The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Wed, 17 Sep 2014 21:45:59 GMT

Book Being Reviewed:
Albom, M. (2003). The five people you meet in Heaven. New York, NY: Hyperion.

Reviewer:
Ching Mey See

Genre:
Fiction-Adult

Subject Headings:
Spiritual journey

Review:
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

This book is about Eddie and begins from the dramatic end of his life. In saving a young girl from a falling cable car, he is pulled into Heaven by Tala, one of the five people he will meet there who, in turn, reveals secrets that allow him to assess his life differently. For dramatic effect, this book describes reconciliation, forgiveness and acceptance post-mortem but if Eddie had been helped by counselors to delve into the consequences of actions, sacrifice, forgiveness, responsibility, finite life and infinite love brought to realization, would he have died as an embittered old man of 83?

The connectedness is skillfully woven and the book is eloquently written with richly described characters and situations. For instance, Ruby tells him the truth about his father’s death; Marguerite shows him that memory is strong and love eternal; and Tala tells him that he had actually saved the young girl.

This is an uplifting book for those who dwell on unpleasant incidents and people who feel inadequate. It will help the individual reflect on who are the people one may have met in passing or perhaps were not formally introduced to who have touched one’s life or whose lives one has touched, so that one can feel good about oneself. Reflecting on the events in the book, it is actually a sequence of counseling sessions with Eddie which occurs postmortem – in real life, the process of counseling helps individual to face issues, gain insight, and lead fulfilling life.

Originally posted on 8/26/2009 at csi-net.org