The Gift of Love - Andrea Hahnfeld - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Andrea Hahnfeld

ILLUSTRATOR: Anastasia Khmelevska

GENRE: Picture Book for Adults

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A picture book for adults! Will work nicely as a companion gift for wedding showers or weddings.

Story Synopsis:

A newly married monster couple is quite excited about opening their wedding gifts. While they love most of their gifts, one of the presents leaves them befuddled. It is a plant that has almost entirely withered. There’s no sign of who gifted it as the attached note simply says, ‘The Gift of Love.’ As they can’t throw it away, they decide to do their best to nurture the plant back to life. Their results initially seem to bear fruit (or perhaps, I should say, ‘bear flowers’) but soon the growth takes a turn downwards, and the couple is forced to ask themselves some tough questions.

I loved the story. It is a beautiful allegorical take on how it takes two to nurture a marriage. Both the husband and the wife are shown as equally concerned and equally involved in the care of the plant. Don’t shared responsibilities always multiply joys? At the same time, the story also highlights how we tend to lose sight of the ‘what is’ in the quest for the ‘what could be’. After all, perfection is a myth, so the drive towards perfection shouldn’t come at the cost of current happiness and without acknowledging the blessings we already have.

The sweetness of the story is enhanced by the subtle touch of humour. (My favourite part was when each partner assumed that the dying plant was a gift from their in-laws! 😄)

This meaningful adult picture book will make a lovely gift for newlyweds or for those about to be married in the near future. As we live in an age where everyone wants instant gratification, such books will help remind the young couple that a successful marriage needs patience, understanding and commitment. There’s nothing insta about it; the analogy of comparing a marriage to a plant is accurate.

There are some extra pages at the start of the book, where a personal message to the couple can be handwritten. There is also space for a photo to be stuck.

The only thing that I had mixed feelings about was the illustrations. On the positive side, I appreciate the decision to make the couple a pair of (cute-ish) monsters. This creative call means that the book isn’t restricted in its utility as a gift; it will work with couples across races and cultures. Another thing that gives it somewhat universal appeal is that the couple in the story don’t have names. They are just ‘the husband’ and ‘the wife’. I guess this rules out same-sex partners, but other than that problem, it still works as a way of not limiting the book to a specific racial/ethnic/national group. There are some tiny insects in the background of every page, and these add to the cuteness of the book. However, I didn’t like the colour palette and artistic rendering of the main characters. The sketches were a tad too kiddish, and as this book is meant for adults, I would have appreciate a more mature touch to the graphics. The bright lavender colour of the monsters also wasn’t that inviting to my eyes. That said, I must stress that art is always a matter of individual taste. What didn’t work for me might very well work for you.

All in all, my minor dissatisfaction stems only from the illustrations. As an inspirational story for young couples, this self-published book functions exactly as it should, delivering a worthy message in a light and meaningful way.

My thanks to author Andrea Hahnfeld and LibraryThing for providing me with a complimentary copy of “The Gift of Love” at my request. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.