Dombey and Son is a novel by English author Charles Dickens. It follows the fortunes of a shipping firm, whose owner is frustrated at not having a son to follow him in the job, and initially rejects his daughter’s love, eventually becoming reconciled with her before his death. The story features many Dickensian themes, such as arranged marriages, child cruelty, betrayal, deceit, and relations between people from different classes. The novel was first published in monthly parts between 1846 and 1848. Wikipedia.