Mr Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

The very final festive read of the season – I promise, especially as we approach twelfth night.

I picked this book up based on its title; I did not read the blurb or anything because the title had enchanted me enough. I am, as mentioned in a previous post, a huge fan of ‘A Christmas Carol’, so the mere hint of that tale always catches my attention.

This novel is a respectful story about how one of the world’s most famous Christmas tales came to be. It does not attempt to retell the tale; it simply imagines how the book came to be. It is known that, at the time of writing, Charles Dickens had a need for money but that he also made a comment on the social situation of Victorian England. This novel touches on those ideas but it also offers a much more romanticised and sentimental twist on the tale. Although, if this was the truth, it would be another near-perfect festive tale.

There is gentle comedy throughout the novel, but also clear heart-wrenching moments that will bring a tear to your eye. In fact, as I closed the book for the final time, I was shedding a few happy tears because at its conclusion (just like ‘A Christmas Carol’) it restores your faith in human nature.

I may be as bold as to state that, with her debut novel, Samantha Silva has created a modern-day classic and a fabulous little tribute to Mr Dickens and his work.