqueline Wilson book as soon as it comes out! I'm always transported back to being 11 years old, and even if the characters and their lifestyles are utterly different to mine, I feel a connection to them, because they are the kinds of girls I could picture actually being friends with.
I enjoyed this story, I really did, but I felt there was something missing. I really liked Mona, and I very much liked Benjamin, but I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen. The plot twist at the end was welcomed, but I feel like the story was somewhat bland until then. Every now and then something would begin to happen and I'd think "Okay, this is where the story really starts! Here comes the excitement!" and then... nothing would really happen? I didn't mind too much, because it's nice to relax and read something that isn't overly dramatic. And the descriptions of 1920's lifestyle, interior design and fashions were interesting enough to make up for it. Maybe I've just got overly high expectations for Jacqueline Wilson. And her historical fiction is always very thoroughly researched, which is much appreciated by history lovers!

!!SPOILER BELOW!!

One thing I found rather interesting was that Mona had clearly developed a crush on Roland, and then found out at the end that he was her cousin. I do wonder how that turned out! I was, however, pleased for her that Benjamin was really her uncle, and now she and auntie will have an easier life, money-wise.

[하요진 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were the author, I would like to add more on the aftermath of the revelation of Mona’s biological parents. The book stopped at where Mona and Aunty hugged. For example, the relationship between Mona and Somerset's children, because technically they are cousins. Although Mona was only 11, she liked a Somerset boy, which will be kinda weird tho. Also, I am intrigued by future events, including boarding school life and future occupations.

I like Mona’s personality. She might be viewed as impractical, but that’s what makes her unique in the village. Aunty was a rare independent woman who raised Mona all on her own. In some way, Mona’s aspiration as an author is influenced by Aunty. They both think they don’t want to depend on men. Whereas Mona’s (ex) best friend just wants to grow up, get married, have kids and become a housewife, which is, I suppose, the ordinary life of most women back then. Mona is determined to get into a boarding school because it provides a better education than the village ones. She wants to study hard and achieve success. Mona also gets exposed to life outside the village when she goes to London and other places, which makes her want to achieve a higher status. She is the only one that thinks outside the box while commoners are just … commoners. I am glad to know that Mona understands ‘Higher education level means higher social mobility.'

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Mona lives with her auntie who cares for her after her mum passed and so did her dad too when she was just a baby and he was in the war.



Her auntie is a seamstress for a lady and when the lady passes the pair worry they'll be made homeless.



Mr Benjamin the youngest son, moves in after his mum passed who's the kindest of all the Somerset's and likes Mona a lot even if he is very flamboyant with his tastes and company he keeps.



He does however turn Mona and her aunt's lives around as her aunty gets an amazing knew job for Harrod's!



However after Mona falls out with her friends after getting a trial to go to a proper high school giving her a better looking future, she befriends the Somerset children and they go on an adventure to London which a shock twist comes out there about Mona's mother everyone knew but her...



I really enjoyed this book, as someone who had a grandma who made theatre costumes I could relate to Mona's feelings about talented seamstresses and sympathise over how she felt her familial loses too being so young and we know how grief is at that age. Friendship can be fickle and that point came across well too overall this book was another great by the one and only Jacqueline Wilson.

[Zuzka z Knihomedvěd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tančím charleston je další kniha od Jacqueline Wilsonové, jejíž knihy už čtu spíše z nostalgie, jelikož jsem s nimi prožila moje čtenářské začátky. Jejím knihám se však nedá upřít, že jsou skvěle napsané a ohromně čtivé. Proto když jsem se o této knize dozvěděla, hned jsem si ji chtěla přečíst. A musím říct, že opět mě autorka nezklamala. Kniha se odehrává ve dvacátých letech minulého století, které jsou tam opravdu pěkně popsány. Děj byl sice ze začátku trochu méně zajímavý, ale závěr a ten zvrat na konci to úplně vynahradil. Kniha byla místy i vtipná, ale jen tak lehce, nenásilně. Mona jako hlavní postava byla moc sympatická a pěkně se na ní odráží myšlení dětí a jejich charakter. S její postavou se autorka opravdu vyhrála. Ale možná ještě více než Monu jsem si oblíbila její tetu, která byla sice hodně přísná, ale také spravedlivá a někde uvnitř v ní se skrývala opravdu laskavá povaha. Nicméně pana Benjamina nemohla autorka do děje zasadit lépe. Takový pravý gentleman s vybraným chovaním a vtipem tam úplně sedl a v ději se pohyboval jako ryba ve vodě. Ostatní postavy autorka taky moc pěkně vykreslila a všichni do příběhu krásně zapadali.
Knize Tančím charleston nejspíš ani nemám co vytknout, protože se mi opravdu líbila a ráda se k ní někdy vrátím.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Jacqueline Wilson book I have read. I had heard of her for ages, but thought her books were set in modern times. When I read the blurb about the book on the BorrowBox list linked with our library, I decided to read it as it had a historical setting.
Well, if all her books are this full of adventure and filled with characters that are so alive, I will read more!
I really was drawn to the Aunty because of her sewing profession. I know the work that goes into sewing an embroidered or beaded gown, I have done several myself. I liked how Mona was sensitive to her Aunt’s needs when there was a big project to do in a rush.
I felt bad that Mona had such a hard time fitting in. The friends she had a school didn’t quite understand her and even her Aunt’s friend who worked at the Manor thought Mona had ideas above her station. Especially when the new owner, Lady Somerset’s son began treating her with kindness.
As Mona begins to make friends with children visiting at the Manor, she begins to be lot bolder in herself. But will they really want to spend time with the dressmaker’s niece? And what will her school friends think?

