As Charles Dickens dipped his pen and began to write the classic tale "A Christmas Carol" in the autumn of 1843, the spirit of the story captured his heart and mind in an extraordinary way. Dwindling sales of his previous books had resulted in a desperate financial situation for Dickens, who had used much of his income to support worthy causes and needy family members. But the book which he had intended as a quick solution to his problems turned out to be much, much more.
This beautifully illustrated volume tells the story behind the writing of Dickens's most famous work and reveals how he discovered the spirit of Christmas for himself with a little help from his own literary characters.