About the Author

        Charles Dickens was born February 7th, 1812, in Landport, near Portsmouth, England. He was gladly born into the family of John and Elizabeth Dickens. Growing up, his dad John was a clerk in the Naval Pay Office. John didn’t have the best memory and found himself imprisoned for debt. Along with John his wife and children, with the exception of Charles, were thrown in with him. Charles was left to work in a factory as a young boy. Time slowly goes by and eventually Charles is released from the factory by his dad. Charles returned back to school and taught himself shorthand, at the age sixteen he became a parliamentary reporter. At twenty four his career took off with the publication of sketches by Boz in 1836, and then other publications followed. He started off his novelist career writing as a magazine editor. His family life ended early then he would have wanted, fame drew him apart from his wife of twenty three years, Catherine, and into the arms of young Ellen Ternan, an actress. His health wasn’t in top shape, but he continued his popular dramatic readings form his fiction to a public audience that included Queen Victoria. Sadly Charles Dickens career stopped short. This historic writer did not make it past 70, but he lived a long and ideal life in the eyes of readers. He died in his home in Kent, on June 9th, 1870.