The Last Gift is a novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah. It is Gurnah's eighth novel and was first published by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2011.[1][2] The plot centres on Abbas, an immigrant from east Africa living in England, who reflects on his past after he has a stroke.[3]

The Last Gift
First edition
AuthorAbdulrazak Gurnah
PublisherBloomsbury
Publication date
2011
Publication placeUK
Pages288
ISBN978-1-4088-1518-2
Preceded byDesertion 
Followed byGravel Heart 

The novel received mixed reviews. Aminatta Forna, writing for the Financial Times, described it as "majestic in scale" and praised Gurnah's storytelling and examination of familial relationships.[2] Giles Foden of The Guardian applauded Gurnah's prose.[4] On the other hand, a reviewer for Kirkus Reviews criticized the transitions between the past and the present and felt that the book's central dilemma was not compelling enough.[1] Publishers Weekly wrote that the narrative's pace was occasionally too slow, but praised the plot and the themes of mortality and memory.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Last Gift". Kirkus Reviews. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b Forna, Aminatta (13 May 2011). "The Last Gift". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "The Last Gift". Publishers Weekly. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  4. ^ Foden, Giles (21 May 2011). "The Last Gift by Abdulrazak Gurnah – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2021.