Violet Kettle (also known as Nan) is from the Jacqueline Wilson book Queenie. She is a kind, warm woman, and is the mother of Sheila and the grandmother of Elsie. She married Mr Kettle and stayed in a beautiful cottage on their honeymoon. She loves her daughter, Sheila, but is irritated by her lack of interest in Elsie, her self-centeredness and her irresponsibility. She also often disapproves of Sheila's jobs, and even more so her boyfriends or 'uncles'. Elsie and her had bad colds in the winter, but when Elsie got better, Nan didn't, her cough staying, made worse by her smoking. Elsie finds her coughing on the sofa one day, but Nan says she is fine. Despite Elsie pleading for her to stay at home and rest, Nan still goes to work. When she collapsed at work with pulmonary tuberculosis, she went into the sanatorium to recover. Elsie came to visit her once, before she went into hospital with TB as well, this time bovine. She took a turn for the worse after Elsie had been in hospital for a while, even leading to her lung being collapsed. Elsie is upset by the news, and Sheila is uncaring. Nan eventually begins to recover, further invigorated by her love for Elsie. Nurse Gabriel comes to visit her, informing Elsie of the news. Elsie comes to visit her when she is out of the hospital, and soon Nan is well enough to leave the sanatorium. As Sheila has let the last home go, Elsie and Nan get a new flat, and keep a kitten called Princess, given to them by Nurse Gabriel. Sheila comes back from Canada after Mr Perkins leaves her. She later goes back into show business. Eight years after her recovery, Nan dies.
Family[]
- Elsie Kettle - Nan's granddaughter. She came and got Elsie from the children's home. Elsie loves Nan very much. She falls ill with a bad cough from the winter that stayed when Elsie got better and is whisked away to hospital.
- Sheila Kettle - Elsie's mother and Nan's daughter. She is very uncaring to Elsie and often blamed Nan when Elsie catches her TB.