Being a lover of fine literature, the world of Charles Dickenshas always held a special place in my heart. It's a place and a timeuniquely his own. I had always know that much of what he wrote about was autobiographical. But not until reading MacKenzie's work did I have a full understanding of the man. She starts with his rough origins, which strongly reflect the world of David Copperfield, takes us through his early working years, his personal life, and lastly, his physical decline. The book gives us insights into the man, and fleshes him out like so many of his characters. MacKenzie describes his jealousy of other writers, his struggle to financially care for his extended family, describes the plays he painstakenly put on with his family and friends, details the summer vacations with his family, his reading tours of America, and, most importantly, his writing. His serialzied novles became the number one source of entertainment in the English speaking world. Crowds would gather on American docks, waiting for the English ships to unload the next installment of his latest novel. Families would gather around and read the work aloud, living and dying with each plot twist. MacKenzie shows how Dickens himself agaonized over every plot twist. The characters would become like family members to him. Bringing harm to them would often bring tears flowing from his eyes as he read the just finished installment to his family and friends. It's well worth the effort to try and find.