In this modern-day fable, workaholic executive Lou Steffen shows an uncharacteristic burst of generosity towards Gabe, a homeless man who always seems to be in two places at once. With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can Gabe help Lou fix what's broken before it's too late?

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"A tantalizing tale wrapped in a tale....[the] perfect treat for the holidays." –Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of At the Water's Edge.

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.

Extremely successful executive Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all.

One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once.

With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?

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Fiction. Literature. .

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)

Despite job stress and a crumbling home life, workaholic businessman Lou Suffern gives Gabe, a homeless man, a job in his company's mail room; but the mysterious Gabe seems be in two places at once and he's meddling in Lou's private affairs.

Step into the magical world of Cecelia Ahern in this heartwarming bestseller. If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Lou Suffern wishes he could be in two places at once. His constant battle with the clock is a sensitive issue with his wife and family. Gabe wishes he was somewhere warm. When Lou invites Gabe, a homeless man who sits outside his office, into the building and into his life, Lou's world is changed beyond all measure... An enchanting and thoughtful Christmas story that speaks to all of us abut the value of time and what is truly important in life.

A magical and enchanting story which ends on Christmas Day, from the bestselling author of 'PS I Love You'.

Workaholic executive Lou Steffen shows an uncharacteristic burst of generosity towards Gabe, a homeless man who always seems to be in two places at once. Can Gabe help Lou fix what's broken before it's too late?

Lou Suffern's successful career demands that he be intwo places at one time--and neither of those is withhis devoted wife and children. One frigid morning Loumeets a homeless man named Gabe and buys him a cupof coffee. . .then gives him a job--a surprising random actof kindness. But soon Gabe is meddling uncomfortablyin Lou's life, popping up at the most inopportune times--as if Gabe actually can be two places at once. With Lou'spersonal and professional fates at important crossroadsand Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodoxmethods to show his stubborn patron what truly mattersand how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fixwhat's broken before it's too late?

Successful executive Lou Suffern is inspired by the holiday spirit to help Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office, but Lou begins to question his good deed when Gabe starts meddling in his affairs, unaware the kind soul is trying to help Lou understand what truly matters and the precious gift of time.

If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Everyday Lou battles with the clock. When at home his mind is always someplace else. One winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man, and gets him a job in the post room. But how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time? As Christmas draws closer, Lou starts to understand the value of time. As he sees what is truly important in life he learns the harshest lesson of all.

Step into the magical world of Cecelia Ahern

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

Everyday Lou Suffern battled with the clock. He always had two places to be at the same time. He always had two things to do at once. When asleep he dreamed. In between dreams, he ran through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind was always someplace else. On his way into work one early winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man sitting outside the office building. Intrigued by him and on discovering that he could also be very useful to have around, Lou gets Gabe a job in the post room. But soon Lou begins to regret helping Gabe. His very presence unsettles Lou and how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time?

If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Lou Suffern wishes he could be in two places at once. His constant battle with the clock is a sensitive issue with his wife and family. Gabe wishes he was somewhere warm. When Lou invites Gabe, a homeless man who sits outside his office, into the building and into his life, Lou's world is changed beyond all measure... An enchanting and thoughtful Christmas story that speaks to all of us about the value of time and what is truly important in life. Praise for The Gift 'Utterly irresistible . . . I devoured it in one sitting' Marian Keyes, Irish Times 'An intriguing, heartfelt novel, which makes you think about the value of life' Glamour

This Christmas, sprinkle some Cecelia Ahern magic in your life A magical and enchanting story which ends on Christmas Day, from the bestselling author of PS I Love You. This will be a beautiful hardback, gorgeously designed and illustrated and the ultimate gift purchase this Christmas.

From the celebrated author of "P.S. I Love You" and "Thanks for the Memories"comes this magical fable-like Christmas story.

Summary How can you know someone you've never met? Justin Hitchcock is divorced, lonely and restless. He arrives in Dublin to give a lecture on art and meets an attractive doctor, who persuades him to donate blood. It's the first thing to come straight from his heart in a long time. When Joyce Conway leaves the hospital after a terrible accident, with her life and her marriage in pieces, she moves back in with her elderly father....

In this modern-day fable, workaholic executive Lou Steffen shows an uncharacteristic burst of generosity towards Gabe, a homeless man who always seems to be in two places at once. With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can Gabe help Lou fix what's broken before it's too late? "Lou tiene una vida perfecta, una mujer estupenda, dos hijos adorables y un trabajo que lo llena. Pero el e?xito tiene un precio y Lou esta? dispuesto a todo para conseguir llegar a la cima. Una man?ana, de camino al trabajo, entabla conversacio?n con Gabe, un mendigo con el que se cruza todos los di?as. Este encuentro cambiara? su vida para siempre porque Gabe no es un hombre como los dema?s." --From publisher's description.

