Saturday Read: The Gift, by Cecelia Ahern

Even though I live in chilly Northwestern Ontario, the snow has still not fallen! And, yes, I am a little peeved.

By Alex

Usually the late November snow signals me to bust out the Christmas decorations and movies (can anybody say Elf?!) and indulge in the holiday spirit. But this year I’ve had to create all the spirit myself.

Besides watching Christmas special after special, I’ve turned to cozy holiday books to get myself in the mood, and The Gift, by Cecelia Ahern, is just perfect for the job. Many of you may remember this blockbuster hit from last Christmas season. Well, it was originally a book and I managed to snag myself a bargain copy of the hardcover a couple months ago. I decided to wait for a more appropriate time to bust it out and – seeing the Christmas lights being hung all over time – that time finally arrived!

“The Gift” switches between two seemingly parallel stories. One is of Lou Suffern, an overworked business man who is constantly faced with the conundrum of being in two places at once with his busy life. The other features Raphie, an older policeman (or Garda as they call them in Ireland!) and Turkey Boy, a young boy who threw a turkey through a window and is now at the Garda station. Lou’s story is actually being narrated by Raphie, who is telling Lou’s tale as a warning to Turkey Boy.

Lou’s story essentially begins when he meets Gabe, a homeless man who sits outside Lou’s multi-million dollar office building in Dublin everyday. One day Lou decides to purchase a coffee for Gabe and they end up chatting. Gabe seems very wise and intrigues Lou. Gabe also tips Lou off on a suspicious lunch meeting that Lou’s co-worker and boss had, so Lou decides to get Gabe a job in the mail room of his building. He figures that Gabe will be able to keep his eagle-eyes on Alfred, Lou’s suspicious co-worker and also, that it’s a good deed.

However, once Gabe begins working for Lou’s company, Lou quickly regrets his decision. Gabe magically seems to be able to be in two places at once and everyone else in the office (including Lou’s hard-to-please boss) are beyond impressed. Lou instantly feels threatened and regrets his decision…until Gabe also helps Lou to be in two places at once. Through his journey Lou learns about what is truly important in his life.

I found “The Gift” to be a wonderful, uplifting and perfect Christmas read. It was light-hearted and kept my attention. It is the typical “chick-lit” read and was a great way to relax in between studying for exams. The characters are believable and natural and I found it interesting that Ahern was able to make me feel compassion for both Lou and Gabe, even when Lou resents Gabe.

I think everyone who reads “The Gift” will also learn a lesson about what is truly important in their lives. And there is no better time to appreciate the people around you and blessings you have than this holiday season!