MYSTERY

Mr. Dickens and His Carol: A Novel of Christmas Past

by Samantha Silva
Flatiron: Macmillan. Nov. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9781250154040. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250154033. F
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Silva's fiction offers a take on how Charles Dickens came to write his famous holiday story, A Christmas Carol. Dickens has just excitedly finished his latest installment of Martin Chuzzlewit and welcomed his sixth child when his publishers inform him that Chuzzlewit isn't selling and he needs to write a Christmas story or lose money from his advance. Dickens is adamantly opposed, but with family depending on him, he accepts the challenge. Beset by demands from everyone he encounters, he struggles to write the story. Finally, he's captivated by an unexpected muse and his holiday spirit comes back, inspiring the much-loved and enduring classic.
VERDICT Silva has imagined an intriguing and atmospheric backstory to the quintessential holiday tale and its most revered author.
Reviewed by Melissa DeWild , Oct 15, 2017
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