Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dickens Entertain at Home

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dickens Entertain at Home presents an account of the life of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dickens told in a series of parties, or "Occasions", given in their own homes. With each is given the lists of distinguished guests; a Victorian Menu taken from Kate Dickens's book What Shall We Have for Dinner?; and a matching one for use today. Recipes for carrying out both types of Menu follow each "Occasion". The book begins with the first dinner party of their married life in 1836 and ends with the completion of the book in 1852. Each chapter follows a quartet theme, with a repetition of four pages right through to the end. The first page of the quartet gives the date of the party (sometimes approximately), the home at which it was given, the guests present, and the life story. The second and third pages are devoted to matching Menus and recipes; and the fourth is an extract from Dickens's own works, chosen by his great granddaughter, Mrs. Stuart McHugh.