A story that begins at the end, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a heartwarming novel that weaves together the lives of several characters, revolving around the main character, 83-year-old Eddie, a head maintenance man at a local amusement park on a pier. After readers are introduced to Eddie, they are told of his impending death, and thus the novel begins at the end.
As author Mitch Albom indicates, all great ends are new beginnings. Tracing his final moments, Albom describes Eddie’s journey after his death- the journey that most of us are insipidly curious about. As Eddie enters his afterlife, he meets five people that were all connected to his life, whether directly or indirectly. Each person has been waiting for him in heaven and as a result each soul has a story to tell, a secret to share and clues to lessons to be learned. As Eddie travels on his path to the ultimate heaven, he begins to understand the meaning of his life on earth, bringing closure to those that were awaiting him.
Short and rather simplistic, Albom’s novel is a relatively easy read that veers away from the preachy and cheesy life-after-death tales. Containing some profound and thought provoking commentary, Albom has created another reader favorite.
Joanna Davila can be contacted at j.davila1@umiami.edu.