One Last Gift

Stone’s (Always, in December) sophomore effort is a gut-wrenching, yet heartening tale of coming to terms with grief. After the loss of their parents, event planner Cassie relied on her older brother Tom to raise her. He took the role seriously, creating elaborate holiday scavenger hunts for her every year. When Tom tragically dies before Christmas, she is distraught by the delivery of the first clue—should she continue the treasure hunt? Narrator Heather Long perfectly portrays Cassie’s grief as she mourns her brother, and her frustration as she struggles with loving Tom’s best friend, Sam. With the support of her own best friend, Cassie’s next few years of self-discovery, while following Tom’s clues, lead to more satisfying employment, as well as love. Long smartly portrays the characters’ English accents and switches effortlessly to those from Wales and New York. The audio production is superb except for one spliced phrase at a higher audio level. Phone conversations between characters sound tinny to the listener, adding to the intimate feel of the production.