The Gift

The Gift
By Cecelia Ahern
Harper, 2009. 302 pgs. Fiction

Lou Steffen is a business executive obsessed with his job. He never has time for his family and rarely even notices others. However, one day, he stops to give a homeless man, Gabe, a cup of coffee, and he ends up getting Gabe a job in his company. He soon wonders if that was a good idea, though, as there's something mysterious about the way that Gabe seems to be in two places at once and knows things about Lou that he shouldn't. As Lou wonders who Gabe really is, Gabe is trying to give Lou the gift of a lifetime.

Ahern's latest book should leave fans fulfilled. Elements of the miraculous are combined with reality in this story about learning what life is really about. Even as frustrating as Lou can be, readers will still find themselves hoping that he can redeem himself in the eyes of his family and become the person that he really wants to be.

AE