Charles Dickens attained an astounding level of popular acclaim during his lifetime; Victorian audiences clamored for his traditional Christmastime stories every year. The tale A Message From the Sea is an example of one of Dickens' Christmas publications; although the nautical setting of the story is not what one would traditionally expect from a holiday publication, the themes of charity, good will, and rising above seemingly insurmountable odds are sure to spark a warm glow in readers' hearts any time of the year.