Ebenezer's First Noel: A Prequel to The Christmas Carol
The Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is the beloved story of a miser's transformation. Ebenezer's First Noel shows what happened to Ebenezer Scrooge before and after Jacob Marley and the three ghosts visited him.
In this retelling, Jacob sends Ebenezer back to his days when he was in love with Belle for one last chance for love and to save Marley from his torments. Pursued by the arch-criminal Professor James Moriarty, Ebenezer and Belle and their children Catherine and Heathcliff find refuge and make their lives in mid-nineteenth century Australia.
Using themes and characters from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, and H.P. Lovecraft, Ebenezer's First Noel ties up all the loose ends but remains true to the spirit and style of Dickens's classic. It's a story of romance and redemption from the fog and the gas lamps of London of the Industrial Revolution to the early years of Australia's pioneers.