The Gift is not the latest title from Cecelia Ahern, but as it's a Christmas theme it's the one to read a the moment. She was the author of P.S. I Love You.This novel is set in the days leading up to Christmas, with very little to do with Christmas as such, unless you count the togetherness (or not) of family which the season tends to highlight, and a little mysticism.
Lou is a very work focused businessman, who believes he is doing a fine job of fitting in his family around it. One morning he surprises himself by actually noticing the homeless man who sits outside his office building. He hands the man, Gabe, the coffee he just bought himself.
With this ‘gift’ Lou starts to make a few very uncharacteristic decisions. The first is to get Gabe a job in the company mail room, which results in Gabe seemingly always looking over Lou’s shoulder.
The story unwinds through a tale told by the local cop to a young boy who has been picked up that morning, Christmas morning, for throwing a frozen turkey through his estranged father’s window. The cop needs to tell someone as he has just dealt with the conclusion to the tale, and he hopes that by telling the boy the tale, it will change the boys attitude.
It is well written, easy to read but made me feel a little uncomfortable as I recognised some of Lou’s behaviours in myself. It was hard to put down, therefore thankfully short, so I wasn’t distracted for too long.
Well worth reading!
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