Young Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley are very different in temperament when they meet at a boys' academy, but they form a bond that will endure for the rest of their lives. As years go by, they build a shipping empire of dubious legality. Then Belle Fairchild steps into Ebenezer's life and calls into question the practices that made him wealthy. Under the influence of a newfound passion, Ebenezer tries to turn the business around, but his partner is not ready to give up his unsavory past or easy profits.

From the acclaimed author of Finn comes a masterful re-imagining of Charles Dickens's classic, A Christmas Carol, in this darkly entertaining and moving exploration of the twisted relationship between Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley.