Imagine that you live in a world where everything operates in an orderly fashion and pain, anguish, crime, poverty, hunger, prejudice, racism, sexism and other societal ills have been eliminated. It is just such a society that young 12-year-old Jonas lives and we are given a glimpse into this idyllic community.

The Gift by Lois Lowry opens as Jonas is approaching his twelfth birthday which is also the year of a milestone where the young persons, reaching the age of twleve, enter into adulthood, are given their vocational assignments, and enter into a period of apprenticeship. Jonas is bestowed a great honor when he is selected as the next Receiver of Memory.

Jonas’ world quickly turns upside down as he learns that his society, which has totally eliminated individuality and personal choice, is not as perfect as he once thought.

This is a wonderful book and the ending is quite poetic.