Miss Marley

`Exquisite' Veronica Henry 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, Jake 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... In Miss Marley, Vanessa Lafaye weaves a spellbinding Dickensian tale of ghosts, goodwill and hope - a perfect prequel to A Christmas Carol. Praise for Miss Marley: `Exquisite' Veronica Henry, author of The Forever House and A Family Recipe `A beautiful, warm, rich hug of a story and bittersweet reminder to embrace life and enrich others as you go.' Liz Fenwick `The beauty of this book is not only in the gorgeous story, the attention to detail, the flowing prose, and the tribute to the original A Christmas Carol, but in the legacy that it is. Just perfect.' Louise Beech `Miss Marley has a fable-like quality that beautifully echoes the original with a directness that is both poignant and powerful.' Rachel Malik `Miss Marley magically captures the true spirit of Christmas. A delightful stocking filler to melt the hardest heart.' Martine Bailey `A warm return to some of Dickens' greatest characters - delivered with care, confidence and a vibrant heart, but most of all, with love.' Jason Hewitt `An absolute gem of a story... vivid and emotional on so many levels. It deserves to be in everyone's Christmas stocking.' Juliet West, author of Before the Fall `Love, disappointment, kindness and greed all play their parts in this delightful companion piece to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.' Woman & Home