The Five People You Meet In Heaven  (English, Paperback, Albom Mitch)

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is a book by Mitch Albom that reflects on the meaning of life and life after death.

Summary Of The Book

Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet In Heaven is a touching fable of a maintenance man who goes to heaven after death. The book explores his experiences in heaven. In a poignant way, the author addresses the real meaning of life. The story is about an elderly man who works as a maintenance man at an amusement park. Eddie, the protagonist, is a war veteran who followed his father's footsteps and fixes rides at an amusement park. He manages a ride called the ‘Free Fall’. When a falling cart hurtles towards the ground, Eddie sacrifices his life to save a girl from being crushed by the cart.

The main story begins after Eddie’s death as he enters heaven. The author portrays heaven as a place where one learns the real meaning of life, with the help of people who made a difference in one’s life. In heaven, Eddie comes across five people who played an influential role in his life. Each of them acts as a guide for Eddie in heaven, taking him through the place. While on this journey, Eddie starts exploring the real meaning behind the time that he spent on earth. These five people become his mentors and tell him what he should have learned and what his ambitions on earth were.

The book takes the reader through the dramatic flashbacks of Eddie. These scenes describe his troubled childhood, the time spent with his wife Marguerite and his years as an army person in the Philippines jungle. The author beautifully builds the story to its conclusion as Eddie seeks redemption in his last act of saving a girl. Will he be redeemed for his heroic success? Or was it a complete failure on Eddie’s part? The answer that the readers get is purely magical and inspirational.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is fascinating because of its lyrical writing. It was on the New York Times Bestseller list for almost two years. It was adapted into a made-for-television film that was released in 2004.

About Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is an American bestselling author, dramatist, columnist, screenwriter, journalist, musician, and radio and television broadcaster. Albom was famously known for writing sports books in the first phase of his career. However, he later started weaving inspirational themes in his stories. His other bestselling titles include Tuesdays With Morrie, For One More Day, Have A Little Faith, and The Time Keeper.

Born in 1958 in New Jersey, Albom worked as a musician in New York. Later, he got initiated into the field of journalism. After graduating from the Graduate School of Journalism, he started working for sports magazines. His breakthrough book, Tuesdays With Morrie, came out in 1997. Married to Janine Sabino, he is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold over 30 million copies of his books.