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Checkout Girl: A Magical, Heart-Warming Christmas Short Story Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Aimee Alexander (Author, Narrator), Athena Media Ltd. (Publisher)
3.6 out of 5 stars 139 ratings

When an 83-year-old woman dies, she is not transported straight to heaven. She is taken on an unexpected detour back to her life shortly before she died. Only this time, she is seeing the world from a different point of view. This is the first time she has ever experienced a detour being the best part of a journey.

Checkout Girl was published as part of the short story compilation Moments in aid of the tsunami. It was also part of a short story collection published in Germany.

Aimee Alexander is the pen name of best-selling Irish author Denise Deegan.

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  1. Listening Length
    21 minutes
  2. Author
    Aimee Alexander
  3. Narrator
    Aimee Alexander
  4. Audible release date
    December 18, 2014
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Athena Media Ltd.
  7. ASIN
    B00R6Q4ESA
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Product details

Listening Length 21 minutes
Author Aimee Alexander
Narrator Aimee Alexander
Audible.com Release Date December 18, 2014
Publisher Athena Media Ltd.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00R6Q4ESA
Best Sellers Rank #706,204 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#2,016 in Science Fiction Anthologies & Short Stories
#8,506 in Fiction Short Stories
#13,368 in Science Fiction Anthologies (Books)

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
139 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the short story well-written and heartwarming. They appreciate the author's ability to develop characters.

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21 customers mention "Story length"17 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the story's length, describing it as a well-written, very short narrative. One customer notes it's a quick read, while another appreciates its Christmas spirit theme.

"...A superb story, I'm looking forward to reading more by her." Read more

"This is a very sweet and very short story. It has a simple message of paying it forward. A really enjoyable read." Read more

"...Loved this short story, more than worth the small price and small amount of time it took to read. Highly recommend this story." Read more

"...This was a great story of the Christmas spirit on Debbie's part. Glad things worked out for her with a little help from Ginki." Read more

9 customers mention "Sweetness"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book sweet and heartwarming, with one mentioning it made them smile.

"This is a very sweet and very short story. It has a simple message of paying it forward. A really enjoyable read." Read more

"...It was cute but there really was nothing to it. Thank goodness it was free." Read more

"Nice and moving story." Read more

"...Heartwarming, lovely." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"I was impressed by the authors ability to develop characters I cared about in such a short story...." Read more

"For a short story it was very good. The story had depth, real characters and real life scenarios. Enjoyed it very much!" Read more

"A very sweet, well written story. Even in so few pages the characters come to life, I really cared about all of them! Now THAT'S good writing!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jeff B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars I was impressed by the authors ability to develop characters ...
    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I was impressed by the authors ability to develop characters I cared about in such a short story. The author is from Ireland and her phrasing reflected such. The excerpt of "Pause to Rewind" also reflected this writing style which I found refreshing and distinctive. It seems the writing style in a lot of what I read is all the same. Aimee has managed to generate a writing style of her own without being difficult to follow or standoffish. I've only noticed a few authors who have developed recognizable writing styles that aren't peculiar or confusing. Aimee has done well with this story in that she created characters you might meet in daily life and care about. A superb story, I'm looking forward to reading more by her.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Pam Thomas
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very sweet and very short story. It has a simple message of paying it forward. A really enjoyable read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • AthenaRose
    3.0 out of 5 stars don't waste your time way too short, story a few pages long not kidding!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I gave this story (really it is only a few pages long ) more stars than it deserved..The writing is fine, the story is good BUT it is way too short!!!I have no idea why everyone is giving it a 5 .I would of liked reading more of the old womans story/life and how the lottery changed the checkout girls life.It was very disappointing after reading what I did then all of a sudden the end..I was like really is this the end..I gave this book a three because it was entertaining til that was it.
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  • Fuzzarilly
    2.0 out of 5 stars Checkout Girl
    Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I was in the mood for a feel good story but this one was just not that great. It was cute but there really was nothing to it. Thank goodness it was free.
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  • Jacqueline
    5.0 out of 5 stars Made me smile, a lot!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    5 Stars because it was really a short story that was short.
    The title had me wondering, would the checkout girl be the angel? Won't spoil it for you by telling, only going to say, what a wonderful way to make an exit. Loved this short story, more than worth the small price and small amount of time it took to read. Highly recommend this story.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sharon Grim
    1.0 out of 5 stars Nice story line but...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Why write a nice and intriguing story only to ruin it with foul language? Totally unnecessary and seems out of character for the mother of Debbie. Too bad.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Gail Christian
    4.0 out of 5 stars One good turn deserves another!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    When the 83 year old woman narrating this story dies, she doesn't see her life flash before her eyes as she had expected. She sees someone ELSE'S life flash before her eyes - Debbie's life. And she doesn't even know Debbie!

