Benjamin's Gift

by Michael Golding

From the acclaimed author of Simple Prayers, hailed by Thomas Keneally as "a work of magic (and) a journey of wonder, " comes the rich and captivating tale of an extraordinary father and son. Jean Pierre Michel Chernovsky is a paragon of the Gilded Age, a product of both Old World and New, and a collector of all things beautiful. Benjamin Chernovsky is his adopted orphan of the Depression, a boy whose remarkable beauty is flawed by a strawberry birthmark on his right cheek and throat and whose mind is blessed with a disturbing and miraculous gift. United by something more binding than blood, rivals for the affections of one indomitable and exotic woman, they will embark upon an odyssey filled with wild adventures and startling discoveries, a journey that will alter them -- and their century -- forever.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

MICHAEL GOLDING was born in Philadelphia and educated at Duke, Oxford, and the University of California at Irvine. He began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous Off-Broadway shows. His first novel, SIMPLE PRAYERS, was published in 1994 and has been translated into nine foreign languages. BENJAMIN’S GIFT, his second novel, was published in 1999. His translation of Alessandro Baricco’s stage play NOVECENTO opened the 2002 Edinburgh Festival and his screenplay adaptation of the best-selling novel SILK was a Featured Selection at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. His third novel, A POET OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD, was published by Picador in 2015. It was nominated for the Lambda Literary Award and was the recipient of the Ferro-Grumley Award. His new novel, QUICK BRIGHT THINGS, was published in April of 2023.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast and delightful read. I'm surprised that there aren't more reviews of it here -- totally enjoyable and engaging and clever. The story itself asks you to suspend your disbelief on one very key thing. Once you do, the author never insults you with it. He never makes it feel unnatural. You accept it as fact and it starts to feel real because of his writing style.

There are a couple of points where things feel awkward -- Benjamin seems to move through every point in history from 1929 to 1969, and be present at everything major, which feels rushed and unnatural only a couple of moments. But they're not enough to hamper your enjoyment of this book. Highly recommended!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and the interplay of Ben and his gift. The individual characters were well formed and represented interesting segments of society. I don't feel that there was a lot of insight that I wasn't already aware of when reading the book but it was an enjoyable read without being preachy or overbearing.

[Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows the life of a boy born with a unique power to transport himself. While not as absorbing for me as Simple Prayers, this was still a really good book, with themes of found-family and friendship.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't start out great and didn't get better

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes

What is the shape of a miracle? Is it slender, compact, able to fit, like a silver bead, within the palm of your hand? So dense, so deeply concentrated, that it carries an entire universe inside its smooth, brittle shell? Or is it fluid, ephemeral, an invisible substance that pours out over the moment, releasing upon its subjects a whiff of the sublime, transforming them, man and child and thing, forever?

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a simple quick read about a boy who has the power to disappear. It was also about the dynamic of an unconventional family and how they deal with life and each other. There were some parts that didn't seem to fit in with the overall story line. And the underlying sexual parts I felt were quite unessessary. It was a decent read.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A magical, amusing book, but with neither the depth nor sophistication of Golding's earlier book, Simple Prayers, nor its sensual delights. Still, it's a disappointment only in relation to the earlier book.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Golding's writing style. And this story journeys everywhere, from a teenager struggling with surging hormones to a concentration camp to african-american jazz clubs to what it means to be a father.