Every so often I like to show people the different beautiful and emotional pieces of writing that you can read that are insightful and thought through. The book I’m sharing with you in this post is The Simple Gift, a stunningly beautiful book in a form that speaks volumes. I no longer know how I came into contact with this book I’ve had it so long, however when I’m looking for something to read on my bookshelf it often catches my eye and I remember how brilliant it really is.

The book follows Billy Luckett who hitches a ride into the sunset away from his violent father and his worthless life. His story follows how he struggles to make a life for himself, working in a cannery, pulling the mouldy flesh from over ripe tomatoes and making friends with a homeless man Old Bill who he lives next to in a set of abandoned train carriages. Billy learns to live, and learn how to get by in a world that he no longer knows and learn to survive in a place where money is everything. Billy also learns to fall in love; as he sits in the upstairs of the local McDonalds pinching half eaten chips and sipping a small lemonade Billy meets Caitlin but I’ll leave their romantic story for you to discover.

The story is short only around 200 pages and the story is written in only a very few paragraphs on each page so the narrative is short and sweet but deceptively brilliant. The characters are well thought through and beautifully written whilst the form of the book leads to a very different experience. I would definitely recommend this book. I loved it and hope you do to!