FIC: Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva


February: Fiction Pick

Mr. Dickens and his Carol, by Silva Samantha is a light and entertaining read.  It is also a ghost story.  An imaginative  retelling of the events leading up to Dickens’ writing A Christmas Carol.  Maybe a little long on the stresses and strains leading up to his creation, but generally a fun read. – Judith

Charles Dickens is not feeling the Christmas spirit. His newest book is an utter flop, the critics have turned against him, relatives near and far hound him for money. While his wife plans a lavish holiday party for their ever-expanding family and circle of friends, Dickens has visions of the poor house. But when his publishers try to blackmail him into writing a Christmas book to save them all from financial ruin, he refuses. And a serious bout of writer’s block sets in.

Frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace in his great palace of thinking, the city of London itself. On one of his long night walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets the mysterious Eleanor Lovejoy, who might be just the muse he needs. As Dickens’ deadlines close in, Eleanor propels him on a Scrooge-like journey that tests everything he believes about generosity, friendship, ambition, and love. The story he writes will change Christmas forever.

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