British author Charles Dickens was born in a small town in 1812. He spent most of his childhood in London and entered school at the age of nine, but he had to leave his studies at the age of twelve when his father was imprisoned for accumulated debts. To support himself, he was forced to work in a shoe polish factory. These circumstances in which Dickens grew up instilled in him a feeling of oppression and abandonment that he carried throughout his life.

Dickens was twenty-four when he began writing his novels, which earned him widespread fame. He was a keen observer of events, people, and places, particularly drawn to the prevailing living conditions in London in the mid-nineteenth century. He wrote with fluency when describing members of the middle class or individuals who had received little education.

His writing draws the reader's attention to the turbulent social conditions that existed in England for over a hundred years and, in some cases, helped to improve them. Dickens left behind a number of novels and literary works, including 'Hard Times' (1854). This book, which we are now exploring, includes its text in English and its translation into Arabic, making it intended for young readers with the goal of educating them, strengthening their English language, and also introducing them to the most famous world novels.