The Lesson: A Fable for Our Times

I discovered "The Lesson" in a candle store at the mall a couple of years ago. I gave the book as a gift to my husband and he loved it so much that we purchased ten more copies for friends. We continue to purchase copies as gifts and the recipients are always deeply touched by this wonderful short story of Robert who learns the greatest life lesson of all: How much did you love? I am an avid reader and an author - this is one of my favorite books!

This is a sometimes joyful, sometimes sorrowful, but always hopeful tale of the most important lesson we can teach our children in life. Carol Lynn Pearson tells the tale of Robert, a little boy we meet on his first day of school. He is joyful as he solves his very first problem: One plus one equals what? As the years go by, the problems get bigger, but Robert manages to solve them and move on. The problems are no longer as much fun, but still must be solved. Sometimes Robert wants to run away from the problem and sometimes the problem makes him cry. Many times he longs for the simple problems like he had on the first day of school. The reader spends a lifetime with Robert and sees him learn the greatest lesson of all when he realizes all his life there had only been one problem---How much do you love and who will remember you after you are gone? A warm, feel-good book for children as well as adults, this beautifully illustrated fable is a quick, satisfying read with a lesson to last a lifetime.

When my wife gave this book to me as a gift I wasn't quite sure what to think of it -- Then I read it. In this book Robert, a young boy, is off to school. There he learns how to solve a problem, 1+1. As life goes on the problems keep coming for Robert, some easier than others. One of my favorites goes something like this...If you take five minutes longer than usual in the bathroom and and three minutes longer than usual eating breakfast, how many minutes does it take you to walk to school because you just missed the bus?Robert, luckily, has a patient and kind teacher who encourages him to solve his problems and then moves him on to the next grade (in life). The lessons Pearson writes about are life's lessons. And one of the most important is that Robert's problems are his own problems to solve. No one else can solve them for him, just like everyone has their own problems to solve. Another lesson is that each problem is solvable and and each problem that we face has a lesson.I was greatly influenced by this short, but deeply insightful, and wise book. "The Lesson" is definitely a 5 star book, but only because I can't award more. Get this book, read it, share it, and learn lessons from it.Alan Holyoak

I gave ten copies of this book for Christmas gifts and each recipient has asked me where they can buy more to pass on to others. My 32-year old nephew (coincidentally named Robert, as in the story) said it was his favorite gift this year. It's a simple, easy-to-read, soul-expanding story.

I bought this book for my son, Robert who is 9, without reading very much first. I read the 'story problem lesson' and thought it sounded much like my son, so I brought it home and gave it to him on Christmas. He read it and told me it was a very good book. And then my 11 year old daughter read it and said it was wonderful so I thought I should read it. This book captures, in all simplicity, exactly what I've been trying to articulate to my children. "How much do you love?" And, " Who will remember you when you're gone?" All of our 'life lessons' come down to those two questions. This is a beautiful book, richly illustrated and eloquently written. I recommend this book for all ages, even the very young. However, if you're like me, it could be difficult to read out loud to children without having some words catch in your throat.