    Debbie was the checkout clerk as the woman was purchasing her groceries. But the woman was watching the whole transaction from above - watching the events of her life about an hour before she died. And when she did not have enough money for the groceries, she said she would have to put back the Christmas pudding. It was for her son, a surgeon, who was coming to visit for the holidays. (This turned out to be a lie: her son was really in prison.) Debbie felt sorry for the old woman and told her to keep the pudding. She could pay for it the next time she came to the store.

    Later, as Debbie left work and rushed to buy her daughter the baby doll she wanted for Christmas, she witnessed the old woman's accident. She watched until the ambulance took her to the hospital, and then she hurried to find the doll. But with all the commotion she forgot about the woman's Christmas pudding and her needing to put the extra money in her till. So when her drawer was short at the end of the day, Debbie was fired.

    The next thing the old woman knows, she is in an apartment with a grandmother and young girl. The girl can see her, but the grandmother thinks she is just an imaginary friend. The girl calls her "Ginki". The girl is Debbie's daughter.

    Ginki will work a Christmas miracle for Debbie that will make a tremendous difference in the lives of her family. (Read and see how she worked through the little girl to make this happen!) As they say, "One good turn deserves another."

    This was a great story of the Christmas spirit on Debbie's part. Glad things worked out for her with a little help from Ginki.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Merlin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sweet - A Real a Delight
    Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    While it may be true that bad things happen to good people and rarely is justice really justice - still we hope. And that is exactly what Aimee gives us - hope. The checkout Girl, a person just like every other checkout girl that we see weekly and don't really give a second thought to, does something nice. Not just a little nice but genuinely NICE - because she can. And thru a series of unfortunate circumstances it ends up costing her her job, a job that she desperately needs. The author shows us that it is not our wealth or lack of it that makes us happy but how we handle the simple little daily things in life that make the difference.

    And so we cry and cheer for our checkout girl and her family as we see her kindness repaid.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • B.R. Maycock
    5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    “Christmas Eve 1989. Eighty-three years of life end in one split second. I feel no pain, jiust shick. My last thoughts are not profound: He broke the lights! I had the green man. My life does not flash in front of me. Someone else’s does. Someone I don’t even know. A checkout girl at the supermarket I was in, a little earlier.”

    What a gem of a story. It’s so short that all I can tell you is that the lady in question oversees the checkout girl aka ‘Debbie’s’ life, showing us the hardship of a person who, in our protagonist’s own life, has just done a good deed and has suffered for it. There’s loveliness, wistfullness, magic, some life lessons and a nice little kick at the end. You’ll remember I gushed over The Prince and The Pea short story here and All We Have Lost here (both same author, Denise Deegan writes as Aimee Alexander!) and adored them both and this is right up there with them. It is beautiful, wonderous, entertaining and, well, just excellent really. And it’s free so really, off you go. Go get and honestly enjoy it, I hope you fall in love with it as much as I did! 🙂

    Rating: 5/5
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  • Janet Stewart
    4.0 out of 5 stars This was an absolute feel good story. I would recommend this short story to ...
    Reviewed in Canada on May 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This was an absolute feel good story. I would recommend this short story to every reader.
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  • Pauline Goulding.a customer of kindle book reader.and will continue to be so.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pauline goulding.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I am sorry but it was not very interesting for me.I did read it to the end though I am sorry I found it a bit boring, but I was thinking maybe it would pick up as I was reading it.
    Pauline goulding a happy reader of kindle books.
    Kindle books.
    Kindle books.

    G
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  • Richard Latham
    3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't grab me or warm my heart
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Written in the name of Aimee Alexander pen name of Denise Deegan I bought this short book as an introduction to her writing as a number of novels were under a £1 and had lots of 5 star reviews.
    Checkout Girl was published as part of the short story compilation, Moments, in aid of the tsunami.
    It also includes a short excerpt from Pause to Rewind, so like many an ebook is out to promote the author.
    The plot is that an unexpected death of an 83 year old lady who had just been shopping at the supermarket where single mum Debbie is a checkout assistant.
    Before passing on, the lady seems to have unfinished business and as an invisible floating entity she is able to 're-visit' the last hours of her life back to the supermarket where she can even observe herself.
    Happening on Christmas Eve this is no Christmas Carol. Neither is it like 'It's a wonderful life' in terms of understanding one's life and making a difference. Indeed it fails to engage with me on any spiritual level or a heartwarming story it tries to be. Aspects are clever but despite this shorter form the characters fail to lift off the paper.
    I was left without any investment in the story or how it would turn out. It seems quite judgemental and present 'magic' of 'luck' to the lottery of life, access to education or the ability to improve.
    I liked the idea of death being an inconveniance to someone who hates change. However, the detour although interesting didn't seem so progressive for a mother who wanted more for her son.
    I guess the truism of life not reflected in this book is that we can only help others while we are alive and perhaps if the old lady had taken more time to observe with her human eyes then life could have been more worthwhile, and strangers embraced and influenced.
    On the basis of this book and extract I am not inclined to look out other novels by this author unless you can point me in the best direction.
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  • lisa sheehan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A heartwarming book that could make you believe that there could actually be something else when you die, it's a shame it was so short, but it was still a lovely read :)
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