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) I was excited to read this book, as Jacqueline Wilson’s books were some of the first I ever read. Personally I found it slow, but I’m not the fastest reader and lacked motivation to pick the book up.

When I could be bothered, I really enjoyed it. I liked the twist at the end, I think it was unexpected, but it was probably the most interesting thing in the book. It was however in the last 2 chapters, so takes a while to get there.

I liked all the characters, but Mr. Benjamin was my favourite. Some of the chapters were slightly forgettable, and some mentioned heavily at the beginning then never mentioned again. That being said I think they were all unique characters and made the book enjoyable.

I preferred the second half of the book, basically the parts when Barbara’s lot come and stay for the summer. I thought it was more interesting to read about.

Overall it was good to read a childhood book and I did enjoy it. It was just lower rated because it took me so long and I didn’t massively like the first half. I would recommend it though because on the whole it’s an enjoyable book :)

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Nearly twenty years after I read my first Jacqueline Wilson book, her stories still manage to sweep me off my feet!

This one was very nearly a five stars. I loved the historical setting and all the various adventures and shenanigans Mona gets into, as well as Mona's relationship with her aunty, which is very much the heart of the story. This is Jacqueline Wilson, so of course the parental figure/child relationship is as complex as it is loving, and therefore super compelling to read.

My one critique is this: while the ending of the story is very emotional, it is also very abrupt. Some things were left open ended which I liked, but I wanted to see just a bit more of what happened next after the revelations came to light. As an adult reader, the twists were very predictable, so it was more about watching them play out - though I think younger Marianne would also have craved a little epilogue, a chapter set a year in the future perhaps, when the cousins come to visit again.

Anyway, despite that one small complaint, this was wonderful and very much a classic Jacqueline Wilson book, which is always a good thing.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this is another one of the Jacqueline Wilson books that I am definitely considered to be too old for but that I’ve enjoyed reading anyway.

It follows the story of Mona and her Aunty as they adjust to the changes in their lives following the arrival of the Somerset family after the death of old Lady Somerset. The book is set in the 1920’s and features a lot of references to the times as well as to the events prior to the 20’s.

I actually really enjoyed this book once I got into it, I think I wasn’t as ready to read it as I thought I would be but I persevered with it because my library loan was coming to the end and I didn’t want to renew it again. Once I got over my initial slump I flew through it.

I kind of predicted the twist at the end of the story but I still really appreciated the way it was written and the sympathetic way in which Wilson writes her stories and her characters.

[Jas K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all of Dame Jackie's books within the Hetty Feather universe, this is the one I've put off reading the longest, and if I'm honest, I needed some time to really get into it. But once I was in, I was so definitely in that I still can't quite shake the feeling of the time and place of its setting. I think it's quite clear by now that Dame Jackie can make any era come alive in a reader's mind with her beautiful vivid descriptions and lifelike characters.
I instantly connected with protagonist Mona, much like most of Dame Jackie's heroines, but my favourite in this story was the charmingly eccentric and, in Mona's words, avant-garde Mr Benedict. I quite enjoyed the Hetty Feather cameo towards the end as well -- I love it how she's 'paying it forward' by becoming much like the kind older ladies she's come across as a child. Truly, the world needs more people like Hetty, and more youngsters like Dame Jackie's protagonists. 4.8/5*