Amy Dorrit was born in debtor’s prison, where her father has been incarcerated for so long that he is called the Father of the Marshalsea prison. Arthur Clenham has just returned to England after spending most of his adult life abroad. He investigates a family mystery, believing that his parents have somehow wronged the Dorrit family, but unsure how to make restitution. He befriends Amy, nicknaming her “Little Dorrit”, since she is the youngest of her family.

Typical of Dickens, there are numerous subplots, a complex tapestry of connections between characters, and various plot-lines that intersect and combine. I love the complexity and depth of his plots! There is a lot of wonderful family drama, blackmail, financial ruin and sudden financial gain, romance and despair, and of course, that inimitable Dickens’ charm.
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