Published By: HQ
Pages: 162
Date Released: 01/11/2018
Before A Christmas Carol there was…Miss Marley.
A seasonal tale of kindness and goodwill. Orphans Clara and Jacob Marley live by their wits, scavenging for scraps in the poorest alleyways of London, in the shadow of the workhouse. Every night, Jacob promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’ and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it despite the terrible price.
And so Jacob Marley is set on a path that leads to his infamous partnership with Ebenezer Scrooge. As Jacob builds a fortress of wealth to keep the world out, only Clara can warn him of the hideous fate that awaits him if he refuses to let love and kindness into his heart.
*****
Anyone that knows me, knows of my love for A Christmas Carol. I collect copies ranging from leatherbound copies from the late 1800s to more modern-day editions, so anything remotely linked to it, I gravitate towards.
As much as I love A Christmas Carol, I have never wondered about how Jacob Marley became ‘Jacob Marley’ in all the times I’ve read it. So at first, I did wonder whether this book was really necessary.
However, it’s poetic, and beautifully written, and very respectful of its muse.
What I found the most heartbreaking is that Vanessa Lafaye never lived to see it come together. Her friend Rebecca Mascull had to finish it for her, but you can’t tell it’s a different writer. It all flows together so well.
You can really see how much Charles Dickens means to both writers, and it really is a love letter to Dickens and his most famous story.
It is a small book that won’t take you long to read – much like the original source inspiration really. It’s perfect for curling up in the evening in front of a winter’s fire, getting lost in a story.
Books By Your Bedside 