A Tale of Two Cities

by Lucinda Hawksley, Bob Harvey (Illustrator), Charles Dickens (Creator)

In 18th century France, the rich seem to have everything they could ever want while the poor barely keep from starving. Injustice is commonplace, and discontent and revolution are brewing.

The hero of this classic tale by Charles Dickens is a young French nobleman known as Charles Darnay. Sickened by the wrongs he sees, he renounces his family and his country, and tries to escape the past by settling in England. But when an old servant pleads for his help, he returns to Paris, only to find himself on trial for his life.

(back cover)

Genres: Classics, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Lucinda Hawksley is a British biographer, author and lecturer. She is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Victorian novelist Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine. Hawksley is an award-winning travel writer.
She also writes under the name Lucinda Dickens Hawksley.

Reviews

[Joseph Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent retelling of Dickens' very emotional and upsetting tale. I really enjoy Lucinda Hawksley's books and highly recommend them to Dickens fans.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting and I liked how it was different from all the books that I have read until now. Most of the books that I have read are newer and more modern books, talking about futuristic things and fictional events. But this book, originally written by Charles Dickens in the 1800's, was about a time in the 1700's where the revolution was revolting against France. The purpose of this book was to warn the upper-class of Britain, that the lower-class could eventually revolt just like the French revolutionaries. I liked this book because it was unique experience for me especially because I have not read a book about history before and I never expected myself to like it. The book had a fast pace and there were many times where the author would make a gap in the time. During the time gaps, the setting can change completely, whether it is a place in France or in England. The book had a lot of things happening at the same time, like when an event is happening in a bank in England, it suddenly skips to a journey in France. However, the author is able to bring the message out while being clear and bold, the author is able to bring out how amazing one of the characters was even when dying for his friend, his final moments were one of my favourite parts in the book. This book was a really good book because of how the author keeps it interesting and adds mysteries including mysteries about the British spies and the French revolution's true intent. This book is definitely a book that I would recommend to a friend.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In lieu of reading the actual Charles Dickens version of "A Tale of Two Cities" a friend lent this to me as a quick read to acquaint myself with the story. Eventually I plan to read the acclaimed original version, but for now this works. It's not the best way to tell a story, as it was a bit dry in its execution, and even as a "dumbed down" version I had trouble keeping track of the characters, especially since some were going by pseudonyms or were named after each other (what with the spies and children and whatnot). Complicated. Luckily, there was a list at the beginning of the book to help me out by telling me the who's who. As for the story itself, all I can say is that I'm glad I didn't live in France during the Reign of Terror. Yikes.

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first picked this title, I didn’t seem too enthusiastic to read it simply because it just wasn’t the type of book I enjoy reading. When I actually read the book my mind was changed quickly. I think that the book was well written and the plot of the story was certainly interesting. Character design was well made and the action scenes kept you on the edge of your seat. The book was enjoyable to read because the author kept things realistic. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I just enjoy books that seem realistic. I have no regrets about choosing this title and I think it was a solid choice. Overall I would say that I liked the book but I wouldn’t recommend it to the younger audience.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heart is deceitfully wicked. It's everyone for self. History repeats itself, because people refuse to heed warnings and learn from the past. There is nothing new under the sun. We all still want our own way. Where will it end? and when?

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read for children. My kids and I read this for our Dialectic homeschool literature studies.

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