Dombey and Sons was published in installments between October 1846 and April 1848. It sold a remarkable as truly a world-class author. The novel tells a story about the rich and powerful Paul Dombey, the head of the House of Dombey. He wants a son and when a daughter (Florence) is born, he despises her and rejects her. His wife dies giving birth to his second child, a son (Paul ) who is weak and frail and dies as a child. Dombey remarries but his second wife does not love him, refuses him a child, and runs off with the manager of the firm. With the manager gone, Paul cannot run the business, and it fails. He ends his days in the care of his neglected daughter, Florence.