This is the diary of little Betsy Balcombe, telling of her friendship with a Very Important Prisoner, the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who is sent to live with her family on the remote island of St Helena. Together, they make splendid toys and go for fast canters in the Emperor's carriage. When Betsy returns to England she has memories of her own special Napoleon which she will treasure for the rest of her life. The book is based on the memoirs of the real-life Betsy.