King’s latest short story Ayana is a very soft tale about a miracle that happened a long time ago. The stories narrator was advised not to tell it to anyone but now, a very long time after it took place, he does…and that is what we get to hear in the story.

Ayana is about a man who’s father is dying of pancreatic cancer. Just as he and his family is preparing for him to pass away a young girl, Ayana, appear in his room at the hospital. She kisses the dying man and guess what. He beat the cancer and goes on living for a few years longer.

The girl also touched our narrator and by doing so involves him in the miracle. Years later while in the waiting room for a follow-up from kidney stones (from which he recovers from very well) he is approached by a man and his part of the miracle starts…

While reading Ayana I got the same feeling I got when I read The Woman in the Room and parts of The Green Mile and I suspect King was in the same mood when he wrote those stories. It’s no secret that his mother died from cancer and I guess it has put it’s mark on him. It’s good to see that he can transform those feelings into such a good story though.

Ayana is just 15 pages long and a rather quick read and I must say, I really enjoyed it. It’s an emotional story with a lot of heart in it.

Ayana is a very good story and I felt very good reading it, even though it’s a rather sad story...and at the same time, a very happy story. Confusing? It won’t be when you read it. Please, make sure you don’t miss this one!