For One More Day

I expected to hate this book - 'what if you could spend one more day with your dead mother'. It sounded schmaltzy, weep-inducing and full-on syrup overload. I suppose it was all those things, but it was also a brilliant read which I would have read in one sitting if circumstances had allowed.

I had to get up really early this morning, and it was already way past my bedtime last night, but I kept telling myself "Just one more chapter...". This went on for over an hour. This afternoon I was devastated as I thought I'd get to finish it on my commute from work but a neighbour chose to sit beside me and chat on the bus instead.

My point is, this is one of those books that you don't have to think too hard about. From the first page you're show more 'in', and it's a gallop thereafter. If you've recently lost a parent this book may be too raw, but on the other hand it may give you some comfort and remind you that parents don't judge us the way we judge ourselves. They know that sometimes we're just busy living our lives.

A quick, beautiful read with some simple messages: it's never too late to right wrongs in your life, and your mother loves you no matter what. Amen to that.

4.5 stars - this is no literary masterpiece, but it's addictive nonetheless. Maybe it's all that sugary syrup... show less

I went into this book expecting it to be overly sentimental, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not. Granted, there’s a fair amount of the “what if today was your last day?” sentiment and other such trite axioms, but not nearly to the extent I expected and not in a way which is forced. Rather, the story is more about family – what we do and don’t do to keep a family together, including the secrets we keep from one another. It is most importantly about the bond between a mother and her children and how that influences and shapes the lives of both, for better or for worse. The story is that of Chick Benetto, whose near-death experience leads him to an encounter with his long-dead mother for one final day. They show more mostly do mundane things on this last day together like eat home-cooked meals, but along the way, the secrets Chick’s mom kept from him are revealed. He not only develops a new understanding of his mother, but he gains a fresh perspective on his life. This final day together is interspersed with Chick’s memories of growing up, with particular emphasis on the way he feels torn between being loyal to his mother or loyal to his father, especially after they divorce when he is in fifth grade. Albom’s writing style is direct, but without being overly simple, which makes it easy to get sucked into reading this book and not putting it down until you’ve completely consumed it. show less

What would you do if you could have another day to spend with someone near and dear who had died? I think we'd all love to have that opportunity. Would it be your parent, your spouse, your sibling or your best friend? Or do you believe that they are still near you? My mother died almost 8 years ago and my father over 30 years ago. And yet, I think of them and remember their love and lessons all the time. Sometimes I've felt them very near to me.

So, in a way, Mitch Albom is preaching to the converted here. But it never hurts to be reminded of how precious our days with our loved ones are. And it certainly never hurts to be reminded how much parents (or at least most parents) care for their children.

Albom has certainly carved out a niche for himself. What do you call this genre? An inspirational/self-help/supernatural novel? Even the format is unique, always a small hardback with dust jacket, more like a book of poetry than a novel. And they are always short - it can’t be much more than 40k words. He has filled a niche that is popular too - people love these little books - I know the ladies in my book club do.

I know I got choked up. I’m not so proud I can’t admit to a little bit of emotion while reading this. It’s about a man who gets to relive one more day with his dead mother, and learns something that helps him improve his life and the lives of others. Inspirational, self-help, and supernatural!

Is it maudlin, sappy, show more corny, and overly sentimental? Yes, it’s those things too, at least to me. But that’s OK too, there’s a place for that in fiction as well. So grab a copy and indulge yourself. show less

Mitch Albom is an author who has a lot to live up to. After such great hits as TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVNE, I opened my copy of FOR ONE MORE DAY wondering if he'd be able to pull off another winner. The answer, wholeheartedly, is yes.

Albom pays tribute to mothers with the story of Charley "Chick" Benetto, who remembers clearly the words his father told him as a young boy: "You can be a mama's boy or a daddy's boy. But you can't be both."

For most of his life, Chick worked towards being a daddy's boy. Even when his father's love was elusive, it was the one thing he always strove to earn. It wasn't until later that Chick learned, as everyone does, that love not given freely can never be earned, no matter how show more hard we try.

When Chick's downward spiral leads to an attempted suicide, he's granted the one thing he's always wished for since his mother's death eight years previously--the chance to spend one more day with a mother who always loved him unconditionally, even when he didn't deserve it.

FOR ONE MORE DAY is the story of Chick, but even more so the story of his mother, Posey, a women who sacrificed more, and withstood more heartache, than her children ever knew. And as Chick realizes that he'd made the wrong decision, all those years ago, in becoming a daddy's boy, he's also given the chance to forgive himself, and, ultimately, become a better person.

This is an emotional and heartfelt read, every bit as good as Mr. Albom's previous releases. In recent articles I've read negative comments about the author being "too sentimental" in his writings; all I can say to that is that when sentimentality starts being a crime, we're all in trouble. show less

In this second novel from Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven author Albom, grief-stricken Charles "Chick" Benetto goes into an alcoholic tailspin when his always-attentive mother, Pauline, dies. Framed as an "as told to" story, Chick quickly narrates her funeral; his drink-fueled loss of savings, job ("sales") and family; and his descent into loneliness and isolation. After a suicide attempt, Chick encounters Pauline's ghost. Together, the two revisit Pauline's travails raising her children alone after his father abandons them: she braves the town's disapproval of her divorce and works at a beauty parlor, taking an extra job to put money aside for the children's education. Pauline cringes at the heartache Chick show more inflicted as a demanding child, obnoxious teen and brusque, oblivious adult chasing the will-o'-the-wisp of a baseball career. Through their story, Albom foregrounds family sanctity, maternal self-sacrifice and the destructive power of personal ambition and male self-involvement. He wields pathos as if it were a Louisville Slugger—shoveling dirt into Pauline's grave, Chick hears her spirit cry out, " 'Oh, Charley. How could you?' "—but Albom often strikes a nerve on his way to the heart. show less

I LOVED IT.

I loved the little twist in the end, I loved how the story was written, I loved how it unfolded.
I loved how it made you think twice of your actions after reading it, and probably make you appreciate the people in your life more.

It is very simply written, but carries an amazing message. Like Charley, there is someone I deeply cared about who died without me having a chance to say goodbye. The second last chapter touched my heart deeply and throughout reading that chapter, I had my ballet teacher, Mr Gino, in my mind. I couldn't help thinking of all the things I would say to him if I had One More Day. I felt like going to my mum's room, at 5.30 in the morning, just to hug her and thank her for all that she's done for me; not show more like I haven't told her before, though.

I felt like just telling everyone what they mean to me after reading this book. This is a book that touches you deeply, and leaves a lasting impact in your life.
Well, at least I think so.

If I ever come across other books from Mitch, I'm definitely buying them. show less