What do you think?
Rate this book
26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss
Winner of the 2009 World Fantasy Award
Winner of the 2008 Asimov’s magazine Readers Award for best short story
Finalist, 2008 Nebula Award
Finalist, 2008 Hugo Award
Science Fiction World has accepted Guo Jianzhong’s translation
Read by Diane Severson as a charming audio reading at StarShipSofa.com
Winner of the 2008 Asimov’s magazine Readers Award for best short story
Finalist, 2008 Nebula Award
Finalist, 2008 Hugo Award
Science Fiction World has accepted Guo Jianzhong’s translation
Read by Diane Severson as a charming audio reading at StarShipSofa.com
32 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2008
About the author
Kij Johnson
107 books507 followersKij Johnson is an American writer of fantasy. She has worked extensively in publishing: managing editor for Tor Books and Wizards of the Coast/TSR, collections editor for Dark Horse Comics, project manager working on the Microsoft Reader, and managing editor of Real Networks. She is Associate Director for the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, and serves as a final judge for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.
Johnson is the author of three novels and more than 38 short works of fiction. She is best known for her adaptations of Heian-era Japanese myths. She won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short story of 1994 for her novelette in Asimov's, "Fox Magic." In 2001, she won the International Association for the Fantastic in the Art's Crawford Award for best new fantasy novelist of the year. In 2009, she won the World Fantasy Award for "26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss," which was also a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula awards. She won the 2010 Nebula Award for "Spar" and the 2011 Nebula Award for "Ponies," which is also a finalist for the Hugo and World Fantasy awards. Her short story "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" was a finalist for the 2007 Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and World Fantasy awards. Johnson was also a finalist for the 2004 World Fantasy Award for her novel Fudoki, which was declared one of the best SF/F novels of 2003 by Publishers Weekly.
Johnson is the author of three novels and more than 38 short works of fiction. She is best known for her adaptations of Heian-era Japanese myths. She won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short story of 1994 for her novelette in Asimov's, "Fox Magic." In 2001, she won the International Association for the Fantastic in the Art's Crawford Award for best new fantasy novelist of the year. In 2009, she won the World Fantasy Award for "26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss," which was also a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula awards. She won the 2010 Nebula Award for "Spar" and the 2011 Nebula Award for "Ponies," which is also a finalist for the Hugo and World Fantasy awards. Her short story "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" was a finalist for the 2007 Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and World Fantasy awards. Johnson was also a finalist for the 2004 World Fantasy Award for her novel Fudoki, which was declared one of the best SF/F novels of 2003 by Publishers Weekly.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 2, 2026
“Aimee’s big trick is that she makes 26 monkeys vanish on stage.”
So opens a delightful, heartwarming, and fantastical short story. It made me believe in the magic of magic, if not in magic itself.
“She was hollow, as if something had chewed a hole in her body and the hole had grown infected.”
That’s when she bought the act (monkeys, bathtub via which they disappear, and tour bus). For a dollar. There must be a catch?
The monkeys welcome her with handshakes and largely look after themselves. They organise the act, including various tricks, before ending each show with their disappearance. Afterwards, they find their way back to the bus in dribs and drabs, over the course of the night.
“Right now, three monkeys are sitting on the bed playing a game where they match colored balls. Others are playing with skeins of bright wool, or rolling around on the floor, or poking at a piece of wood with a screwdriver, or climbing on Aimee and Geof and the battered sofa. Some of the monkeys are crowded around the computer watching kitten videos on a pirated wireless connection.”
Image: A white porcelain clawfoot bathtub, against a black background (Source)
I think of an Abyss as being dark and scary, but the portal is a bathtub, and the monkeys seem happy to go. Aimee has no idea how the trick works and has pretty much given up trying to find out. Her life doesn’t make sense, but she has a degree of contentment she didn’t have before.
She’s had the monkeys for three years and her younger boyfriend for seven months. Geof seems a bit wet and peripheral:
“She has decided that Geof is like the rest of it: temporary, meaningless. Not for loving.”
However, while Aimee ponders where the monkeys go each night, he asks the far more important question.
The ending has two poignant baton-passes.
Short story club
I read this with The Short Story Club.
You can read this story HERE.
You can join the group here.
