About Irish Navy guy on leave during holiday, visiting friends and family and hanging out in bars. At end finally gets fathers affection. It is was okay if you don't mind reading about bar scenes. Kind of boring. ( )

A 17-year-old Pete returns from the Navy for a holiday family visit. In hopes to see the girl, he has affection for he visits local bars with friends. While she is not so much interested in him he then finds that family is the most important love to have.

I have read one book by Pete Hamill called Forever which I really enjoyed. I was eager to see what this short Christmas story was like. Hamill is a really good writer. As each short chapter went on I was intrigued to see what this “gift” was going to be. I also wondered if this was based on the author’s life as he named the main character after himself.

Even though I liked what I was reading I knew from the beginning that whatever “The Gift” was I knew it was going to be not what I hoped for and to be honest it was a sweet ending but kinda lackluster. I wanted more about his family connections and just wanted more story in general

There is something in the way Hamill writes he really does mesmerize the reader. The reader gets comfortable with the atmosphere and characters. So while this was not my favorite by Hamill it will not be my last. ( )

To me this was an ugly book. Heavy on the drinking. Son finally feels his father's love when they go to a bar and drink together. Not my style. ( )

Essentially a short story packaged as a novella. Nice view of the Irish poor and 1950s New York, Quick, nice, feel-good read for the holidays. ( )

Gritty novella set in Brooklyn in the early 50s about a young sailor on leave coming home to his family during the holidays. No word is wasted in this story. Hamill is certainly a gifted writer. ( )