? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Gabriel’s Gift by Hanif Kureishi introduces us to the life of a 15-year-old London teenager who is coming to terms with his new reality after his mother kicks out his father, a lovable has-been rock musician, with whom Gabriel has a very close relationship. His mother, whom he admires but hardly sees, works nights in a pub to make ends meet and sleeps in the morning when Gabriel is at school. So, what does a teenager do when faced with these circumstances? He begins to forge unusual relationships — one with his deceased twin brother, Archie, and another with a superstar musician who knows his father, a character that Kureishi has crafted in the likeness of David Bowie. Gabriel does not stop there; he also discovers that he has a gift, one that the reader wonders is true or is it the outcome of a neglected teen with an overactive imagination. This novella weaves magical realism and post-1970s hippie-rock culture into a readable narrative that will appeal to anyone who grew up during the 70s-90s or who has an interest in the music or the era. Also, the themes of modern families, creativity, ambition and art all come together in this quick and quirky summer read.

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