So opens a delightful, heartwarming, and fantastical short story. It made me believe in the magic of magic, if not in magic itself.
“She was hollow, as if something had chewed a hole in her body and the hole had grown infected.”
That’s when she bought the act (monkeys, bathtub via which they disappear, and tour bus). For a dollar. There must be a catch?
The monkeys welcome her with handshakes and largely look after themselves. They organise the act, including various tricks, before ending each show with their disappearance. Afterwards, they find their way back to the bus in dribs and drabs, over the course of the night.
“Right now, three monkeys are sitting on the bed playing a game where they match colored balls. Others are playing with skeins of bright wool, or rolling around on the floor, or poking at a piece of wood with a screwdriver, or climbing on Aimee and Geof and the battered sofa. Some of the monkeys are crowded around the computer watching kitten videos on a pirated wireless connection.”
Image: A white porcelain clawfoot bathtub, against a black background (Source)
I think of an Abyss as being dark and scary, but the portal is a bathtub, and the monkeys seem happy to go. Aimee has no idea how the trick works and has pretty much given up trying to find out. Her life doesn’t make sense, but she has a degree of contentment she didn’t have before.
She’s had the monkeys for three years and her younger boyfriend for seven months. Geof seems a bit wet and peripheral:
“She has decided that Geof is like the rest of it: temporary, meaningless. Not for loving.”
However, while Aimee ponders where the monkeys go each night, he asks the far more important question.
The ending has two poignant baton-passes.
Short story club
I read this with The Short Story Club.
You can read this story HERE.
You can join the group here.
February 10, 2026
4★
"There was a monkey act at the Utah State Fair. She felt a sudden and totally out-of-character urge to see it, and afterward, with no idea why, she walked up to the owner and said, 'I have to buy this.'
He nodded. He sold it to her for a dollar, which he told her was the price he had paid four years before."
Who really knows why we make the choices we do, and who really knows the circumstances in which we live? Aimee had an impulse she couldn't ignore, and now she has a life… and a family of sorts. Monkeys of various kinds, a chimpanzee and so on, all in a big touring bus. Oh, and a magic show.
"What Aimee likes about this life:
It doesn’t mean anything. She doesn’t live anywhere. Her world is 38 feet and 127 shows long and currently 26 monkeys deep. This is manageable.
. . .
"Aimee’s big trick is that she makes 26 monkeys vanish on stage."
But more than that – as if there's something more than magic monkeys – is how they all live together.
This is an absolutely delightful story. One of my favourite things in a short story is when I have a sense of what must have come before and what might come after. This has that.
You can read it for yourself at Clarkesworld Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine:
26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss
"There was a monkey act at the Utah State Fair. She felt a sudden and totally out-of-character urge to see it, and afterward, with no idea why, she walked up to the owner and said, 'I have to buy this.'
He nodded. He sold it to her for a dollar, which he told her was the price he had paid four years before."
Who really knows why we make the choices we do, and who really knows the circumstances in which we live? Aimee had an impulse she couldn't ignore, and now she has a life… and a family of sorts. Monkeys of various kinds, a chimpanzee and so on, all in a big touring bus. Oh, and a magic show.
"What Aimee likes about this life:
It doesn’t mean anything. She doesn’t live anywhere. Her world is 38 feet and 127 shows long and currently 26 monkeys deep. This is manageable.
. . .
"Aimee’s big trick is that she makes 26 monkeys vanish on stage."
But more than that – as if there's something more than magic monkeys – is how they all live together.
This is an absolutely delightful story. One of my favourite things in a short story is when I have a sense of what must have come before and what might come after. This has that.
You can read it for yourself at Clarkesworld Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine:
26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss
January 27, 2026
This is a warm story about healing and the need for a place to call "home," all wrapped up in a tale involving monkeys. It has mysterious and fantastical elements which add interest and fun to the plot. Author Kij Johnson came up with a very original idea for this story so the reader has no idea where the story will lead them. Thanks to Debi in the Short Story Club for suggesting this work. 4.5 stars.
August 16, 2020
I had the honor of narrating this Hugo nominated story for StarShipSofa podcast in 2008. It was then resyndicated by EscapePod podcast in April 2009.
