Available:*
Material Type | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | FICTION AHERN, CECELIA | Adult Fiction Collection | Searching... |
| Book | FICTION AHERN, CECELIA | Adult Fiction Collection | Searching... |
| Book | FICTION AHERN, CECELIA | Adult Fiction Collection | Searching... |
Summary
Summary
New York Times bestselling author Cecelia Ahern spins a witty, warm, and wise modern-day fable of love, regret, hope, and second chances. extremely successful executive, Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all. One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once. With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?
Reviews: 3
Booklist Review
The author of P.S. I Love You (2004) and There's No Place like Here (2007) offers up a moving tale just in time for the holidays. Christmas is fast approaching, but all ambitious businessman Lou Suffern can think about is the possibility of a promotion after a higher-up at his company suffers a breakdown and can't return to work. Lou's family his long-suffering wife, Ruth, and two children, as well as his aging parents is the furthest thing from his mind, until he encounters Gabe, a keenly observant homeless man, outside his office one day. Gabe's comments about Lou's co-workers prompt Lou to offer him a job in the mailroom at his company, something he comes to regret when Gabe starts popping up everywhere, reminding Lou about his familial obligations and offering him a special bottle of pills that might just be the key to opening Lou's eyes to what really matters. Like Ahern's recent novels, The Gift weaves magical elements into a modern-day setting, and will certainly appeal to readers looking for a touching, supernatural tearjerker.--Huntley, Kristine Copyright 2009 Booklist
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ahern wades into the Christmas fiction fray with a winning tale of magic and redemption. Lou Suffern is a busy man, and his family's growing weary of constantly taking the backseat to his career. On a whim, he offers Gabe, a homeless man he meets outside his office, a low-level job, and the uncharacteristically kind gesture plays out in a very unexpected way when Lou learns that Gabe has the power to be in two places at once. As the holidays draw nearer, Gabe tries to make Lou realize the importance of his family, but slow-to-change Lou might not come around to Gabe's way of thinking until it's too late. Ahern's an accomplished storyteller, and her writing chops elevate this far above the normal holiday fare. There's magic, but it's not campy, and the sentiment is real. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
Ahern (P.S. I Love You) continues her current theme of writing modern fairy tales with this holiday treat. When workaholic corporate magnate Lou meets homeless Gabe (short for, ahem, Gabriel), Lou wants to help out, so he gets Gabe a job in his company's mail room. No good deed goes unpunished though, and Lou soon finds Gabe constantly giving him unwanted advice and pushing him to see the importance of family and friends. This clever twist on the guardian angel story will appeal to Ahern's fans and lovers of holiday fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Google Preview
