Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-151) and index.

The man in the shadows -- The poor people of London -- The early years -- A working-class boy -- Growing up -- Becoming a writer -- The workhouse -- Oliver Twist -- The sea captain who rescued foundling children -- The great benefactors : Handel, Hogarth, and Dickens -- Closing England's worst schools -- Sending ragged children to school -- Giving from a charitable heart -- A dedicated reformer -- A friend to the poor, a complex father -- An author for the ages -- Queen Victoria -- The legacy of the workhouse -- Child labor today -- Foundlings and street children worldwide -- How you can make a difference -- More about Charles Dickens and his times.

Warren takes you on a journey into the workhouses, slums, factories, and schools of Victorian England, and into the world of Dickens. She shows now he used his pen to do battle on behalf of the poor, becoming one of the great reformers of his or any age.