The Dickens Boy

  • Author Thomas Keneally
  • Narrator David Tredinnick
  • Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
  • Run Time 14 hours and 42 minutes
  • Format Audio
  • Genre Historical fiction.
Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift

Listen to a sample

What to expect

In 1868, Charles Dickens dispatches his youngest child to Australia. Like his brother Alfred before him, sixteen-year-old Edward is expected to learn to apply himself in what his father considers to be the new land of opportunity.

Posted to a remote sheep station in New South Wales, Edward discovers that Charles Dickens' fame has reached even there, as has the gossip about his father's scandalous liaison with an actress. Amid colonists, ex-convicts, local tribespeople and a handful of eligible young women, Edward strives to be his own man - and keep secret the fact that he's read none of his father's novels.

Conjuring up a life of sheep-droving, horse-racing and cricket tournaments in a community riven with tensions and prejudice, the story of Edward's adventures also affords an intimate portrait of Dickens' himself. This vivacious novel is classic Keneally: historical figures and events re-imagined with verve, humour and compassion.

(P)2020 Penguin Random House Australia Ltd

Critics Review

An engrossing and transporting read

Financial Times

[A] genial, wry recreation of [Edward Dickens’] time in remote New South Wales

Daily Mail

A bustling picaresque tale . . . there are some unforgettably vivid scenes in this rompy but emotive story of bruised youth.

Mail on Sunday

[An] absorbing novel . . . Plorn himself is a joy

The Times

Keneally has brought off a notable double: a delightful and continuously interesting portrayal of mid-19th century life in the rolling sheep pastures of New South Wales and an acute and persuasive examination of the mystery that Charles Dickens still presents, and of the enduring fascination he exerts over us today.

Scotsman

The Dickens Boy . . . is energetic, even exuberant. It is in love with the abundance of life it negotiates.

The Sydney Morning Herald

An ingenious, hilarious novel . . . Keneally does what he does so well: he plucks people from the pages of history and gives them emotional lives

The Australian

A dashing, crisply written book

Saturday Paper

Keneally is a master at weaving historical figures and events into compelling works of fiction and so he does with his new book

Brisbane News

Rewarding terrain for a much-loved novelist

Gleaner

Tender and wry as the novel is, it has a tough-minded postcolonial core . . . Keneally’s other life as a historian informs every page; his is an antique footnote swelled up to life-size

Australian Book Review

A vibrant novel

Woman & Home

About xigxag

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required.  Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech.  Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems.  Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app.  Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.