December 15, 2017
26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss is a magically real story, fascinating and clearly written by a person who lives her life consciously. In other words, this story is wise and deep and a pleasure to read. Many thanks to Kij Johnson for writing it.
January 7, 2013
Utterly amazing. And truly frightening how close to my real life this story is. Except for the 26 monkeys bit, obviously.
January 18, 2026
A marvellous short story, with lists and questions, bristling with imponderables, light with acceptance of what is. It is what it is and sometimes there are no answers, no way to find out the trick.
A quick enjoyable read, short but wonderfully satisfying.
A quick enjoyable read, short but wonderfully satisfying.
October 25, 2025
"Aimee’s big trick is that she makes 26 monkeys vanish onstage."
Amiee has a tour bus full of various trained monkeys and one chimpanzee, who is not actually a monkey. Amiee, the twenty-six monkeys, and her boyfriend, Geof, travel between state fairs, performing their show of assorted acts. It always ends the same way. The monkeys pile into a claw-foot bathtub, and disappear all at once. The thing is, they really do vanish, and how they do it or where they go is a mystery to Amiee. Not knowing worries her.
I originally read this in a science fiction and fantasy short story anthology. This is also available in Kij Johnson's collection, At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories, and can be read for free at her website.
Amiee has a tour bus full of various trained monkeys and one chimpanzee, who is not actually a monkey. Amiee, the twenty-six monkeys, and her boyfriend, Geof, travel between state fairs, performing their show of assorted acts. It always ends the same way. The monkeys pile into a claw-foot bathtub, and disappear all at once. The thing is, they really do vanish, and how they do it or where they go is a mystery to Amiee. Not knowing worries her.
Aimee has had the act for three years now. She was living in a month-by-month furnished apartment under a flight path for the Salt Lake City airport. She was hollow, as if something had chewed a hole in her body and the hole had grown infected.To say much more would spoil this very short, but wonderfully crafted story for potential readers. It unfolds organically as a flower opening. Ms. Johnson writes wonderfully fantastical stories, often flirting with the experimental. They are all solidly constructed, engrossing, and perfectly believable while you're immersed in them. Don't take my word for it. Go find this and read it and see for yourself.
There was a monkey act at the Utah State Fair. She felt a sudden and totally out-of-character urge to see it, and afterward, with no idea why, she walked up to the owner and said, “I have to buy this.”
He nodded. He sold it to her for a dollar, which he told her was the price he had paid four years before.
I originally read this in a science fiction and fantasy short story anthology. This is also available in Kij Johnson's collection, At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories, and can be read for free at her website.
January 25, 2026
A wise and charming little story.
January 24, 2026
A wonderful read that balanced the profound with hope, here hope comes with 26 monkeys, a circus act, that Aimee buys for only a $1 to put her own act on the road.
For her it’s the beginning of an adventure, but a mystery emerged that makes Aimee search for answers, in the questions there are big questions, deep questions, Aimee’s on a quest but she doesn’t know this herself because of the monkeys; their mystery keeps her distracted to solve it, and then the whole thing comes together.
Throughout the story there were clues but it was Aimee who didn’t know what she was searching for in the first place. Answers that she already knew but couldn’t see until she met the 26 monkeys.
For her it’s the beginning of an adventure, but a mystery emerged that makes Aimee search for answers, in the questions there are big questions, deep questions, Aimee’s on a quest but she doesn’t know this herself because of the monkeys; their mystery keeps her distracted to solve it, and then the whole thing comes together.
Throughout the story there were clues but it was Aimee who didn’t know what she was searching for in the first place. Answers that she already knew but couldn’t see until she met the 26 monkeys.
January 4, 2021
I never expected the story I got. It was beautiful, about love and comfort and just...perfect! I read it in a short story collection of my daughter's. I hope to read the rest when she comes home this summer.
February 14, 2013
I fucking love this story.
April 6, 2017
One of the best short stories i have ever read. Period.
Goes directly to my "favorites" shelf.
Goes directly to my "favorites" shelf.
January 29, 2024
No mames, qué historia tan bella. Me estoy haciendo muy fan de las micro.
January 30, 2026
This is a gorgeous story. With 26 monkeys.
