The Gift

The Gift

by Cecelia Ahern

Narrated by Kevin Kearns

Unabridged — 7 hours, 45 minutes

The Gift

The Gift

by Cecelia Ahern

Narrated by Kevin Kearns

Unabridged — 7 hours, 45 minutes

Audiobook (Digital)

$24.99
FREE With a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime
$0.00

Free with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime

START FREE TRIAL

Already Subscribed? 

Sign in to Your BN.com Account


Listen on the free Barnes & Noble NOOK app


Related collections and offers

FREE

with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription

Or Pay $24.99

Overview

The Gift is a magical, fable-like Christmas story from Cecelia Ahern, the celebrated New York Times bestselling author of P.S. I Love You and Thanks for the Memories. The story of Lou Suffern, a successful executive frustrated by the fact that he spends more time in the office than with his doting wife and two young children, The Gift is “a tantalizing tale wrapped in a tale....[the] perfect treat for the holidays.” (Sara Gruen)


Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

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.)

Library Journal

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.]

Kirkus Reviews

Light holiday fare with a Lesson from Irish bestseller Ahern (Thanks for the Memories, 2009, etc.). The author's variation on A Christmas Carol isn't subtle. Ahern encourages readers to appreciate the important things (tradition, home, family, etc.). Wealthy executive Lou Suffern neglects his children and cheats on his wife; his only friend is his all-consuming ambition. But Lou's not entirely bad. On a cold December morning, he buys a coffee for the young homeless man in front of his Dublin office building. They strike up a conversation, and Gabe (short for Gabriel-get it?) reveals that Lou's boss is having secret lunches with Lou's rival. Thinking it might be handy to have someone with Gabe's powers of observation on hand, Lou gets him a job in the mailroom. As the novel unfolds, two things become clear: Lou is so busy that he needs to be in two places at once, and Gabe is able to magically be in two places at once. This leads Gabe, who's friendly in a sanctimonious, might-be-an-angel kind of way, to give Lou magic pills. Take one, and just for the night he can clone himself, close two business deals at the same time, then go out to celebrate while also heading home to tend to his sick wife and daughter. The cloning helps Lou see the error of his ways. His family really does need him, he realizes, and he really does love them. More epiphanies occur until Lou finally gets it: Life is short, and real estate can't hug you back. Ahern has a way with character, but her penchant for the supernatural-angels, ghosts, deja vu-works against the weight of her story.

From the Publisher

This modern-day Scrooge tale is a delightful read with plenty of fun twists and turns.” — USA Today

“An updated version of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol . . . with some surprising twists.” — Boston Globe

“Charming . . . The Gift is like a warm sweater.” — Associated Press

“A moving tale . . . The Gift weaves magical elements into modern-day setting, and will certainly appeal to readers looking for a touching supernatural tearjerker.” — Booklist

“A winning tale of magic and redemption. . . . 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.” — Publishers Weekly

“Light holiday fare with a lesson . . . [that] encourages readers to appreciate the important things. . . . Ahern has a way with character.” — Kirkus Reviews

“[A] holiday treat . . . This clever twist on the guardian angel story will appeal to Ahern’s fans and lovers of holiday fiction.” — Library Journal

“THE GIFT is a tantalizing tale wrapped in a tale that I devoured in one sitting. It’s a perfect treat for the holidays.” — Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants

Associated Press

Charming . . . The Gift is like a warm sweater.

Booklist

A moving tale . . . The Gift weaves magical elements into modern-day setting, and will certainly appeal to readers looking for a touching supernatural tearjerker.

USA Today

This modern-day Scrooge tale is a delightful read with plenty of fun twists and turns.

Sarah Gruen

THE GIFT is a tantalizing tale wrapped in a tale that I devoured in one sitting. It’s a perfect treat for the holidays.

Boston Globe

An updated version of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol . . . with some surprising twists.

USA Today

This modern-day Scrooge tale is a delightful read with plenty of fun twists and turns.

Booklist

A moving tale . . . The Gift weaves magical elements into modern-day setting, and will certainly appeal to readers looking for a touching supernatural tearjerker.

Associated Press Staff

Charming . . . The Gift is like a warm sweater.

Sara Gruen

THE GIFT is a tantalizing tale wrapped in a tale that I devoured in one sitting. It’s a perfect treat for the holidays.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940170035083
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 11/03/2009
Edition description: Unabridged

Customer Reviews