"Mother had the gripe and clutch of poverty upon her face, upon her figure, and not least of all upon her voice." After a traumatic childhood spent locked in a cellar, the orphaned George Silverman embarks on adolescence with the belief that he is completely worthless and that the people he cares about are better off without him. Not even when he falls in love with his beautiful student does he allow himself the luxury of happiness. And people like George are easy to take advantage of... One of Dickens' last writings, George Silverman's Explanation is one of his finest psychological achievements. A dark and fascinating story.