Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for making this story available for reading and reviewing!

This short story by Kinan Kotrash is a tale of the day to day horrors and hardships of war. It follows a mother doing what she can to keep her young son alive and fed.

I think the story was beautifully written, the language is emotive but to the point. The small details set the mood: A glass upside down, a swing hanging by only one chain, a curtain drawn shut.

It's a somber story but it does contain compassion and solidarity. This serves as a reminder that when there is a war or crisis, the greatest asset we have is each other.

Little Shoes a short story novel that follows a small boy and his mother in Europe during the War. We see what a day can be for a mother to try and watch out for her child by trying to get a meager amount of food for him. Watching him in the courtyard playing with another child. One day during a horrible time. Each day wondering what will happen to the people just trying to survive. A sweet sad story seen through the eyes of a small family.

This is a beautiful, heartbreaking story. Brief in length, yet the love and resilience woven throughout leave a lasting imprint on the heart. Long after I turned the final page, I found myself sitting with its quiet grief, thinking about how this is a story that has been lived over and over again. The author invites the reader to sit with those emotions rather than look away, allowing the story to linger long after it ends.

"All the ordinary things that had become, in one night, larger than they had ever deserved to be."

This story begins in a deceptively mundane way, yet the emotional concentration of it is undeniable. This novelete reveals the deepest truths of life and war, taking a few seemingly small moments and opening up the question of, "What will remain when war chooses to take everything but memory?"

Its a hauntingly beautify read that can be finished in one sitting, yet it's one that will remain with you for a long time after. This is one I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this short book packs a punch! The timeframe is short but so much happens in that short amount of time. It's a heartbreaking story that really makes you think about life after you've finished the book.

Thank you Kinan Kotrash | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for allowing me to read and review Little Shoes on NetGalley.

Published: 03/10/26

Can cruelty be beautiful? Little Shoes is a well-written, a fiercely descriptive story. From the planes overhead bombing day in and day out to the broken toys and missing people days later, Kotrash transported me.

I do believe this should be required reading for a multitude of reasons in classes from creative writing to specific cultures.

I wholeheartedly recommend.

Little Shoes and Other Small Things is a fast read that stays with you for a while. It has a great style that reads just like a beautiful, sad poem.We see the world through the young boy's eyes as he looks for his mother. The story uses small, everyday things to show how he survives. It is deeply sad but really beautiful.This short book has a big emotional impact. It is perfect for anyone who loves poetic stories and deep characters
.Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short but heartbreaking story. It was painful to read, and I cried.

What affected me most was the way it showed the reality and the shame of war through something as simple as trying to feed your child. Not having bread, not having a meal for your child, and not even knowing what might happen if you step outside. No parent should ever have to make those choices.

Yet amongst all of that, there were still small moments of kindness. People who had very little themselves were still willing to give a little more when they knew there was a child involved. Even in the middle of war, there was still humanity.

The small details were what broke me. The descriptions, the colours, the smells, the little everyday things were so vivid that I didn't feel like I was simply reading them. I could see them. Even after finishing the story, I can still see those haunting images in my mind.

It is a very short story, but it managed to say so much without needing many pages. No one should ever have to go through this.

The ugliness of war becomes intimate in this story. The mothers want to do their best to shield their children from this terrible war. I was more intrigued by the bottle cap boats than the little shoes. The shoes represented the horrible decisions a mother has to make during this time. Heartbreaking!

This is a very short but powerful story. The emotions between a mother and son at war time are very prevalent here.
I found this to be a very though provoking story.



I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wow. So emotional. Make sure you have tissues handy. I thought this was so well written. I'm curious to see if this author has written full length novels. If you get the chance, pick this up and you won't regret it.

Little Shoes is a short novel with a quiet and understated sadness. The story takes place during the war, but the conflict is not the main focus. It shows what happens when a child's reality changes because of the war. It also reminds us of the importance of small everyday moments, such as playing, arguing with a friend or simply having something to eat.

The writing makes it easy to picture the details and the atmosphere without constantly describing the war. The conversations between the children make the story feel closer, while also becoming the thread that connects everything.

There are moments when the scenes speak for themselves, but the author chooses to explain the characters' gestures and reactions. This makes the reader focus more on the emotional meaning of each action, even when the scene already expresses it on its own.

It is a melancholic and fluid read that is surprisingly immersive. I especially liked the small symbols, such as the boat representing hope for the future and the shoes symbolising the need to escape. The mother also helps to show exhaustion and survival, not through one dramatic moment, but through everyday life.

A heartbreaking short story.

From the first page of the short novella, it drew me in. A scene you may see on a normal day for kids, playing outside but it is anything but a normal day. This is a story about a day in a life during war. Friendship, hope and a story about a bond between a mother and son. What a mother does for a son even during war and the lasting effects of the little things the son carries in his heart and being. How little things have a ripple effect not only to that person, but to all those that come in contact with those people.