Five Weeks in the Country

by Francine Prose

From the acclaimed, award-winning author of Reading Like a Writer and Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris, 1932 comes an utterly original novel inspired by the strange friendship between Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen and set during the summer when Dickens's family life exploded.

In the summer of 1857, when British newspapers warned of an approaching comet about to destroy the earth, an unusual-looking stranger arrived at Charles Dickens's home, Gad's Hill, in the countryside outside London. Dickens had met Hans Christian Andersen at a dinner party, a decade before, and, in a moment of desperation, had invited him to visit.

The visit did not go well. The eccentric Danish author of classic fairy tales, who barely spoke English, outstayed his welcome and alienated the Dickens household, which included nine children. Even the oblivious, obsessively self-conscious Andersen sensed the increasing tension between Dickens and his unhappy wife, Catherine, but was slow to understand—or to believe—that Dickens had fallen in love with a young actress appearing in his new play. For Andersen, those five weeks were a series of social mistakes and embarrassments but ultimately a lesson in how life's most humbling experiences can be transformed into art.

Five Weeks in the Country, a work of imaginative fiction inspired by actual events, is Francine Prose at her dazzling best.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Summer, Historical, Adult Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2026

About the author

Francine Prose is the author of twenty works of fiction. Her novel A Changed Man won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Blue Angel was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her most recent works of nonfiction include the highly acclaimed Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, and the New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director's Fellow at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her most recent book is Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Yalla Balagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francine Prose sets her novel at Gad's Hill Place in Kent, spring of 1857, inside the crumbling domestic theater of Charles Dickens. A celebrity influencer, celebrated author, and, to his nine children, a father who has replaced love and warmth with a performance of it.

The children, narrating collectively, watch Father’s smile cool toward Mother Catherine. Father reads "A Christmas Carol" aloud every Christmas Eve with all his famous theatrical force, yet after the reading, he sends the family straight to bed, allowing the house to grow damp, the gravies to congeal, and the cat’s taxidermied paw to serve as Mother’s Christmas gift. He has given her the present he wanted for himself.

Into this already volatile domestic arrangement, Europe's most emotionally ungovernable fairy-tale author, Hans Christian Andersen, crashes, literally, through the front hall, collapsing on the Dickenses’ luggage before curling up on the parlor carpet land going to sleep. He arrived a day early, speaks fragmentary English, eats the children's potatoes with gusto, terrifies the dogs by fearing them, and has the servants conspiring against him by the second morning. He was supposed to stay briefly. He stays five weeks.

The children, who despise his "hopeless love for Father," recognize in his longing a grotesque mirror of their own. Both he and they are devotees vying for genuine affection.

Threading through the household chaos is the rumor that a German astronomer has calculated that a comet will destroy the earth on June 15. Father gathers the family, invokes his friend at the Royal Astronomical Society, and announces the odds against catastrophe as one in 281 million. Andersen, who as a child watched a comet from an icy hillside with his gin-sodden mother, remains unconvinced. The children, delighted to have a lever of terror to deploy against their impossible guest, do everything they can to amplify his dread.

Who is actually lying, and to whom, and is the comet hurtling toward the Dickens household astronomical or matrimonial?

Francine Prose takes a famous man at the height of his reputation and stations her camera at the spot where his halo slips.

Dickens spent his career manufacturing sentimental domesticity for a mass audience while dismantling his actual family. Prose catches him in the act.
❤️ 🇮🇱

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Harper for the gifted copy.

📖 **Summary**

Inspired by real events, this novel imagines the infamous five week visit Hans Christian Andersen made to Charles Dickens's home in the summer of 1857. What begins as a friendly invitation quickly becomes an uncomfortable stay filled with misunderstandings, social awkwardness, family tension, and growing unhappiness as Andersen unknowingly inserts himself into a household already struggling under the weight of secrets and personal turmoil.

💭 **Review**

This was such an interesting reading experience because it is based on a real life friendship that many people may not even know existed. The idea alone immediately grabbed my attention. Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen spending five uncomfortable weeks together sounds fascinating, and honestly, it was every bit as awkward as I hoped it would be.

