The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2003)

A fine tale, effectively told, in few words.

This little book is surprisingly heart-tugging. Maybe my bar was low and my mood was even lower, so I was easily moved. :-) But this tale of the tired, 83-yrs old yet still working through his painful war injuries, ‘Maintenance Eddie’, made me cringe and smile, expecting the worst and best of circumstances. And the book met both. Predictable? I wouldn’t say. Surprising? I wouldn’t say either.

The story unfolded with Eddie’s final hours, his death, at which time the main stories begins. The five people that he meets in heaven – the first four each bestows a lesson upon him, and finally the fifth explains the purpose of his life. This last aspect is God’s gift to those who enter Heaven. Giving meaning to the life you’ve lived, however good or bad you may have thought it was. It’s a powerful concept – to have meaning in one’s life.

The writing style is straightforward, clearly marking between past and present, as we learn the key events of Eddie’s life, primarily through his birthdays. Based on the subject, the reader pays attention to the people he meets, the life he lived, feeling for clues to who the 5 people may be and what they may say to him. If you agree with the lessons, it’s a satisfying book.

Some Quotes, and I am omitting the lessons, of course:

On Living and Dying:
“… Birth and death are part of a whole. It is why we are drawn to babies… And to funerals.”

On War:
“Young men go to war. Sometimes because they have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with laying them down.”

And

“He learned that sometimes you are sitting next to a buddy in a dugout, whispering about how hungry you are, and the next instant there is a small whoosh and the buddy slumps over and his hunger is no longer an issue.”

On Parents – This ding near broke my heart in half, thinking about someone I know:
“All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.”

On Love:
“People say they ‘find’ love, as if it were an object hidden by a rock. But love takes many forms, and it is never the same for any man and woman. What people find then is a certain love. And Eddie found a certain love with Marguerite, a grateful love, a deep but quiet love, one that he knew, above all else, was irreplaceable. Once she’d gone, he’d let the days go stale. He put his heart to sleep.” ( )

I adore Mitch Albom novels. I cheered when this book was made into a movie.

The Five People gives a glimpse into eternity, and a chance to understand the past. The main character meets with five people who shaped his life, and the journey is beautiful. It is a quick read, but has a lot of substance. ( )

Thanks to now having an E reader I was able to read this. Did hear a lot about this book and did not know it was so short. I did find in interesting. I wish this was the truth, that heaven worked like that.
I also liked the ending and the last person he met. All in all yes a good short story. ( )

Wow...I thought this would be sappy and cheesy, but it was just thought-provoking and full of emotion and amazing. I cried probably 10 times as I was reading it. This will stay on my bookshelf for a long time, and will definitely be re-read. ( )

This was such a positive affirmation of the importance of everyone's life and I have always been a fan of Albom's storytelling. Great on audio that includes an interview with Albom at the end. ( )