After the extraordinary success of his first departure from sports writing, 1997's "Tuesdays with Morrie," there was pressure on Mitch Albom to follow up with another bestseller. While some felt that "Tuesdays with Morrie" was the beginning of what would be a whole new direction for the Detroit Free Press columnist, others viewed Albom as a man who had told his one good story. Fortunately, those latter people were wrong.
With "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," his first true work of fiction, Albom has created a story that fires the imagination of the human mind and touches the reader's heart. It is most definitely not a sequel, and it seems to be better off because of that.
The main character of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," Eddie, is a quiet, lonely and sad man who maintains the rides at a seaside amusement park. His days are filled with monotony and routine. Then, on his 83rd birthday, Eddie dies in a horrific accident while trying to save the life of a little girl. After 83 years of life, Eddie is about to embark on his most important journey: death.
When he arrives in the afterlife, he realizes that it is not like the conventional heaven that most people picture when they think of the place we go when we die. Instead of being a place of constant leisure, heaven turns out to be a place where Eddie's life is explained to him by five people. Some he knows and some he doesn't, but they all played a major role in his life in some way and have a lesson to teach him.
To write a book about heaven is to tap into one of humanity's most burning questions: What happens to us when we die? Albom obviously had to dig down deep to pull this story out of himself. The end result is filled with warmth, love, comfort and possible answers to questions that we all carry.
It is impossible to read this book without wondering who your own five people would be and what lessons you will have to learn in the afterlife. The possibilities are endless. That is part of what makes this book so moving and touching: Everyone who reads it can identify with it and put themselves in Eddie's shoes.
Another quality that "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" has going for it is the sheer eloquence of the book itself. Throughout the book, Albom has sprinkled unforgettable characters in wonderfully described settings. To his credit, he is able to do it in an amazingly simple and straightforward, yet uniquely charming style. Albom does not weigh down the page with extreme metaphors or overly colorful language. With no apologies, he tells the story as if he is actually speaking to the reader over a cup of coffee.
While "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" may not go down in history as one of the greatest American novels ever produced, it is serving a higher purpose by uplifting the human spirit. It may never find its way onto the reading list of any college English courses, but those in the future that discover it will surely not be disappointed.
About the Author:
Mitch Albom, 44, has authored eight books during his life. For more than a decade, he has been one of the country's top sports columnists for the Detroit Free Press. Albom also hosts two nationally syndicated radio talk shows for ABC, is a panelist on ESPN's "Sports Reporters" and is an accomplished songwriter and lyricist. He lives in Michigan with his wife, Janine.
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