Hans Christian Andersen is one of the most socially awkward characters I have read in quite some time. He constantly misses social cues, misunderstands situations, and seems completely unaware of the discomfort he creates around him. There were multiple moments where I found myself cringing for him while also feeling a little sorry for him. It created a strange mix of secondhand embarrassment and sympathy that kept me invested in his story.

At the same time, Dickens is hardly the picture of charm himself. As the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that many people in his household are unhappy. There is tension simmering beneath the surface from the very beginning, and the longer Andersen stays, the harder it becomes to ignore. The family dynamics were often uncomfortable, messy, and surprisingly sad.

What I appreciated most was how Francine Prose captured the emotional atmosphere of the household. There is a constant sense that everyone is pretending things are fine while quietly falling apart underneath. The relationships feel strained, resentments linger in the background, and nearly every interaction carries a layer of discomfort.

This is definitely a slower, character driven novel. Readers looking for a fast paced historical story may struggle with it. The focus here is very much on personalities, observations, conversations, and the complicated relationships between these real historical figures. For me, the strongest aspect was watching these larger than life literary figures reveal themselves as deeply flawed and very human people.

I also enjoyed the historical details woven throughout the story. The setting felt authentic, and I found myself fascinated by how much of the novel was inspired by actual events. Knowing that Andersen really overstayed his welcome made some scenes even more entertaining.

While I appreciated the writing and the historical premise, I never became completely emotionally attached to the characters. In many ways, everyone felt trapped in their own unhappiness, and that melancholy atmosphere occasionally kept me at a distance. Still, it remained a compelling look at friendship, ego, loneliness, family tension, and the stories people tell themselves about who they are.

This ended up being a thoughtful and often uncomfortable novel that offers a unique glimpse into a very unusual literary friendship.

❓ **Would I Recommend?**

Yes, especially for readers who enjoy literary historical fiction, character driven stories, and novels inspired by real people and events. If you are fascinated by authors, complicated relationships, and awkward social situations, there is plenty here to appreciate.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. This was a Goodreads giveaway winner.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, but it is such a unique story with dramatic writing and I was sucked right in. I love the same events are told in 3 parts/ POVs - the children, Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen. I think the author did such a good job of taking what was known and pieces of real correspondence, and weaving a tale around it. It's also fascinating how the same events can be perceived in 3 completely differnet ways, which also really made me think during this story about the interpretation of historical events.

I love how the children’s’ POV is first because we are just in the dark as they are about what is going on. And then we see the very self-centered Charles and his take on everything, his obsessions and how they inform his actions. It's amazing that someone who is known for their societal commentary could be so self-obsessed and rude to those around him. I love the "mask off" perspective. And I in no way condone his actions, but it’s an interesting look into how a tough childhood can last in adulthood. How he had dreams and even when accomplishing them, it’s not enough, and he is always seeking more and trying to a new purpose for his life. Finally I kind of adored Hans Christian. I can see why he wrote the way he did, he still felt childish in his thoughts and honestly I enjoyed that more than Charles. To see his earnestness and how people took that as social awkwardness made me feel for him even more. And his child-like obsession with Charles was honestly so like the children at the beginning that it made for a well rounded ending.

This book was so unique!

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own.

[Jeremy Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 ⭐️

I love Francine Prose. She was the first author that I ever read who made me question how much perspective plays into truth - or at least what we believe to be true. This book is centered in that question. The book lays out the exact same events three times from three different perspectives: first, the collective consciousness of Charles Dickens’s children; second, Dickens himself, and third, Hans Christian Anderson.

What always sticks out to me about this form of writing is it reminds me how little we know about other people. We are constantly making assumptions about why people do what they do. Books like these remind us that we’re all more similar than we think. We all want to feel chosen, be loved, and generally have good intentions (even if it doesn’t look that way outwardly).

I attended an author talk about this book before reading and it was very cool to hear how much personal experience was put into this book (including the dreaded geranium incident!).

This book is weird. It’s a little slow. But the characters are so lovely to spend some time with. It’s a character study about literary masters. I’m thrilled to have finally returned to read a new Francine Prose.

[Gayla Bassham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read far more Dickens biographies than I care to admit and so I was aware of the five-week visit Hans Christian Andersen paid to the Dickens family. This novel imagines various perspectives -- Dickens's, his wife's, his children's, Andersen's -- on the visit that was, by all accounts, wildly unsuccessful. I don't think the ending quite landed, at least not for me, but I was captivated the entire time. (And justice for poor Hans, who probably _was_ extremely difficult in ways he did not intend, but he meant well, whereas Dickens was both difficult and not a little self-serving.)

(This is really a 4.5-star novel for me, and would be five if I'd liked the ending better.)

[Bekah Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book initially had me despising Hans Christian Anderson, but by the end I sympathized with him entirely.

I don’t know why I’m surprised, but it turns out that Charles Dickinson was an as$.

The writing is fantastic! The book takes place in three points of views, starting with the children, then Charles Dickens, then Hans Christian Anderson. As a result, some of the information seems duplicated and redundant.

I’m not sure how to rate this book because there’s only a short afterward. I expected to see much more information about the liberties that the author took so I’m just unclear of how much of this is true.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francine Prose’s Five Weeks in the Country made me realize two things very quickly: literary geniuses can be wildly insufferable, and absolutely nobody in this book needed a five-week houseguest during a family implosion. The emotional tension here felt like sitting at a Victorian dinner table where everyone is pretending to be polite while secretly one bad comment away from throwing a roast chicken across the room.

Published by Harper, thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ARC because this was one of the strangest, smartest, most quietly chaotic historical fiction reads I’ve picked up in a while.

Set during the summer of 1857, the story follows Hans Christian Andersen arriving at Charles Dickens’s country home just as the Dickens family is quietly unraveling behind closed doors. What follows is basically an emotionally awkward social disaster wrapped in literary history. The brilliance of this novel isn’t dramatic twists—it’s the uncomfortable intimacy of it all. Francine Prose transforms a real historical footnote into something painfully human, melancholic, and weirdly compelling.

What fascinated me most was how differently everyone experiences the same events. The children sense emotional distance and confusion. Catherine Dickens carries this lingering sadness through every room. Dickens himself feels charismatic yet deeply self-absorbed, constantly performing even inside his own home. And then there’s Andersen—earnest, lonely, socially disastrous Andersen—who somehow became the character I pitied most by the end.

“He wanted love from people who had none left to give.”

That line honestly captures the emotional atmosphere of this novel perfectly.

The writing feels rich, literary, and intentionally melancholic for the period, but underneath it all is a deeply uncomfortable story about ego, loneliness, fame, marriage, and the quiet collapse of a family while the outside world still applauds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you ever read a book that completely changed how you viewed a famous historical figure?

0#FiveWeeksInTheCountry #FrancineProse #HistoricalFiction #BookReview #NetGalley #Bookstagram #HistoricalNovel #ReadersOfInstag

[Edens Book Den · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has such a distinct tone from the very first pages-it opens with a heaviness that immediately sets the stage, especially through the children’s voices as they sense their father pulling away. There’s something really heartbreaking about that perspective…and it carries throughout the story.


The way Hans Christian Andersen steps into Charles Dickens’ world feels awkward, and very intentional. You can feel how out of place he is, how every interaction has a bit of strain to it. It’s not a visit anyone would envy, and that tension follows him the whole time. The writing leans into that too…it has that slightly melancholic, Dickensian feel that really fits the setting and mood.

What stood out to me most was Andersen himself. There’s this sense that he’s incredibly talented, but also unsure of where he fits-like he can’t quite see what’s already within him or what’s right in front of him. Add in the language barrier and all the social missteps, and it becomes such a human story. It really taps into that feeling we all have sometimes, like we don’t quite belong-while also reminding us that we’ve all had our own wins and moments worth celebrating.

“I awoke, lit the lamp, and began to write. I felt words returning, then a sentence, then another. I knew what would happen next, and after that. Something had been found. Something had returned to me.”