This is a story about people who not unlike parcels, hide secrets. They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what's inside. Sometimes you have to be unravelled in order to find out who you really are. For Lou Suffern, that took time.

. Literature. Fiction.

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August 31, 2009
At PW
, we know itâ??s summertime when the Christmas books start showing up.
The Gift
Cecelia Ahern
. Harper
, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-170626-4

Ahern wades into the Christmas fiction fray with a winning tale of magic and redemption. Lou Suffern is a busy man, and his familyâ??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 Gabeâ??s way of thinking until itâ??s too late. Ahernâ??s an accomplished storyteller, and her writing chops elevate this far above the normal holiday fare. Thereâ??s magic, but itâ??s not campy, and the sentiment is real.

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In this modern-day fable, workaholic executive Lou Suffern shows an uncharacteristic burst of generosity towards Gabe, a homeless man who always seems to be in two places at once. With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can Gabe help Lou fix what's broken before it's too late? Review from 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.

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.

Two of Cecelia's best-loved novels available as an ebook duo for the first time! THE GIFT and THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES will make a wonderful treat for any Cecelia fan this Christmas. If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Two people from very different walks of life meet one Christmas, and find their worlds changed beyond measure. THE GIFT is an enchanting and thoughtful Christmas story that speaks to all of us about the value of time and what is truly important in life. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES is a compelling and perceptive tale of intimacy, memory and relationships from this No.1 bestselling author. After all, how can you know someone that you've never met before?

The gift is an enchanting and thoughtful Christmas story that speaks to all of us about the value of time and what is truly important in life. Thanks for the memories is a compelling and perceptive tale of intimacy, memory and relationships. After all, how can you know someone that you've never met before?

"Everyday Lou Suffern battled with the clock. He always had two places to be at the same time. He always had two things to do at once. When asleep he dreamed. In between dreams, he ran through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind was always someplace else. On his way into work one early winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man sitting outside the office building. Intrigued by him and on discovering that he could also be very useful to have around, Lou gets Gabe a job in the post room. But soon Lou begins to regret helping Gabe. His very presence unsettles Lou and how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time? As Christmas draws closer, Lou starts to understand the value of time. He sees what is truly important in life yet at the same time he learns the harshest lesson of all. This is a story about people who not unlike parcels, hide secrets.They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what's inside. Sometimes you have to be unravelled in order to find out who you really are. For Lou Suffern, that took time. " -- BOOK JACKET

Lou Suffern ist ein "BWM", ein Beschäftigter Wichtiger Mann. So wichtig und beschäftigt, dass er den 70. Geburtstag seines Vaters vergisst, seine Frau leichthin betrügt und seinem kleinen Sohn noch nicht ein einziges Mal die Windeln gewechselt hat. Eines Tages verwickelt ihn ein Obdachloser namens Gabriel in ein Gespräch. Lou fühlt sich dem Unbekannten seltsam verbunden und verschafft ihm kurzerhand einen Job - was nun wirklich nicht seine Art ist. Doch auch Gabriel hat ein Geschenk für Lou: ein rätselhaftes Mittel, durch das Lou ein anderer wird...

Gewagt, einen Unsympath wie Lou zur Hauptfigur eines ganzen Romans zu machen. Cecelia Ahern, seit ihrem Bestseller "P.S. Ich liebe dich" (BA 6/04) weltweit in der 1. Riege der modernen, romantischen Schriftstellerinnen, lässt in einer Rahmenerzählung Sergeant Raphael die Geschichte von einem Menschen erzählen, der über Irrwege herausfindet, wer er ist und was wirklich zählt im Leben. Lou Sufferns hervorstechendste Charaktereigenschaften sind Ehrgeiz und Perfektionismus. Am liebsten wäre er an 2 Orten gleichzeitig, um all das erledigen zu können, was ihm wichtig ist. Seine Karriere führt steil nach oben. Im Privatleben enttäuscht Lou in schöner Regelmäßigkeit durch nicht eingehaltene Versprechen. Da trifft der clevere Geschäftsmann auf den Obdachlosen Gabriel. Er besorgt ihm einen Job in der Poststelle seiner Firma und aus dem Dubliner Erfolgsmenschen, der sich am Anfang des Romans mit "Ich bin Lou, aber alle, die mich kennen, nennen mich Arschloch" vorstellt, wird ein Mensch, den man gern haben kann. Der 6. Roman der irischen Autorin setzt ihre literarische Erfolgsserie fort..