Red Boots

by Kate Willis

Old Joey’s lips fell open in astonishment as he examined a pair of boots. They were bright red, standing out like a forgotten apple on an autumn tree. He whistled, long and low. “Red boots!”

A pair of shiny red boots bring unexpected Christmas joy to a shopkeeper and a little girl.

A very short story. (Approximately 8 minutes reading time.)

Genres: Christmas, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Family

9 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2017

About the author

Kate (Willis) Hoppman is a follower of Jesus and lover of words. She enjoys quiet afternoons reading or watching movies with her nerdy husband, baking tall cakes, and cuddling her dogs.

Reviews

[Kate Willis]

It's live!! Merry Christmas season, y'all! :D

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awwwww! Exactly the sort of thing I want to read for a Christmas story. It captures the idea of giving of our best to others during the Christmas season. A very quick little read (took me ten minutes) and free...so what’s keeping you from reading it? It would be perfect for a family read-aloud and is enjoyable for all ages.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Boots was such a sweet little story, that touched my heart and brought a smile to my face! The authoress did an excellent job at transporting the reader to Old Joey's shop, and bringing the characters to life inside only a few pages. I truly enjoyed! <3

Psst! This story is also permafree on Amazon Kindle, so you should totally go get it... *wink*

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable little Christmas story!

[Allison Tebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww, that was really sweet. A nice, old-fashioned Christmas story to warm the cockles of your heart.

[Mary Herceg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to reading this Christmas-y short story, and I enjoyed it, just like I hoped.

I love how it sparkles with cozy warmth, heart, and kindness. It's delightful despite its tiny length - or perhaps partly because of it.

It took me less than ten minutes to read - perfect for the small window of free time I needed to fill with something enjoyable. Recommended!

[mary liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-Read December 2018:

Ahhh, such a darling story! It's short and perfect for reading beneath the glow of Christmas lights. <3

/ / /

Well, that was adorable. Totally didn't make me tear up, nope. *cough*

(And like someone else said...this really does remind me of a Pixar short. IT'S SO CUTE, PEOPLE.)

Definitely recommended for a quick Christmas read!

4 stars!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw, this is such an adorable Christmas short story! Grab this up...you won't regret it. Full of Christmas cheer written by a talented author. I think that cover will warm you too much to pass it by ;)

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming Christmas story. I loved the feel of the old shop, and the description of Old Joey. A very short story, but sweet.

I just wish it were longer and I could find out about little Maggie's family, and what Old Joey did at Christmas.

[Kaytlin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super cute little story and enjoyed reading it. It made me smile!

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super short, but super cute. A heartwarming Christmas read. :)

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling little Christmas tale! This one's a charmer, folks.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an adorable Christmas short story! I loved it!!

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars ~

Cute short story. I loved the theme and description!! *all the heart eyes for little Maggie*

I never expected a little story could encourage so much. 💕

[Virginia Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was incredibly short but filled to the brim with love, generosity, and warm Christmassy feels. Not to mention a beautiful cover to boot (pun not intended). To me, it almost read like a fairytale type story minus the dark and foreboding. If you need a quick feel-good story look no further. Perfect read for any time of the year! I also recommend Enjoy the Poodle Skirt by this same author.

All-Booked Book Reviews: https://youtu.be/8w19twIBVEc

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

How absolutely adorable! This reminded me in some ways of a Pixar short. It was just so precious! Christmas-y, heartwarming, short, sweet, and simple. Just loveliness! Highly recommended!

And that cover is just gorgeous!!! <3 <3 <3

[Amanda Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story has been on my list to read for a while now. I finally got around to it and found it a pleasant little story. It’s a flash-fiction work (a short-short story) so it only took about five minutes to read. It is written in an old-fashioned style and tells a simple story of a man who is generous during the Christmas season. It is a cute read, suitable for all ages.

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHH, I loved this!!! :D This is one of the sweetest little stories I've read - definitely a favourite! Yes, I encourage everyone to go read Red Boots! I promise you will love it! And that cover - isn't it adorable?! <3

[Gabriellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little short story! I had a version of Red Boots that I would watch every Christmas so I know the basic story well. It was a sweet, simplistic story with lovely prose!

[Angela R. Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was so sweet and heartwarming! Absolutely precious - I plan on reading this little dear yearly for Christmas.

[Karis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww… Kate Willis beautifully captured the spirit of Christmas in this sweet, short, and simple little tale of giving. Five-stars!

[Anna |This Curly Girl Reads| · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very short but sweet story about generosity.

[A.L. Buehrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a quick Christmassy read right when you might want one. I enjoyed this little short story. The prose is vivid, the characters are lovable, and it captures a bit of the Christmas spirit in a fresh, simple way.

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It just doesn't get much cuter then this! This short really showed Kate Willis's amazing writing style.
Perfect tiny little Christmas story!! <3

[Bridget Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww, cute! :)

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww, this was so cute!

[Liz F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet Christmas story!! I read it in less than ten minutes and loved it!
5 stars!

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 7/10 hearts. My heart, what a gorgeous little story!!! It is absolutely beautiful and heartwarming, so whimsical and quaint and old-timey, and just absolutely darling. One of my very favourite short stories ever. <33

A Favourite Quote: “‘Maybe another time.’ Those words, spoken any time in any place by an adult, were full of regret and longing for what they wished to do for a child. But here he was with everything he needed to make one little girl’s Christmas.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Light slowly grew in the room, planted by a few seeds of morning sun that whispered through the windows. The heater struggled to catch up with the cold brought on by a snowy night, and the old man’s voice helped fill the empty shop.”

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming story! The setting is a secondhand shop at Christmastime. There's old Joey, the warm-hearted shop keeper. And you know what? I'd like to go shake that man's hand. He's a good man. This is a good (and quick) story to enjoy.

[Allyson]

Aw, that was absolutely precious! The descriptions were vivid and well-crafted.