March 21, 2015
3.5 stars
Aimee runs a magic act, the highlight of which is when she makes 26 monkeys disappear from a plain, old, everyday bathtub. But the trick is there is no trick. The monkeys really do disappear, and Aimee has no idea how, or why, or where they go. And this, quite understandably, is causing her a bit of an existential crisis.
Strange? Yes. Quirky? You betcha. Weird? Odd? And offbeat? Yep, yep, and yep. But also kinda sorta brilliant. Because it is, without a doubt, unlike any other short story you’ve ever read—and therein lies its genius. Plus, you can read it for free online here. What's not to like about all that?
Aimee runs a magic act, the highlight of which is when she makes 26 monkeys disappear from a plain, old, everyday bathtub. But the trick is there is no trick. The monkeys really do disappear, and Aimee has no idea how, or why, or where they go. And this, quite understandably, is causing her a bit of an existential crisis.
Strange? Yes. Quirky? You betcha. Weird? Odd? And offbeat? Yep, yep, and yep. But also kinda sorta brilliant. Because it is, without a doubt, unlike any other short story you’ve ever read—and therein lies its genius. Plus, you can read it for free online here. What's not to like about all that?
April 19, 2023
Story link (reprint): https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/john...
Sample:
"Aimee has: a 19-year-old tour bus packed with cages that range in size from parrot-sized (for the vervets) to something about the size of a pickup bed (for all the macaques); a stack of books on monkeys ranging from All About Monkeys to Evolution and Ecology of Baboon Societies; some sequined show costumes, a sewing machine, and a bunch of Carhartts and tees; a stack of show posters from a few years back that say 24 MONKEYS! FACE THE ABYSS; a battered sofa in a virulent green plaid; and a boyfriend who helps with the monkeys."
Also reprinted in her collection "At the Mouth of the River of Bees". Excellent story. Won the 2009 World Fantasy award.
Sample:
"Aimee has: a 19-year-old tour bus packed with cages that range in size from parrot-sized (for the vervets) to something about the size of a pickup bed (for all the macaques); a stack of books on monkeys ranging from All About Monkeys to Evolution and Ecology of Baboon Societies; some sequined show costumes, a sewing machine, and a bunch of Carhartts and tees; a stack of show posters from a few years back that say 24 MONKEYS! FACE THE ABYSS; a battered sofa in a virulent green plaid; and a boyfriend who helps with the monkeys."
Also reprinted in her collection "At the Mouth of the River of Bees". Excellent story. Won the 2009 World Fantasy award.
February 24, 2016
It is inhabiting my headspace, crowding out other thoughts. Are the monkeys and the entire life she leads a symbol of the chaos of life? Of the object randomness with which meaning and clarity often elude our searching?
That you cannot place meaning on events as they happen, but that meaning comes to you in time?
That all life is transitory, tragic, and treacherous, but also wonderful and whimsical.
That those who come into your life never truly leave it, and you will be seeing them or their effects for years to come.
I don't know. It could be all of these things and none of them. It could be much more than this.
You need to read it and find out for yourself.
That you cannot place meaning on events as they happen, but that meaning comes to you in time?
That all life is transitory, tragic, and treacherous, but also wonderful and whimsical.
That those who come into your life never truly leave it, and you will be seeing them or their effects for years to come.
I don't know. It could be all of these things and none of them. It could be much more than this.
You need to read it and find out for yourself.
September 5, 2017
I haven't stopped talking about this story since I read it three months ago. I read it and thought, "This. This is what I want to write." It's magical and captivating and humorous and touching. With one story, Kij Johnson shot to the top of my list of favorite writers. I have spent my days since that first read voraciously consuming as much of her other writing as possible because it is delightful.
October 4, 2024
Re-read 4 October 2024
Curious, I read this again.
And just like before, it really hits that sweet spot between weird, and just utterly perfect.
---
I really enjoyed this story. I finished it with a smile on my face, knowing that the characters - particularly Aimee - have found closure.
Curious, I read this again.
And just like before, it really hits that sweet spot between weird, and just utterly perfect.
---
I really enjoyed this story. I finished it with a smile on my face, knowing that the characters - particularly Aimee - have found closure.
August 25, 2013
Nice little short story ... poignant, whimsical, magical realism. Made my day.
