The Five People You Meet In Heaven was such an amazing read. It has been on my “to read” list since the book was published back in 2003, but I did not get around to it until a month or so ago. I do not know why it took me so long to finally sit down and read it; once I started, I could not stop! When I wrote about how The Last Lecture was a fast read, this one was even faster. Both this book and The Last Lecture are extremely thought provoking books that make you think about your life and how you are living yours, but a major difference between the two books is that The Five People You Meet In Heaven is fictional.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven was
written by Mitch Albom. I do not think that I could read multiple books of his in a row because they seem pretty similar and he tends to write with the same style in each of his novels, but I do love reading his work. It is simple, quick, but emotional and impressive.
This story brings together many stories about 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement Park. The stories are told through his eyes, and the readers are able to join Eddie through his journey as he meets the five people who are waiting for him in heaven. Through Mitch Albom’s words, readers are able to feel Eddie’s pain, joy, nostalgia, hope, and more during his emotional journey.
The book opens with Eddie going about his daily work at the park. The novel counts down the minutes until Eddie’s death and continues to describe his day, until a tragic accident occurs. During this accident, a cart is falling from a ride and Eddie reaches out to save a little girl who he sees is about to be crushed. Eddie is crushed by the cart and all he feels was the little girls hands in his hands. Does he save her, or does she die too? You will have to read the book to find out!
Don’t put this book off like I did; it is so quick and easy to read that you’ll regret not reading it right away.
