The Haunting of Charles Dickens
-
-
1.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
Meg Pickel's older brother, Orion, has disappeared. One night, she steals out to look for him, and makes two surprising discoveries: She stumbles upon a séance that she suspects involves Orion, and she meets the author Charles Dickens, also unable to sleep, and roaming the London streets. He is a customer of Meg's father, who owns a print shop, and a family friend. Mr. Dickens fears that the children of London aren't safe, and is trying to solve the mystery of so many disappearances. If he can, then perhaps he'll be able to write once again.
With stunning black-and-white illustrations by Greg Ruth, here is a literary mystery that celebrates the power of books, and brings to life one of the world's best-loved authors.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Buzbee (Steinbeck's Ghost) pens a charming and gripping tale that is, at its heart, a love letter to Charles Dickens. The scene is 1862 London, at which point Dickens has achieved fame. He is a close friend of the family that operates a print shop he frequents ("The famous Mr. Dickens seemed a wholly other person from the one who used to bring Meg boxes of Turkish Delight"). Meg's older brother, Orion, has been missing for six months when the book opens; haunted by his disappearance and having difficulty sleeping (something she has in common with Dickens), Meg teams up with the author, and the unlikely pair investigate Orion's disappearance and gather ideas for a novel. Their adventures take them from the city streets to underground bars and grim workhouses. Buzbee creates solid characters (and certainly has fun naming them, as did Dickens) and an authentic flavor of Dickensian London, enhanced by Ruth's striking and evocative b&w drawings (not all seen by PW), while addressing issues of feminism, the search for identity, and child abuse. Ages 10 14.