February 15, 2022
I read this yesterday and I don’t usually log short stories. But this was so good and I love it so much <333 might read a million more times and write a quote and a picture on my pants. It made me so happy :~)
Highly recommend if you want a short little read
Highly recommend if you want a short little read
January 30, 2026
I thought this story was really interesting.
October 17, 2018
Beautiful, brilliant, full of hope and magic and reality.
April 27, 2018
This is a wonderful story of life, love, monkeys and magic. It’s about things we believe in even when we have no reason to do so. It’s about buying things for a dollar and finding your own home when the time is right.
I’ve been cleaning up my Evernote file and there’s a pile of short stories that I loved kept in there, but I want other people to read them, too.
5 stars
Read it here:
http://www.kijjohnson.com/26_monkeys.htm
Or listen to it here:
http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2009...
Winner of the 2009 World Fantasy Award
Winner of the 2008 Asimov's magazine Readers Award for best short story
Finalist, 2008 Nebula Award
Finalist, 2008 Hugo Award
Aimee's big trick is that she makes 26 monkeys vanish onstage.
I’ve been cleaning up my Evernote file and there’s a pile of short stories that I loved kept in there, but I want other people to read them, too.
"You're always asking why they go," Geof says, a bottle and a half in. His eyes are an indeterminate blue-gray, but in this light they look black and very warm. "See, I don't think we're ever going to find out what happens. But I don't think that's the real question, anyway. Maybe the question is, why do they come back?"
5 stars
Read it here:
http://www.kijjohnson.com/26_monkeys.htm
Or listen to it here:
http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2009...
Winner of the 2009 World Fantasy Award
Winner of the 2008 Asimov's magazine Readers Award for best short story
Finalist, 2008 Nebula Award
Finalist, 2008 Hugo Award
January 8, 2013
"They like visiting wherever it is, sure. But this is their home. Everyone likes to come home sooner or later."
"If they have a home," Aimee says.
"Everyone has a home, even if they don't believe in it," Geof says.
So, so, so cute!
September 3, 2014
Tiene monos casi filósofos y ese no sé qué que hace que sea un cuento raro y adorable.
January 21, 2016
If you're not now, you probably never will. Great story, just roll with it...
January 21, 2026
What an enjoyable story! I read this today for the Goodreads Short Story Club, which discusses a different short story each week and always makes so many interesting, insightful and astute observations about each one.
This was an engrossing and touching story, with mysteries at the heart of it. The most ostensible mystery is what happens to the monkeys, but underneath lie other mysteries about friendships, the great beyond, and the meaning of life. The tale touches on several dark and deep topics such as illness, betrayal, death and despair but counterbalances these with optimistic notes of renewal, hope, love, acceptance, and the support of found families. This quick but thought-provoking story will take only a few minutes to read but may leave you with much to ponder as you, too, face the abyss.
Some mysteries to consider include the fact that the title is "26 Monkeys," but there are only 24 short chapters. But the old posters in the bus mention 24 monkeys, and the narrator states that the number of monkeys is fluid overall, albeit currently 26. When she lists all the animals, she is rather vague about the specifics, so I don't think it is possible to pin down the exact details. However, there are 26 letters in the alphabet, and names from Aimee to Zeb, so maybe this cast of characters symbolically encompasses all the diversity and mysteries of life from A to Z.
I think boyfriend Geof and the monkeys also give Aimee, the main character, a lot to think about and help her heal from the physical and emotional wounds of her past. At the end of the story, she realizes he is her new emotional "home," and they settle down to create a new physical home together, ready to pass on the legacy of the monkey show to a new temporary caretaker who is broken and needs healing. And they gladly open their new home to beloved visitors who will continue the tradition started unknown years ago.
There are so many good lessons here. Life is a mystery, and we all endure heartaches and sadness, but the only way to face the abyss is to accept the fact that we cannot know all the answers but can only choose to live each day with love, joy and positive intentions. This short story is definitely worth a read!
This was an engrossing and touching story, with mysteries at the heart of it. The most ostensible mystery is what happens to the monkeys, but underneath lie other mysteries about friendships, the great beyond, and the meaning of life. The tale touches on several dark and deep topics such as illness, betrayal, death and despair but counterbalances these with optimistic notes of renewal, hope, love, acceptance, and the support of found families. This quick but thought-provoking story will take only a few minutes to read but may leave you with much to ponder as you, too, face the abyss.
