B. J. Harrison Reads The Gift of the Magi and The Last Leaf

Written by O. Henry

Narrated by B. J. Harrison

“The Gift of the Magi” is a short story about love, selflessness, sacrifices and struggles. Della and James are a young married couple who want to surprise each other with a secret gift for Christmas. Unfortunately, neither of them has much money yet still they each hope they'll manage to buy something in time and that it will be appreciated. “The Last Leaf” tells us the story of poor Johnsy, who is so sick that her days are counted. She lives in an ivy-covered house and she is convinced that by the time the last ivy leaf will fall she die as well. Behrman, Johnsy’s neighbor, who is also an artist, is determined to keep Johnsy’s spirit up. How will he convince her to keep fighting for her life? Will she survive after all?B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.William Sidney Porter (1862-1919), known simply as O. Henry, was a prolific American author of humorous literary pieces. His fame came exceptionally quickly and he became a bestselling short story author. Among his most famous stories are the “Cabbages and Kings”, “The Voice of the City”, and “Strictly Business.” As a result of the outstanding literature legacy O. Henry left behind, there is an annual American award named after him, which is granted to exceptional short stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SAGA Egmont
• Release date: Aug 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9788726575002

O. Henry

O. Henry (1862-1910) was an American short story writer. Born and raised in North Carolina, O. Henry—whose real name was William Sydney Porter—moved to Texas in 1882 in search of work. He met and married Athol Estes in Austin, where he became well known as a musician and socialite. In 1888, Athol gave birth to a son who died soon after, and in 1889 a daughter named Margaret was born. Porter began working as a teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin in 1890 and was fired four years later and accused of embezzlement. Afterward, he began publishing a satirical weekly called The Rolling Stone, but in 1895 he was arrested in Houston following an audit of his former employer. While waiting to stand trial, Henry fled to Honduras, where he lived for six months before returning to Texas to surrender himself upon hearing of Athol’s declining health. She died in July of 1897 from tuberculosis, and Porter served three years at the Ohio Penitentiary before moving to Pittsburgh to care for his daughter. While in prison, he began publishing stories under the pseudonym “O. Henry,” finding some success and launching a career that would blossom upon his release with such short stories as “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) and “The Ransom of Red Chief” (1907). He is recognized as one of America’s leading writers of short fiction, and the annual O. Henry Award—which has been won by such writers as William Faulkner, John Updike, and Eudora Welty—remains one of America’s most prestigious literary prizes.