Another Small Gift: A Short Story by Alan Lastufka


Another Small Gift: A Short Story
Title : Another Small Gift: A Short Story
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
ISBN-10 : 9781733691918
Language : English
Format Type : ebook
Number of Pages : 14
Publication : Published May 12, 2020

Emma Brooks loves the Christmas cards she receives every year from her Mom, her younger sister Charlotte, and of course, her very much alive, as far as she knows, Uncle Mike. But when Emma stumbles onto one of her family's biggest secrets, her holidays will be changed forever.

This 3,000-word stand-alone short story takes place within the fictional Cellar, Ohio universe.

Another Small Gift: A Short Story Reviews

  • Vivian Hernandez

    This story tackles family values, secrecy, and relationships in an entirely unexpected way. It begins with the small tease of of a murder mystery that is quickly resolved and leads to a much bigger internal conflict.
    Watching Emma struggle with her choices was extremely strange for me. The central conflict lives much deeper than where I set my expectations, and seeing such a huge difference to how I would have responded left a lot lingering thoughts.
    Even a day after reading, I'm still pondering Emma's choices and my own in the same, should the situation ever present itself. It definitely leaves a lot of questions about happiness and kindnesses we give to others.

  • April Lyn

    I received this book for free in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

    I love short stories, though I will admit my standards are pretty high. In very few pages, an author has to delight and surprise me. Or at least make me raise an eyebrow at a concept or situation I hadn’t considered before.

    Lastufka does the latter in his newest short story, with a unique & interesting idea. But the story is somewhat predictable and the characters don’t feel real enough. The narrator was a bit of a drag.

    That said, the writing was good and the dialogue believable. It just didn’t wow me.

  • Ash

    "Another Small Gift" is a story that stays with you after reading it. What seems to start as a murder mystery quickly turns to something much more psychological.

    Would I make the same choices in this situation? This story grounds its grandiose premise with family dynamics and relationships that feel so real.

    This is a quick read that leaves you thinking - I definitely recommend taking the time to pick it up and give it a read.

  • Tatra

    A good short story

    It really does make an impact even with how short it is. The twist is kind of creepy, but amazing.

  • Steve Rufle

    Quick short story with a twist from start to finsh.