National Network for Equitable Library Service

This group of four classic stories from the 19th century includes works that appear in many collections of European literature. Offering tantalizing revelations and unforgettable characters, these tales have delighted readers ever since they were first published. In Stephen Crane's The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, glowing newlyweds find an unexpected ally on the dusty streets of an American frontier town. Ill-fated Christmas gifts cross paths in O.Henry's touching The Gift of the Magi. A bohemian artist uses a colorful image to save a young woman's life in another tale by O.Henry: The Last Leaf. And in The Lady With a Toy Dog, Anton Chekhov examines the terrible, tender snares of memory and desire. These classic short stories are narrated by two of the most critically-acclaimed readers in the audiobook field: George Guidall and Frank Muller. Their performances bring fresh emotional nuances to the tales while highlighting the wonderful strands of irony that wrap up each work.