Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
"There are five people you meet in heaven," the Blue Man explains to the main character Eddie, a grizzled war veteran who feels now that his life is over, that it was meaningless. The Blue Man continues, "Each of us was in your life for a reason. You may not have known the reason at the time, and that is what heaven is for. For understanding your life on earth."
Oh - I expected a little too much from Mitch Albom's latest bestseller. Without my expectations cluttering the experience, it was a touching parable that only touched on pabulum on occasion. I liked the overall theme very much - that our lives intersect in such powerful ways, that the only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we're alone.
The book begins by counting down the last hours of Eddie's life and then, in alternating sections, it takes us through his life story and into encounters with five figures from his life. Some of these figures are obvious, like his wife or captain from the war, and some he never met - and yet all of them have a story to tell Eddie about how important Eddie was to each one and them to him.
It's creative, thought and soul-provoking, and only occasionally feels like a children's book. From the bestselling author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom's latest bestseller is The Five People You Meet in Heaven. On the Book Beat for KSL Newsradio 1160, I'm Amanda Dickson.