Some mysteries to consider include the fact that the title is "26 Monkeys," but there are only 24 short chapters. But the old posters in the bus mention 24 monkeys, and the narrator states that the number of monkeys is fluid overall, albeit currently 26. When she lists all the animals, she is rather vague about the specifics, so I don't think it is possible to pin down the exact details. However, there are 26 letters in the alphabet, and names from Aimee to Zeb, so maybe this cast of characters symbolically encompasses all the diversity and mysteries of life from A to Z.
I think boyfriend Geof and the monkeys also give Aimee, the main character, a lot to think about and help her heal from the physical and emotional wounds of her past. At the end of the story, she realizes he is her new emotional "home," and they settle down to create a new physical home together, ready to pass on the legacy of the monkey show to a new temporary caretaker who is broken and needs healing. And they gladly open their new home to beloved visitors who will continue the tradition started unknown years ago.
There are so many good lessons here. Life is a mystery, and we all endure heartaches and sadness, but the only way to face the abyss is to accept the fact that we cannot know all the answers but can only choose to live each day with love, joy and positive intentions. This short story is definitely worth a read!
January 25, 2026
I absolutely loved this story. The selection in this week's GR Short Story Club was a beautiful choice by GR Friend Debi...thank you so much for the tip on how to get to the link😊, where there is both the print and a link to an audio. The story is short and entertaining.
Aimee has a giant hole in her life; she is empty and untethered. While visiting a carnival she sees a performing monkey show where in the final act 26 monkeys climb into a bathtub that is suspended ten feet above the stage. One monkey lets out a bellow, there is a flash, and two of the suspending wires are released, dumping the contents of the tub onto the stage. But the monkeys have vanished, only to return to their beds sometime in the middle of the night. Aimee goes up to the owner of the act and says she must have it. He sells her the act, the traveling bus, and the whole kit and caboodle for $1. She asks how he can part with it at that price and he claims that is how much he paid the previous owner. His new bride by his side claims that they are ready for a garden.
The rest is quite fuzzy cuddley - I don't want to spoil. The style is very quirky, with 24 "chapters" in a very short story (about 30 very short pages). I couldn't help loving Aimee and Geof, who joined the troupe somewhere along the way. Geof had a degree in creative writing so he worked in a bike shop (need I say more?).
I listened to the audio and loved the reader, as well! It left me feeling equal measures of warmth, happiness, and contentment - alongside the initial emptiness and pathos. The ending was just perfect too - knowing how to recognize need in someone else and knowing when to let go. I especially loved how Aimee knew the perfect treasure to send back with Pango for the menagerie😂
There is at least one other excellent audio version, if interested, it can be found here - but I think the listener might also want to read the story, because it is so special and so short.
Aimee has a giant hole in her life; she is empty and untethered. While visiting a carnival she sees a performing monkey show where in the final act 26 monkeys climb into a bathtub that is suspended ten feet above the stage. One monkey lets out a bellow, there is a flash, and two of the suspending wires are released, dumping the contents of the tub onto the stage. But the monkeys have vanished, only to return to their beds sometime in the middle of the night. Aimee goes up to the owner of the act and says she must have it. He sells her the act, the traveling bus, and the whole kit and caboodle for $1. She asks how he can part with it at that price and he claims that is how much he paid the previous owner. His new bride by his side claims that they are ready for a garden.
The rest is quite fuzzy cuddley - I don't want to spoil. The style is very quirky, with 24 "chapters" in a very short story (about 30 very short pages). I couldn't help loving Aimee and Geof, who joined the troupe somewhere along the way. Geof had a degree in creative writing so he worked in a bike shop (need I say more?).
I listened to the audio and loved the reader, as well! It left me feeling equal measures of warmth, happiness, and contentment - alongside the initial emptiness and pathos. The ending was just perfect too - knowing how to recognize need in someone else and knowing when to let go. I especially loved how Aimee knew the perfect treasure to send back with Pango for the menagerie😂
There is at least one other excellent audio version, if interested, it can be found here - but I think the listener might also want to read the story, because it is so special and so short.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews