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Today is Eddiešs 83rd birthday and itšs also the day he is going to die. Eddie works as the head maintenance man for Ruby Pier, an amusement park. Hešs had the job for more years than he cares to remember and Eddiešs father had the same job before him. Except for going to war, Ruby Pier has been Eddiešs whole life. Eddie is killed while trying to save the life of a little girl during an accident when one of the rides breaks down. The last thing he remembers is feeling two little hands holding onto his. Heaven is not the way Eddie thought it would be. Hešs still in Ruby Pier but the place is deserted. There are no children enjoying the rides and no people are strolling on the boardwalk or enjoying the beach. As he wanders around the uninhabited park, he hears a voice coming from the Freak House. This is where he meets the first of the five people who will explain his earthly life to him. Hešs told that he might not know who the rest of the people are but hešs assured that they all influenced his life in one way or another. As he travels through heaven meeting with each person individually, Eddie discovers much about himself and the people he knew and loved. The more he learns, the more he seeks redemption and the need to understand whether his life was a success or a failure. He finds his answers in the very powerful and emotional ending. THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN by Mitch Albom takes us into the Eddiešs life, where all of us can relate to the emotions and experiences that he had lived through. The book is sad and touching and it makes the readers thoughtful about their lives, how others have influenced them and how they have affected the people they came in contact with. Itšs a short book, easily read in under a day but the real reason youšll finish the novel rapidly is because youšll be propelled through the pages. You will become engrossed in Eddiešs life, feeling what he experienced throughout his 83 years. By the finish of this story, youšll end up yearning to know the answers that arrive at the end. This is not a happy book and definitely not for everyone, but if youšre the type of person who wonders about what happens after death and ponders life in general, I recommend that you read THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN. Itšs really an incredibly fine book.
Reviewed by Sharon Katz, September 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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