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Chance, the main person in this book, is an orphan and the Old Man, a millionaire with a large estate, has sheltered him in his house ever since Chance was a child.
Because the Old Man thinks that Chance´s mind is damaged, Chance´s life is limited to his quarters on the Old Man´s estate and especially to the garden. He has never been outside the house in the streets and his main duty is to take care of the garden and to look after the flowers.
Beside of gardening Chance also likes watching TV; he is nearly keen on TV, because it is his information source of the happenings in the world around him outside in the streets.
After Chance´s benefactors´ death, it comes to a misunderstanding between the lawyers who handle the estate and Chance because he can neither read nor write. Therefore he has got to move out of his room and must leave the estate.
First time out in the street he is surprised by all the cars, buildings and people and doesn´t take care of the traffic until he is suddenly jammed by a car which hurts his leg.
The shocked owner of the car, Elizabeth Eve Rand - in short EE - takes Chance to her home in Washington D.C. (U.S.A.) where a doctor is staying with her because her husband has been very ill.
Until Chance´s recover he is invited by the Rands to stay with them.
One day, when he is having dinner with them, in a discussion he compares Mr. Rand´s business with a garden and the Rands admire him for his statement.
However, this is the only thing he can talk about: gardening, plants and flowers.
Because Mr. Rand is a very well-known, but unfortunately very ill businessman the President of the U S A himself visits him and Chance as a friend is invited, too.
During a discussion between Mr. Rand and the President Chance, now called Chauncy Gardiner, repeats his statement about the garden. The president likes his way of thinking so much that he uses Chance´s idea in a public speech and mentions his name.
Several Days later, Chance has become a public figure. All different newspapers and TV - channels want to have interviews with him and he is also invited to glamorous parties of the high society.
Many things that happen to Chance are incomprehensible to him but he always manages it that nobody notices it. After all a certain kind of distrust comes up, the president and other very high-positioned men want to check Chance´s identity.
However, there cannot be found anything about his former life.
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