That quote really captures the feeling of of struggling and then suddenly finding your way back.


There’s a lot of imagination woven in, but it’s grounded in emotion and vulnerability. Not always the easiest tone, but definitely a thoughtful and memorable read.

I’ll absolutely be picking up more from Prose-especially Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife, which I’ve been wanting to read.

If you love historical fiction that leans into character and emotion, this is one to pick up. It takes a real-life encounter and fills in the gaps with imagination, focusing on the emotions and tensions behind it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



I was gifted an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Julie Stielstra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted badly to love this. I admire Francine Prose, and am irredeemably addicted to Dickens’s novels. I already knew about Hans Christian Andersen’s overlong visit to the Dickens family, and was eager to see what a fellow Dickens aficionado and fine writer would do with it in fictional form. The first section describes the visit and the visitor in a collective voice of the 9 Dickens children: they find Andersen just weird and awkward and pushy and mostly wish he would just leave them alone. The second section is Dickens’s own, a close third person take on his extreme discomfort and dislike of Andersen, who barely speaks English, violates all the household conventions and norms, and while he admires and loves Dickens, he’s just very weird about it. This section also drags us into Dickens’s obsessive passion for the teenaged actress Nelly Ternan and through his reprehensible treatment of his poor, desperate, wretched wife. The third section gives Andersen his turn: and you know what? He is creepy, a monster of egotism, in a pathetic, wheedling, whining, way.

Yes,I know Dickens was an overbearing, controlling, demanding, egotistical jerk. Which pains me. Anderson was a jerk too, just in a different way. In fact, there wasn’t a person in this book you’d want to spend an evening with, let alone five weeks. Too little sympathy, too long, just a rather dreary exercise. I finished it, but this one goes on the donation pile. 🥺

[Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader 2.0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the masterful hands of Francine Prose, this novel manages to be funny but at the same time painfully sad. It's based on an invitation Charles Dickens sent to Hans Christian Andersen to come for a visit. Andersen does, arriving unannounced (his reply did not arrive) and at the crucial point in the dissolution of the Dickens family. Andersen doesn't speak English and is one of those people who simply cannot read social cues. He cannot understand why Dickens' effusive invitation is resulting in this rude, unkind treatment. The Dickens children--all nine of them--know something bad is up. Their father has moved them from their happy city life to a remote house in the country, he treats their mother cruelly, and they know that he has a lover in town. Dickens wants to be rid of all of them, but here he is with the universe's most awkward house guest.

You feel for everyone in this story but Andersen if the saddest. Brilliant but usually failing, uncomfortable but living off a string of invitations, he is someone who will not fit anywhere.

This odd historical event does not result in satisfying literature. I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps because everyone is so unhappy and can't pull themselves together enough to seek to understand this guest who wants nothing more than to love them.

Thanks to Edelweiss for a DRC of this novel.

[Christina Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review - Five Weeks in the Country by Francine Prose
This was a really fascinating read for those who are historical fiction readers. This book was about the family of Charles Dickens and the time period before he left his family. The books is about a five week period of time in 1856 when the family is at their country home and Hans Christian Anderson comes to visit.
Charles Dickens and his wife had 9 children who survived into childhood. Charles and his wife Catherine did not marry for love and with Charles being away and his lack of affection (as well as having so many children and undiagnosed depression) resulted inn Catherine spending much of time in her bedroom despondent over her marriage. Hans comes to visit at a time when to eir marriage is falling apart and overstays his welcome.
The book is told from multiple points of view, Dickens children, his wife, Dickens himself and Hans Christian Anderson which I found really interesting. I had not realized that Hans was such a odd duck. Also had no idea that Dickens was really not a good person at all.
The book was well written and I enjoyed the storyline and all of the characters.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hilariously unsurprising that Charles Dickens would have a terrible time getting rid of an unwanted houseguest and that Hans Christian Andersen would be an unwanted houseguest.

Such is the basis of Five Weeks in the Country, and like all the most ridiculous stories, this one is mostly true.

