The Book Connection...: Audible Book Review: Cratchit: "A Christmas Carol" Continues by R. M. Bouknight

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Audible Book Review: Cratchit: "A Christmas Carol" Continues by R. M. Bouknight

What happened to the Cratchit family after Scrooge's enlightenment? Was it all sunshine and roses? Cratchit: "A Christmas Carol" Continues by R. M. Bouknight gives the reader a what-if story set more than a decade after the Christmas that changed Scrooge forever.

Thirteen Christmases have passed since three ghosts visited Ebenezer Scrooge and saved his soul. Once Scrooge "adopted" his lowly clerk and his family, the Cratchits ' lives changed forever. Under Scrooge's tutelage, Bob Cratchit might have become a successful man of business... but what did it cost him? His integrity. His family. His self-worth. So the ghosts of Christmas Present, Past, and of Christmas Yet to Come have returned to bring hope, love, and redemption to a family in peril.

If you have read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, you will feel at home with Cratchit, but make no mistake: this isn't a retelling of the original story. Like young Scrooge, Bob Cratchit has lost his way, but the events that unfolded in the last thirteen years are much darker.

Bob has been seduced by a world he was ill-prepared for, leading to the ultimate betrayal.

Peter has survived his service in a war, but returned a changed man.

Belinda's dedication to her father impacts her future.

Tiny Tim is no longer the sweet, young boy he used to be.

All this and more has been hard on a wife and mother's heart.

An Emmy-nominated writer, Bouknight brings his talents to this continuation of Dickens's classic Christmas tale. Formatted similarly to the original, it displays the crises that have befallen the Cratchit family as a result of Bob's change of character. Readers should be warned that while the source material portrayed the main character's life dismally, Cratchit has characters who endure PTSD, self-harm, suicide attempts, and the fracture of their beloved family.

Narrator David Sweeney-Bear brings Bouknight's offering to life with his voice talents, captivating the audience from the very beginning. In the early portions of this book, his narration is what kept me engaged, because the experiences of the characters were troubling to wade through. However, I am glad I stuck with it, because Cratchit holds within its pages a tremendous surprise as well as a phenomenal ending. Believe me, it will be worth reading through those darker moments.

If you are looking to indulge in a seasonal story that is familiar yet uniquely new, Cratchit is an excellent choice!