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When Charles Dickens came to Boston

15:46
Actor Jeremiah Kissel recites lines from "A Christmas Carol" in the mirror Charles Dickens used to rehearsal during his stays at the Parker House in Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Actor Jeremiah Kissel recites lines from "A Christmas Carol" in the mirror Charles Dickens used to rehearsal during his stays at the Parker House in Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

It's a Christmas classic. The story of a miserly, horrible human being who is given a chance at redemption by three ghosts on Christmas night.

Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" has been told and retold over almost 200 years now, but did you know that thousands of people turned out in 1867 to hear Dickens himself read the story here in Boston?

We catch up with Susan Wilson, the official house historian of the Omni Parker House in Boston. Dickens stayed at the Parker House during his visit, and the mirror he used to rehearse is still there.

This segment aired on December 16, 2021.

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