At antique shops and old bookstores I often come across this book about the life of Jesus that was written by Charles Dickens. When I finally bought up a copy because of the included illustrations by Rachel Taft-Dixon, I had no idea the history surrounding the work. Charles Dickens wrote it as an easy biblical narrative for his children. He kept it so private, just for his family, that there were instructions for it never to be published "while any child of Dickens lived." This "secret" family story was written in 1846-1849 but wasn't published until 1933 when Dickens' final son died and expressed to his family his will that they should publish it if they wished.
Avoiding any thorny theological issues or even the divinity of Christ, Dickens wrote a benign account of Jesus as a good man who taught men to "love one another, and not to quarrel and hurt one another."
