The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was one of the first full-length novels Joan wrote and was published in 1962. Black Hearts in Battersea, the sequel, followed soon after in 1964. These were the first two books in her famous ‘Wolves Chronicles’ series – fantastic adventures set in her own invented world, a period of history that never happened. After the success of these books Joan was able to become a full-time writer and she continued to write, mostly for children, all her life. She died in 2004, shortly after completing the last book in this series.
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What were Joan Aiken’s inspirations for Black Hearts in Battersea?
Joan Aiken said that her inspiration for Dido Twite came from a character in a novel by Dickens called The Old Curiosity Shop. In this book, a little girl servant, responsible for letting out lodgings in the house where she works, is befriended by a character called Dick Swiveller. The girl doesn’t know her own name, age, or who her parents are so her employer just calls her ‘Little Devil’. Dick gives her his own nickname, ‘The Marchioness’. Although Dido Twite is naughtier and gutsier than Dickens’s character it’s easy to see the similarity between their way of speaking and neglected appearance.
On the next pages you’ll see some pictures of ‘The Marchioness’ from Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop.
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In fact, there is much about Black Hearts in Battersea that is inspired by Dickens. The image we get of London with its jumble of narrow alleys, cobbled lanes, horse-drawn carriages and the very wealthy living alongside the very poor is certainly inspired by Dickens’s London. The complex, twisting plot and sheer number and range of characters is also very Dickensian, from good and righteous heroes to depraved, scheming baddies. And, of course, just like in the novels of Dickens, we should not forget the humour that infuses so much of the story, from Mr Twite’s drunken singing to the King’s rather outspoken parrot.
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Do have a look at www.joanaiken.com and go to ‘The Letters from You’ section. You can see some of the fan letters Joan Aiken received and the storm of requests to save Dido Twite. There is a lovely note there from Joan to her publisher about why she decided to save her heroine from drowning…
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How much of Black Hearts in Battersea is historically accurate?
It is important to remember that Black Hearts in Battersea is set in a fictional point in history. In other words, although the setting is believable, Joan Aiken has taken elements from various historical periods and drawn them together to create her story. Although it’s a cracking read it does make sorting out fact from fiction a little tricky. Without wanting to make your brain hurt here’s an explanation…
The book is set in the 1830s and, in the story, King James III is on the throne. Joan Aiken’s made-up period of history imagines that James II, father of James III, hadn’t been deposed by his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, and that the Hanoverian King Georges had never come to the throne after them. In reality, James and his son Bonnie Prince Charlie fought to get the English and Scottish crowns back for their Stuart family in the Jacobite rebellions. Instead, in Joan Aiken’s version there are German Hanoverian plotters staking their claim to the throne. Instead of the song ‘My Bonnie lies over the ocean’ which was sung by hopeful Scottish supporters, the Twite family are singing about Bonnie Prince Georgie over in Hanover – ‘Why won’t they bring that young man over?’
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So, some useful terms:
Hanoverians: The royal family from the House of Hanover and those people who support them.
Picts: Mr Twite is referring to Scottish people (King James III is Scottish in the story).
Jacobites: Supporters of James III, and his son known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Pictclobbers: A made-up word for the weapons amassed by the Hanoverians – to clobber the Picts!
Hanover: A city in Germany where ‘Bonnie Prince Georgie’ came from, supposing he had not become the English King.
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‘I’ve never had such a bang-up lark, except for the fair.’ Fancy a bang-up lark? Test yourself on the weird and wonderful world of Dido Twite’s vocabulary by matching up these words to their definitions.
(Answers at the end of the book. No cheating!)
Gammon
Nephew
Havey-cavey
Fancy
Slumdinger
Mates
Dibs to dumplings
To be forced aboard a ship
Mint-sauce
A great time
Swish
Self-important person, nobility
Nevvy
Misleading talk
A ripsmasher
Money
Cullies
To beat
Bosky
A sure thing
Shanghaied
Drunk
Nibs
Up to no good
To larrup
A brilliant person
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The Name Game
Lots of the characters’ names in Black Hearts in Battersea give the reader little clues as to what kind of person they are. What do you think each of these names says about each character? Can you tell whether they’re good or bad, stupid or smart, rich or poor just from their names? Here’s an example to start you off…
Midwink: The name Midwink suggests someone with half open, sinister eyes. It gives us a clue that Midwink might not be a completely trustworthy character.
Mr Twite:
Sophie:
Mrs Floss Cobb:
Dolly Buckle:
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And a few more things to think about…
If you were a character in a book what do you think your own name would say about you?
Do you think Dido is a ‘brat’ or would you like her to be your friend?
Who do you think is the true hero or heroine of the story?
Why do you think the title is Black Hearts in Battersea?
What do you think happened to Dido Twite? Do you think Simon will ever see her again?
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Answers to the Test Your Knowledge of Black Hearts in Battersea quiz – how did you do?
She drops a slice of bread and jam on Simon’s head.
Moulds and mildew.
Her Grace employed Sophie when she saw her talent for needlework at the Poor Farm.
Mr Thingummy
She learnt in the canal near the Poor Farm.
Two handfuls of raisins.
Billiards, but the game has to stop because of the motion of the train travelling through hilly country.
Nursie
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Answers to the weird and wonderful world of Dido Twite’s language – how did you do?
Gammon
Misleading talk
Havey-cavey
Up to no good
Slumdinger
A brilliant person
Dibs to dumplings
A sure thing
Mint-sauce
Money
Swish
Fancy
Nevvy
Nephew
A ripsmasher
A great time
Cullies
Mates
Bosky
Drunk
Shanghaied
To be forced aboard a ship
Nibs
Self-important person, nobility
To larrup
To beat
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Copyright © Joan Aiken 1965
Illustrations copyright © Jonathan Cape 1965
Joan Aiken has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser
Black Hearts in Battersea was first published by Jonathan Cape in 1965
The Red Fox edition was first published in 2004
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9780099573661
Joan Aiken, Black Hearts in Battersea
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