A Carol for Mrs. Dickens
As the Christmas of 1851 approaches, Catherine “Kate” Dickens is not in the holiday spirit—not an easy position to be in at any time, but especially so when one’s husband is the author of A Christmas Carol. Not only is Kate pregnant with her tenth child and still grieving for the loss of her ninth child, but there is something lacking in the holiday for her that she just can’t identify. While her husband prepares for the family’s Christmas Eve party with his usual gusto (and micromanagement), Kate steels herself to act her accustomed role of the perfect hostess. Then, among the extra kitchen help hired for the occasion, she encounters the cheery Mrs. Morley, in whom Kate cannot resist confiding.
Connolly’s short novel (it can easily be read in a single sitting) is a charming variant on Charles Dickens’s famous story. Kate is an intelligent, capable heroine, and although those familiar with the couple’s later lives know that she will face challenges, we can close the book (or the e-reader) with the knowledge that she is well equipped to face the future. A section on Victorian Christmas traditions (which have largely shaped our own celebrations) will add to the reader’s enjoyment.
