In 1843, Charles Dickens is at a low point in his career, with several failed books behind him and mounting family expenses. Determined to get back on his feet, he decides to write a Christmas story and publish it himself in less than two months. As he works under the deadline, Dickens is forced to confront his personal demons, including painful memories of his father, and he turns these struggles into the characters and conflicts of what will become A Christmas Carol.