This e-book picks up right where the full-length novel leaves off.

Personal finance columnist Jonathan Chevreau picks up right where his first book left off. This e-book, entitled A Novel Approach to Financial Independence: How to reach your Findependence Day … while you’re still young enough to enjoy It, is best described as a Coles Notes version of his full-length novel, Findependence Day: How to Achieve Financial Independence. It drills down and covers the financial independence lessons learned and a short summary of the plot in each chapter. With the holidays right around the corner, it’s the perfect stocking stuffer. Whether you’re a financial planner looking to instill the wisdom of financial independence to your clients, or you’re a parent trying to get a jumpstart on financial literacy with your kids, this is the perfect e-book for you! It includes a handy glossary and bibliography with a list of the must-read financial books.

Here’s my original review of Chevreau’s full-length novel from RateSupermarket.ca. If you want to learn more about financial independence, be sure to visit Chevreau’s new website, Financial Independence Hub.

Jonathan Chevreau seamlessly blends  fiction and personal finance in his latest novel. Not since The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton have I been so thoroughly entertained by a personal finance book. Once I picked up Chevreau’s book I couldn’t put it down – I read it cover to cover in less than a week. It was that good!

Findependence Day: How to Achieve Financial Independence: While You’re Still Young Enough to Enjoy It is a written by long-time personal finance columnist Jonathan Chevreau. You may recognize his name – he wrote the popular Wealthy Boomer column for the National Post for 19 years and he’s currently editor at large at Canada’s premier personal finance magazine, MoneySense. He’s authored or co-authored several mutual fund guides, two books on the stock market and wealth management, and most recently the National Post e-book, The Best of Jonathan Chevreau.

Not Just Another Personal Finance Book

Chevreau takes a unique approach with his novel. This isn’t just another personal finance book – instead of “preaching to the converted,” Chevreau perfectly intertwines key financial lessons with fiction. After reading the blurb on the back of the book cover, I couldn’t wait to open the book and starting reading.

Findependence Day follows the journey of a couple who go from financial disaster to success. After being humiliated in front of millions on national TV, the young couple vows to get their finances under control at all costs. The husband, Jamie Morelli, sets the ambitious goal of reaching his Financial Independence Day – or Findependence Day, a term coined by Chevreau – by the age of 50. Financial independence is different from retirement – it’s when you’re financially able to stop working, but you continue to work because you want to, not because you need to. It’s an ambitious goal to say the least for the debt ridden couple. The couple adopt a strict “guerrilla frugality” stance and make saving and investing a priority.

Don’t Let Money Ruin Your Relationship

Money is the number one cause of divorce, so this novel is relevant to every couple. Couples who are emotionally compatible often make the mistake of tying the knot before they have “the talk” about the f-word – their finances. If one spouse is a saver and the one is a spender, it can lead to a lot of problems down the line.

Findependence Day follows the ups and downs of a couple who experience everything from job loss, buying homes, raising children, investing and pensions, starting businesses, coping with stock market volatility and more. Whether you’re single, newlyweds, or wealthy boomers, there are lessons for everyone.

Chevreau jazzes up each chapter by naming it after hit songs by iconic bands and artists like the Beatles and Abba. At first I found the talk show segment a little cheesy, but by the second chapter I was hooked. The narrative is very compelling and relatable – it sounds like real conversations couples have about money. When the couple’s relationship begins to unravel and they eventually split up, it offers some good lessons for couples who may be heading in this direction.

Learn About Money Without Even Realizing It

You’ll learn key financial lessons without even realizing it. Findependence Day includes everything from divorce to a business deal gone bad, all the way to achieving financial independence. This novel has something for everyone, whether you’re new to the personal finance genre or your book collection is chock-full of personal finance books. Financial success isn’t just about stocks and bonds, it’s about doing the small things right – spending less than you make, paying down high-interest debt, paying yourself first and saving towards your future. Chevreau hammers these lessons home and more in this entertaining read.

Sean Cooper is the bestselling author of the book, Burn Your Mortgage: The Simple, Powerful Path to Financial Freedom for Canadians, available now on Amazon and at Chapters, Indigo and major bookstores, and as an Audiobook on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.