The Gift by Cecelia Ahern is a 2008 Harper Collins publication.

Not your typical holiday storyÂ…

The story is centered around Lou Suffern, a workaholic who never spends quality time with his family, and whose multi-tasking leaves much to be desired. Immediately, the reader understands that Lou is not a warm person, and I personally took an instant dis to him.

But, one day, although completely out of character for Lou, he buys a homeless man named Gabe a cup of coffee, which eventually leads him to help Gabe get a job in the Mailroom. The more he is around Gabe, the more noticeable it is that Gabe has this uncanny ability to get from one place to another in record time.

What Lou doesnÂ’t catch onto immediately, is that Gabe is about to gift him his special talent for being in two places at once. The gift is one we have secretly wished for a time or two, I'm sure- but as it turns out the gift ends up having an unexpected effect on LouÂ…

This story is a bit different from the usual holiday stories I encounter. There is a magical, supernatural element to it, but that whimsical tone also masks a definite somber tone that took me completely by surprise.

There are some familiar holiday tropes mapped out here, but the author weaves a clever and creative story around them, and tops it off with a surprise twist that caught me off guard.

While the blurb and cover points to a traditional holiday read with lots of holiday goodwill and cheer, with warm and fuzzy endings- be warned - this is more of a sentimental tearjerker. There are plenty of other holiday movies and books that read this way and many people love them, but I'm more of a guaranteed happy ending person- especially right now.


The message, however, is pointed and universal, no matter what time of year, or what circumstances we are living in. For that reason, I'm glad I read the book!!
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