The king of Danish fairytales really did visit the Dickens family at their home in the country and badly overstay his welcome. Prose takes this almost slapstick mashup of Victorian writers and imagines what the experience might have been like.

Dickens’ children narrate using the royal we, which is both aptly clever and well-rendered, giving voice to the perfect semi-omniscient spies. Who better to give us all the dirt on the adults of the household than the kids? It’s harder to write from this perspective than it would have been to use the servants to the same end, but Prose has pulled it off beautifully.

The book is a bit on the slow side and will likely only be of interest to Dickens enthusiasts like myself, but it’s a fun and truly original read.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't read this if you want to maintain warm, fuzzy feelings about Charles Dickens. For that matter, don't read any stories that address who he was as a man. However, if you want a glimpse of what that man could be like, as well as a revelatory look at who Hans Christian Anderson was, this might be just the thing for you. Neither is portrayed in a very positive way, but the story is based on evidence that is well explained both at the beginning and end of the book. I found this interesting, and written in a style that allowed each of the main characters to tell their point of view. Each part goes through the whole story from one character's perspective, with the next part going back to the beginning from a different character's perspective. This did not feel repetitive to me, but more like peeling back the layers of an onion, with each narrative providing a deeper understanding of the events. I liked this, and would say it was a solid 3.5 stars, which I'm rounding up to 4. There was nothing wrong with the story. It just isn't something I would normally read, but I thought the premise sounded interesting, and was able to access it through Netgalley.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
Historical fiction of one of the most unusual friendships and the dilemma of what to do with a houseguest who overstays their welcome. I can't imagine two more distinctly opposite personalities than authors Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen and it is very evident when Dickens loosely invites Andersen to visit his country home. The Danish fairy tale author arrives barely speaking English and between scaring the Dickens children with his over the top pantomimes and his unlike English behavior it is not an easy visit. There is also the fact that Charles Dickens is having a not so secret affair with a much younger actress in London causing his wife and the rest of the family a lot of pain. Hans Christian Andersen sees this and is sympathetic to Mrs. Dickens and the family. I wish that Charles Dickens wasn't such an odious character and Hans Christian Andersen a buffoon but it was an interesting look at the cost of fame, large egos and the male lack of feeling towards the family left behind. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francine Prose takes a real-life encounter between Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens at his home in Gad's Hill, taking place during a tumultuous and painful period in the writer's family's life, and spins it into a riveting account. The same story is told three different times: once through the eyes of Dickens' collective children, once through Dickens' own eyes and once in a first person account by Andersen. The overlap contains inconsistencies to keep a literary sleuth busy, and the Dickens narrative is compelling--it's almost as if the Great Writer can see what a douche he is towards his wife and kids, but not completely. But Andersen's account of the experience is what I found the most endearing and gripping, which surprised me. Prose pulls off Andersen's childish ineptitude with English Victorian social custom with dexterity and heart; by the novel's conclusion, I wanted to pat the guy on the shoulders and comfort him. A wonderful tale.

[Jane Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Francine Prose's work of historical fiction both interested and frustrated me. Five Weeks in the Country describes Hans Christian Andersen's visit to the country home of Charles Dickens in the summer of 1857. In telling the story from different points of view, Prose employs colorful details the reader recognizes in each version. Although some incidents come off as humorous, the overall sense is pathos. I felt sad for Andersen, for Dickens' wife and children and servants; and I felt angry with Dickens. Anderson's visit coincided with the falling apart of the Dickens family.

