Hungerford Stairs

Young Charles 'Charley' Dickens (yes, that Charles Dickens) lives with his family in 1820s London. His father, John Dickens, works at the Navy Pay Office whilst Charley & sister, Frances, attend school - at least Charley used to attend school. Now his father tells him that he has procured a position for him at a local boot blacking (boot polish) factory located at Hungerford Stairs. Knowing the family is struggling for money & creditors are beginning to circle, Charley eagerly takes on extra work delivering packages for the strange Mr Worms. When John Dickens is arrested for debt & imprisoned, Charley's desperation to rescue his family means he is drawn further into the criminal underworld of Mr Worms & the mysterious Mr Magnus.

Based loosely on a factual events in Charles Dickens' life (he did work in a boot-blacking factory around age 12 for a short period whilst his father was in Marshalsea prison for debts but the rest is fictional), the author cleverly weaves together the factual & fictional. Young Charley was a great main character - likeable, smart & caring - but his father & mother were difficult to like. I did enjoy the occasional nod to book names & people who became characters in Dickens' stories. I didn't like the constant switching from first to third person viewpoints as I found that it broke my concentration & brought me out of the story. It's also rather slow paced. Overall, it is an interesting story with an appealing main character, but I found that certain stylistic choices affected my enjoyment. 3.5 stars (rounded down).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Matador, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Wonderful work of historical fiction about Charles Dickens as a child. Based loosely on historic facts, his ne’er do well father sent him to work in a blacking factory at age twelve. Hours were long, and the conditions were harsh. The details are rich, imaginative, and Dickensian.

It is believed that this look into the life of the poor influenced his sympathy toward the common man in his writing. There was plenty of action to keep me reading, and I now feel better acquainted with young Charley Dickens.

I was hesitant to read this book because of the trauma of reading Dickens in high school but I am glad I read it and now I want to read some of his books again and hopefully appreciate them more. This story, loosly based on his life as a young boy, is heartbreaking and it was a miracle he became a writer. I am glad I knew he grew up to be successful or this book would have been much more stressful to read. The book was maybe a tad long but I kept thinking about it and going back to finish.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #HungerfordStairs

Making Charles Dickens the main protagonist in an historical novel is a bold undertaking for any author. Here, a bold feat of imagination, pays dividends. I found this story incredibly evocative. The grim poverty of late-Georgian London; the riverside dens of inequity; the rats; the filth; the grinding despair of the Marshalsea, are painted in haunting, heartbreaking tones.
It is at times a staggeringly beautiful and unbearably poignant story, combining real elements from the early years of Charles Dickens' life with other events of historical record such as the violent robbery at Cole Green in 1824.
This book is exceptional and inspiring. For fans of Charles Dickens and good historical fiction this is a must-read.