Review by 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
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by 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
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by 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.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
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 Gabrielget 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 supernaturalangels, ghosts, dj vuworks against the weight of her story. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
