It was, @SqueakyDinosaur ! Things like that can be so exciting.
I had an elderly male friend, a dour Yorkshire man, John, who after we'd known each other for a few years, told me about a school reader, 'The Blind Gamekeeper', from when he was about nine. John said that at the end of term the children would be allowed to pick a book and take it home but for some reason he hadn't been there so missed his chance and he'd been searching for a copy for decades. Every family holiday was spent going into second hand shops looking for this book and the search went on for over 30 years.
He asked me to find him a copy. I put it on the wish list on Abebooks and, miraculously, six months later and just before Christmas, a copy was found and sent to me and it was in perfect condition. I skim-read it, then wrapped it up and went to his house on Christmas eve, beside myself with excitement. On being handed the parcel, he said 'Aye, thanks I'll put it under t'tree'. Unbearable. 'No! open it now!' I insisted and under the watchful gaze of his wife and daughter, he tore off the top part of the wrapping paper and revealed the gold lettering on the cover, 'The Blind Gamekeeper'. As he took the book out of the wrapping his hands started to shake and he quietly asked 'Is this it?' then he held it like a baby bird and started carefully leafing through the pages, remembering the stories and illustrations. I left the family to it at the point.
Two days later, John phoned me and said 'I tell thee now, as long as I live that book will never leave my bedside'. He also said 'I knew you'd find it' and then, later, ''Ow long 'ad you 'ad that book?!'.
I'm a bit emotional just remembering, it was one of the most exciting chances I've ever had. John is long gone now but his daughter has the book and I was able to find a copy for myself, to remind me of him.