-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
A Novel
by Samantha Silva
A beloved, irresistible novel that reimagines the story behind Charles Dickens' Christmas classic.
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.
"Silva has imagined an intriguing and atmospheric backstory to the quintessential holiday tale and its most revered author." ―Library Journal
"Wonderfully Dickensian…With the wit and sprightly tone of a classic storyteller, Silva presents a heartwarming tale of friendship and renewal that's imbued with the true Christmas spirit." ―Booklist
"[Silva] tunes herself to Dickens's imaginative frequency…She inhabits Dickens's sensitivity to London's atmosphere, its chancellors and urchins, its cobblestones and fog." ―The New York Times Book Review
"Poignant…Impeccably delivered in a sprightly prose that wants to be read out loud…Silva, one senses, is a natural-born giver, a writer who most likely leaves a candle burning in the winter nights, inviting restless perambulators in." ―Chicago Tribune
"Mr. Dickens and His Carol is a charming, comic, and ultimately poignant story about the creation of the most famous Christmas tale ever written. It's as foggy and haunted and redemptive as the original; it's all heart, and I read it in a couple of ebullient, Christmassy gulps." ―Anthony Doerr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All The Light We Cannot See
"Mr. Dickens and His Carol is a novel of pure charm and humor, a terrific holiday tale. Samantha Silva had me haunting those dark streets alongside her inspired Dickens." ―Jess Walter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins
This information about Mr. Dickens and His Carol was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Samantha Silva is the author of the novels Love and Fury and Mr. Dickens and His Carol, and a screenwriter who has sold projects to Paramount, Universal, and New Line Cinema. She lives in Boise, Idaho.
If you liked Mr. Dickens and His Carol, try these:
by Allison Epstein
Published 2026
A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.
by Anne Michaels
Published 2025
A breathtaking and ineffable new novel from the author of the international best sellers Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault—a novel of love and loyalty across generations, at once sweeping and intimate
by Barbara Kingsolver
Published 2024
From the New York Times bestselling author of Unsheltered and Flight Behavior, a brilliant novel which enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero's unforgettable journey to maturity.
To win without risk is to triumph without glory
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
