Dear Mr. Dickens

Some people might not think writing a letter is a tremendously brave act, but it is if you are a young woman who knows in her heart that she needs to challenge a very famous and beloved author – a man even she admires! I had never heard of Eliza Davies and her letters to Charles Dickens and was captivated by the story. Davies wrote to Dickens protesting his stereotypical and harmful depiction of Jewish people in Oliver Twist. And she made a difference! I love how the story teaches kids that they, too, can make a difference and… show more.

Nancy Churnin shares the incredible story of the famous author, Charles Dickens, and Eliza Davis, the brave woman who wrote to Dickens to express her disappointment for his antisemitic portrayal of a Jewish man in Oliver Twist. Her letter had a profound impact on Dickens. In his next book, he included a wonderful Jewish character, making Eliza proud and grateful. I love how this book shows an ordinary person’s positive impact on a literary legend.