The Snake-Oil Dickens Man

1867. From the clamour of P.T. Barnum's circus rushing through the plains of Missouri to the bustle of New York's packed theatres, this is the story of a young man's loss of innocence as he searches for his father. Discovering he's an illegitimate siring of Charles Dickens, Billy Talbot  sets off to find the great writer, but his journey across America leads him to Hope Scattergood, a consumptive charlatan with his own interest in Dickens. 

'A novel so rich in its authenticity it can sustain the myriad of twists and turns that keep the reader enthralled and believing to the end. The Times

'This is an extraordinary book.'  Spectator

'This splendid debut novel catches the slurred cadence of Southern speech as neat as shuckin' corn.' Time Out

'A charming, atmospheric first novel..delightfully conceived.'  Independent