Mathias Oakes is the son of the village whore. The oldest of seven children, he makes his living with his strong back and watches the world through quiet and stalwart eyes. When the new owners of the local manor called the Grange advertise for temporary help over Christmas, Mathias applies in hopes of making enough money to feed his family for a season. The local reverend calls his new employers “abominations,” but Mathias has neither the time nor the inclination to worry about what he means.

Although the work at the Grange is heavy, Mathias enjoys his life there. He doesn’t expect the fascination and attraction that he feels for his supervisor, Mr. Mason. When he finds that the owners of the Grange are what are called sodomites, he is surprised but not offended. He feels a certain kinship with them and finally begins to understand the truth about himself. Just as the object of Mathias’s desire appears to be in reach, an act of hate and violence tears through the Grange on Christmas Eve, and the aftermath could very well destroy all Mathias holds dear.

Chrissy Munder’s A Gift of Ash and Frost is a holiday-themed short story about a young man’s journey of self-discovery and his realization that although he may not fit the mold imposed upon him by society, honesty is preferable to self-delusion. This is an engaging read with characters that are well-developed in spite of the shortness of the story. Mathias quickly captures the sympathy and affection of the reader, and although less time is spent with the secondary characters, we still get to know them through Mathias’s eyes. Throughout the story, Mathias repeats his mother’s philosophy: Be careful what you wish for. In the beginning, this is a negative and somewhat self-defeating adage that suggests that reaching for something above one’s station in life will lead to disaster. At the end, however, this takes on an entirely different connotation, as Mathias realizes that being true to himself can actually lead to positive results. Readers picking up A Gift of Ash and Frost should expect an enjoyable experience. This story is well worth the read.

Reviewed by: Whitney