Nick Baba's Last Drink and Other Sketches

"Nick Baba's Last Drink and Other Sketches" by George Paul Goff is a set of short stories from the late 1800s that looks at what it means to be human, touching on right and wrong, as well as the battles people face within themselves, demonstrated by the main story about a man and his family battling alcoholism. Centered around “Nick Baba's Last Drink,” it tells of lonely Nick Baba, a shoemaker suffering from alcoholism. On Christmas Eve, a strange goblin visits Nick and makes him rethink his life. The goblin pushes Nick to look back at his past, showing him the bad results of his drinking and how he has failed his family. Nick sees how different his past and present are, and he must decide if he will keep hurting himself or try to fix his life and be there for his family. Goff uses this strong story to study the widespread battle against addiction and the chance for people to turn their lives around.