New York Times bestselling author Cecelia Ahern spins a witty, warm, and wise modern-day fable of love, regret, hope, and second chances.

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?

2. Raphie tells The Turkey Boy that Gabe gave Lou the gift of time (p. 297). Are there other “gifts” that Gabe gives Lou? 
3. Has the rise of social media such as Facebook and Twitter given us more flexibility with time—being able to be in two places at once, like Gabe—or has technology made us busier and actually limited our accessibility?
4. Lou is a complex character: hard and ambitious but with moments of vulnerability, such as his reaction when hearing Ruth cry (p. 75). What are your impressions of Lou? Do they change over the course of the novel? Use scenes from the story to support your viewpoint. 
5. Lou always wishes he could be in two places at once, a wish Gabe fulfills when he gives Lou the pills. Why does Lou want this ability? What happens when he takes the pills? Was this “wish come true” what he thought it would be? What are the drawbacks to being in two places at once? If it were physically possible, would you do so?
6. When Lou steps back from his life, he gains some important insights into who he is, how he behaves, and what his impact is on those around him. Have you ever had the opportunity to step “outside” of your life to see if you like what’s going on? What was the experience like? 
7. Gabe has “special” qualities—moving as quick as light, predicting things before they happen, reading people’s feelings. Do you think he’s human or something more supernatural, such as an angel? Would you like to have a special ability—if so, what would it be? 
8. What insights did reading The Gift hold for you and your own work-life balance? Like The Turkey Boy, what did you take away about timing? 
9. If you could have a special gift, what would you want?

This book is on these lists:

• January 2012 Indie Next List
• December 2011 Indie Next List
• November 2011 Indie Next List