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Gift Shop of Gratitude

A Journal to Explore the Journey of Your Life

Coming November 12th

Gift Shop of Gratitude offers a charmingly original way to remember and record the many gifts life has given us. Twenty warm, humorous, and illuminating essays—about common items found in gift shops—prompt readers to recall the people, events, and experiences for which they’re most grateful. Examples include playing cards to recall the people we most love; t-shirts that call to mind memorable events and activities, refrigerator magnets to recall enriching travel, bobbleheads to honor best teachers and coaches; scented candles to evoke favorite fragrances from childhood, and stuffed animals to remember beloved pets.

Gratitude Pages at the end of each chapter enable readers to record the many gifts of their lives, creating a personal “testament of gratitude” and a precious family heirloom for children, grandchildren, and all whom they’ve loved. Whether buying a copy for yourself, a friend, or a family member, Gift Shop of Gratitude offers a timeless gift.

Advance Praise

“Journalist Lovenheim offers strategies for the daunting task of practicing gratitude with a highly specific series of metaphors.

In 20 short, quippy chapters, the author reminds readers that, despite their troubles, they all have a lot to be grateful for. The book’s unique premise—equating each type of gratitude to an item in a gift shop—offers readers a useful method for locating immaterial thankfulness in a materialistic world. For example, snow globes, he asserts, represent fond memories of inspiring natural wonders, bobbleheads represent mentors who’ve helped one succeed, and baseball caps represent teams and groups that have offered support in one’s life. Lovenheim also encourages readers to embrace more abstract objects of gratitude, such as outlets for self-expression and encounters with beauty. However, the author is not one to sugarcoat uncomfortable notions, so he urges readers to address challenges as jigsaw puzzles (‘these puzzles depict difficult situations—losses and assorted troubles, some of my own making—that in my life I had to work through and resolve’) and keys to open ‘doors of opportunity.’ The specificity of the objects and their meanings feels unique among books on this topic. The items sometimes rely on distinctions that, at first, appear inconsequential: What, for instance, is the significant difference between the playing cards picturing ‘people I’m most grateful to have had in my life’ and the ‘mentor’ bobblehead? On the other hand, the delightful examples from the author’s own life may make it easier for readers to reflect on theirs. Each chapter helpfully ends with a journaling prompt and lined pages upon which readers may begin to build their own imaginary gift shop.

A warmly rendered work that combines aspects of self-help books, memoirs, and therapeutic journals.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Fascinating, fun and informative. . . ideal for gift giving to a loved one . . . unreservedly recommended for personal and family collections.”
—Midwest Book Review

“A creative way to recognize life’s special gifts. The intimacy of this slim volume is remarkably wrought . . . [with] heartwarming messages sprinkled throughout.”
—BookLife

“A snow globe evokes some cherished encounter with nature. Pictures on a deck of cards remind us of the people we hold dear. A saying on a coffee cup gets us thinking about some of the maxims that have guided our life. In this warm hearted, charming book Peter Lovenheim asks his readers to draw upon the ordinary offerings of the gift shop—the key chains, stuffed animals, tote bags, scented candles—to enhance and deepen their memories—and their gratitude. And though it won’t take them long to finish the book, it may be a while before they exit the gift shop.”
—Judith Viorst, author Necessary Losses and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

“You will savor this clever book, an interactive exercise that prods you to reflect on the abundance in your life. Peter Lovenheim’s wisdom and guidance illuminate the power of the choices we make and remind us it’s never too late to stock our personal ‘gift shops’ with people and experiences that will bring enduring happiness.”
—Gina Vild, co-author with Sanjiv Chopra, The Two Most Important Days: How to Find your Purpose and Live a Happier, Healthier Life

“Gift Shop of Gratitude is an utterly charming work of lucid prose that is itself an indispensable gift to any reader who needs reminding of the bounty of life, the richness of friendship, and the magic of memories. Gift Shop goes well beyond its clever conceit and proactively engages readers, calling upon them to pause and take stock of their lives, to recognize the grace of every day, and the critical importance of being thankful. It addresses the substance, not the souvenirs of life, and for that, readers are sure to be most grateful.”
—Ted Gup, author of A Secret Gift and The Book of Honor

“Like a special friend, Peter Lovenheim slips in the side door of our mind to gently and humorously guide us—using familiar gift shop items as prompts—to recall the treasured moments, dearest friends, and favorite places that have made our lives richer and more meaningful.”
—Elaine Heveron, author of Notes from Paradise

“Peter Lovenheim has provided a lasting gift. This book will lift your spirits by helping you develop and nurture the vital attributes of appreciation and gratitude.”
—Tom Hamburger, former staff writer at The Washington Post

“Peter Lovenheim is a gifted storyteller with a curiosity that’s contagious. I smiled the whole time I read Gift Shop of Gratitude. More importantly, I found more ways to experience gratitude. That is the true gift of this book.”
—Pauline Steinhorn, author of Dreaming of the River

“In his uniquely warm style, Peter Lovenheim asks us to take a break from the trials and tribulations of life so we can recapture some of the things that have enriched us. The gifts from our past are too often forgotten, but as parts of the mosaic that defines us, they deserve an occasional visit. We all need to visit our own unique gift shop of treasured memories!”
—Charles P. McDowell, author of Final Moments: Conversations with the Angel of Death

“Peter Lovenheim’s Gift Shop of Gratitude works both as a wonderful reminder to cherish the people, events, and places that impacted our lives and as a workbook that encourages us to remember and honor them. Peter has become one of my bobbleheads.”
—Bill Creed, Award-Winning Documentary Film Editor and Producer

“Who knew that semolina was the first fake snow in snow globes? As Lovenheim weaves in details about the origins of 20 everyday gift shop items, he inspires readers to recall treasured moments of their lives, building a precious legacy for their family. The idea of a book about gift shops may sound a little precious, but it turns out to be precious in the best sense of the word.”
—Marc Silver, author of Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Beyond