The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

I became curious about this book when I read about it on Swapna's blog in December 2009. The festivities were in the air and I felt like reading a holiday novel. However, I finally got a chance to read it in beginning of March, not so Christmassy then. My excitement went down slightly but since I finally got my hands on this book, I figured I read it.

Lou Suttern is a hard working man. Work is his priority due to which he might be up for a promotion. He makes sure he is first at work and does whatever he can to prove himself. He does not spend time with this family and misses all the family gatherings. Amidst all this, he meets a homeless man named Gabe. Gabe has a talent of remembering people by their shoes. Lou hires him, an act that will turn his life around.

The novel is told from a police officer's point of view, which put an interesting spin to the story. He is trying to convey a message to a teenager who is in trouble with the law. The story was heartwarming and original.  As norm for all the Christmas stories, there is always a moral and a miracle in the book. I won't say what the miracle is because that will spoil the book. The moral of the story is the value of time. Lou finally realizes how important it is to spend time with his friends and family. I want to write more about this book but I think whatever I say after this about the book might become a spoiler. Last thing I will say, make sure you do check out this book.

I give this book 8 out of 10.

This was my first Ahern book. Now that I have her on my radar, I will be sure to check out her other books.