Reviewed by Elizabetta
TITLE: Alaska
SERIES: 2013 DSP Advent Calendar – Heartwarming
AUTHOR: Kim Fielding
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 45 pages
BLURB:
Best friends Scott and Marco meet on a rooftop on Christmas Eve, each temporarily escaping from his difficult home life. With no gift to share, Marco instead promises to someday rescue Scott and take him to Alaska. As the years pass, they meet—first by design, then by chance—on occasional Christmas Eves, only to find life growing increasingly difficult. They treasure the few moments they have together, but will they ever reach Alaska?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package “Heartwarming”.
REVIEW:
Well, this sure tugged at my heart. Two good friends, young boys living in the fringes, support each other through hard and harder times. Scott is a foster kid with an alcoholic mom. Marco struggles to keep himself and two sisters out of foster care by putting up a good front– he works after school to feed and clothe his siblings and invalid granny.
The story is told in five year increments over the span of twenty years starting when the boys are twelve and thirteen years old, and ending with them in their mid-thirties. As kids, they meet each Christmas eve on Marco’s roof to share some quiet moments and dreams of a better future. Marco has no gift to exchange with Scott but promises him ‘rescuing’, he’ll take him away from it all someday, they’ll both go to Alaska. Why Alaska, isn’t clear but it’s far, far away from all their troubles.
We watch as the years test the guys together and apart through some very tough and lonely times. The author does a good job of engaging our empathy without becoming overly sentimental or preachy.
This is a tougher one to read especially for the holidays but it’s always good to be reminded that there are others much worse off than yourself. And that the power of love can see you through most anything.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: Dreamspinner Press
======================================
ADVENT CALENDER EVENT
Dreamspinner Press and The Blog of Sid Love bring to you an opportunity where you get to win a free set of DSP’s “Heartwarming” Advent Calender 2013. Yes! The full set with 31 stories including contributions from authors like Andrew Grey, Cardeno C., Grace R. Duncan, and many more…
If you wish to enter yourself into this contest, all you have to do is comment on every advent event post we make each day till the end of this month. Look out for titles with “Advent Calender Event” mentioned in them (such as this one) and the posts will be reviews on each and every story from this anthology.
The contest will end on 1st January, 2014 and the winners will be announced on the 2nd of January.
So, good luck to you all and Happy Holidays!
Sounds like one that will stay in the mind for a long time
Depressing but good story. I think this is one of the first ones I read and I have to say while I enjoyed it, I’m glad that most of the ones I read after didn’t’ leave me wanting to drown myself in something alcoholic.
LOL! But ’tis the season for alcohol, right? 😛
(I agree that a few of the bittersweet ones go a long way but this one was nicely written.)
I’m hoping it has a happy ending? The comment at the end of the review about the “power of love” gives me hope.
Is it hopeful at the end?
Yes, it has a nice ending, never fear!
Sounds like a sweet book.
Hoping for a HEA
You got me with the opening of your review, “Well, this sure tugged at my heart.” I’m definitely looking forward to this one, even if it’s angsty. I’m banking on their HEA making it worth it.
I’d love to hear what you think of it Peaches! Hope you enjoy 🙂