Benjamin's Gift [Paperback]

Michael Golding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Modern-day magic and a whirlwind of dramatic historic events animate an unusual coming-of-age story in Golding's second novel, which comes five years after his captivating debut in Simple Prayers. It is 1930 and everyone, it seems, has gone broke, except for New York tycoon Jean Pierre Michel Chernovsky, 71, whose ceaseless treasure hunting yields an unbidden but glorious surprise when a young orphan boy suddenly appears in his limousine. Benjamin is a uniquely beautiful child, with a conspicuous strawberry birthmark on his face, and he has an extraordinary gift: he can disappear from one spot and reappear elsewhere at will. He rebels against Chernovsky when the elderly man uses Benjamin's gift to illicitly acquire antique weapons for his personal collection. Later, the boy loses his clairvoyant nanny, the multitalented blues-singing Cassandra Nutt, after she initiates him into manhood. Benjamin's best friend, Petrie, aka the Calculator, travels the world exploring his own superhuman abilities with mathematics, and Benjamin soon embarks on journeys of his own, to Europe to join the WWII resistance movements and to the jazz clubs of Harlem. In heartbreaking fashion, Benjamin learns that his gift cannot change the world (he fails to save a Jewish family from the Holocaust, for instance). Like Simple Prayers, this novel explores philosophical questions and human frailty. Golding's vision here is winsome and worldly, briskly combining the erotic with the traumatic, infusing spiritual inquiries with down-to-earth answers. From Old to New Amsterdam, from the Jazz Age to the Atomic Age, Benjamin's struggle stands as a resilient metaphor for the ethical challenges of the 20th century. Agent, Mary Evans. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Benjamin's Gift is a fairy tale, much in the same way that Golding's first novel, Simple Prayers, was a fable. All of the major characters live charmed lives, but the matter-of-fact way in which their absoluteness is recounted is reminiscent of the simple tales of childhood, with never any question that the prince will be handsome, the king fabulously wealthy, and the castle sumptuously beautiful. This tale is told in the same way. Benjamin, an orphan, is an astonishingly beautiful child--except for his strawberry birthmark. His gift is the ability to disappear, to travel through space at will to wherever he wants to go. His adoptive father, Jean Pierre Michel Chernovsky, born in 1853 in North Dakota, lives in great style in Manhattan with his needs (all except sexual) tended to by a magnificent black woman, Cassandra Nutt, who is servant/companion/equal to Chernovsky. Making money takes no effort, so he is able to concentrate on his collections. Benjamin is, in a sense, collected. The novel spans a large part of the twentieth century, from October 1929, right before the stock market crash, to the walk on the moon in 1969, with modern history as a background to Benjamin's search for the purpose of the gift. Is it self-entertainment, thwarting bullies, collecting treasures, producing the spark that starts the information age? But what the gift cannot accomplish is equally important. It can't save people Benjamin loves from the Holocaust or produce a cure for disease. We are left in the end with Benjamin finding balance, a fusion of race, mind, and purpose, in this enigmatic and engaging novel. Danise Hoover --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446675717
• ISBN-13: 978-0446675710
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,574,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My apologies that it's taken me this long to say "Thank you", July 16, 2002

By 

Charles R (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Benjamin's Gift (Paperback)

A contemporary fairy tale which bypasses the logical mind and enters one's heart and soul directly. Thank you Michael.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Golding's Magical Gift, February 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Benjamin's Gift (Paperback)

I loved this book! The characters are marvelous -- warm, funny, and alive -- and the story is surprisingly moving. Golding has a gift for language and his lightness is deceptive; you are pulled into a tale that you will not forget. I loved Golding's first book, SIMPLE PRAYERS and BENJAMIN'S GIFT is every bit as wonderful. Don't hesitate to buy it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical and Captivating, May 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Benjamin's Gift (Paperback)

One of my top ten favorite books. It's impossible to put it down. A wonderful book about the bonds of life, and the many unexpected places they can take us. Though at times some of the side characters seem one sided, the Hero, Benjamin makes up for the lack. The story takes you through a historical time with a magical twist. Absolutely wonderful. I recomend this book to all!