Prose tells the story in an interesting way. Seeing London's literary scene in 1857 also interested me. What frustrated the daylights out of me was the almost total lack of dialogue. Every character had feelings and opinions about incidents during those five weeks, but they just made observations, assumptions, and judgments without checking in with each other.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review.
This book in innovative and fun!
It's true that Hans Christian Anderson visited the Charles Dickens family at their country home and stayed for 5 weeks. What Francine Prose does with this tidbit is presents the story from all sides. How does the family feel about the visitor and their father/spouse? What was Dickens' and Anderson's take of the visit?
I found the book both informative and humorous! I know where was a lot of license taken as the author explains, but I personally will never tire of books about authors and how they interacted in their day, especially Dickens. I find them fascinating!
4*

[Joni Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

1857 Historical fiction told in three parts. The children of Charles Dickens, Dickens himself, and his houseguest, Hans Christian Anderson. Some of the book is true and some is fiction so it became hard to know what to think. What do you do when your houseguest stays for five weeks rather than a few nights? That’s pretty annoying. What happens when the mistress of the house tells you that she knows her husband is having an affair? Do you try to assist - and who?! The injured party or your fellow author? How long do you stay when it seems apparent that no one in the family, including the nine children want you there - when all you want is to be part of this idealized family. Ultimately, I felt sad for everyone in the novel - although Dickens comes across as a jerk

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried with this book for over a week. I finally am giving it a DNF at 176 pages. I just could not spend any more time on such a miserable novel. I give the author credit for writing so effectively that I pretty much despised everyone in the story. Sad, depressing, and annoying is my description of this story. HCA is clearly on the spectrum, and Dickens is a narcissistic whiner. Nothing in this book made me want to finish it or find out what happens. The summary already tells us Dickens divorced his wife.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I generally love Francine Prose books (especially The Blue Angel), this one, while good, did not seem up to her usual standards. This fictional account of the true events that inspired Hans Christian Andersen to visit to the home of Charles Dickens is interesting. I like that we get the same story three times: first, by the children of Dickens, second, by Dickens himself (as he falls in love with young actress Ellen Ternan) and, finally, by Andersen (who has little awareness of how he is imposing on the family). Still quite well done...

[Reader]

A longtime fan of Francine's, I think she's really hit a home run with this her latest. If you love literature and those individuals create the best out there, you will enjoy her take on the visit of Hans Christian Anderson to Charles Dickens. Both figures turn out to be both prickly and colorful. The best scenes are those when we find them trying to deal with each other. Comical, heartfelt, informative, and deeply empathetic. It's a great read!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imagined encounter, based on some historical evidence, between Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens and his family. Lots of humour and irony ensues from three perspectives on the same story told by the children, Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen. A comet’s imminent arrival sets an ominous backdrop to this encounter representing the coexistence and tension of brilliance and isolation.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this book was basically fictional but inspired by real events. The author has a great imagination and as someone who loves Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen this was a very satisfying read. The drama makes it a modern day entertainment for an easy weekend read. Loved the setting and the narration and the overall plot. I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eileen Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hans Christian Andersen visits Charles Dickens and his family in their country home. Andersen is over-sensitive, easily offended; Dickens is moody, mostly displeased. Andersen reveres Dickens; in turn, Dickens barely tolerates his visitor. Through the viewpoints of both men and the children, Francine Prose reveals much about the Dickens’ marriage. Hers is a unique style.

[Amara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book holds moments of magic written in vivid detail that I’ll remember. Interesting characters that come to life, but there’s a lack of kindness that makes me feel affectionate about any of them. Great premise built on some real-life events, but I would have loved to have more of a transformative journey. A grounded story, beautifully written. I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Dale Barlow]

06.26.2026: per mid-week NY Times Book Review of new Historical Fiction; this one is about "Two famous writers: one desperate for any sort of kindred connection, the other desperate to escape his wife and nine children. Put them all in a mansion in rural England and wait for the neurotic implosion."...sounds like my cup of tea...;

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this book to be amusing, revealing, creative, insightful, enjoyable. Something. If it is possible I enjoyed this book less than Dickens enjoyed his visit from Andersen.

I confess I did not finish it.

[Debbie (Scout Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prose's sentence-level writing is very good. While the historical event of Hans Christian Andersen visiting Charles Dickens's country estate is interesting, it didn't work for me in this novel. I'm not really sure why this is, but I do know that I didn't like any of the characters.

[Deborah Getzoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

different points of view : fiction mixed with nonfiction

Loved that it was told by more than one person with different personalities and perspectives. Very interesting. Some history mixed with fiction.