The Five People You Meet in Heaven

This novel's incredibly moving story about life, death, forgiveness, and redemption touched me from beginning to end. If you're into books about how we're all interconnected, I think you'll be as affected by Mitch Albom's novel as much as I was. It's certainly one of my favorite books I read in 2024.

Mitch Albom creates a heavenly world for the main character, Eddie, who has just ascended from earth after saving someone at the carnival where he worked; thus, meeting his own tragic demise.

What strikes me most in this story are the seemingly irrelevant connections we make in life and how those connections could have a deep and lasting impact. Every single thing we do or say or the people we touch is purposeful here, and drives us, our souls, to seek grace in all that we do.

I believe strongly that everyone we meet is both our teacher and our student and this fictional tale exemplifies this belief.

In the book, the main character dies and his earthly life is explained by five people that he met while on earth – five people whose life course changed because of a chance meeting with him. This book reminds me that everyone we meet matters and every person matters.

Keeping the message of this book in mind has made me a kinder person who makes it her mission to engage fully with everyone she meets. In fact, in 2023… show more.

From the moment I finished this slim little book, I knew it would live on my bookshelf forever.

It was one of the first books that had me thinking about an afterlife and how all the people we meet in our life are intertwined. I love the idea that there is a much bigger meaning to our connections.

Over the years, I have sent so many copies of this book to friends who hadn’t read it. It’s a story that’s meant to be shared.

It intrigued me because of the storyline. I also loved the style. The idea of redemption and its religious connotations rang true. Characters were easy to equate to and the plot development was different and extremely clever. Its brevity was also appealing. It inspired me when writing my book.

Mitch Albom steals our hearts with his main character Eddie, a mechanic who attempts to rescue a child from a malfunctioning carnival ride. When Eddie suddenly finds himself in heaven, he is re-introduced to five people he had known while alive; their purpose is to help him make peace with his life. Albom has a gift for making you feel his characters. Although this is a heartwarming story, it is also a commentary on mortality and the meaning of life. This book hits home. In particular, I appreciate how Albom’s ‘take-aways’ and life lessons are simple yet profound. A box… show more.

This adult fairy tale by Mitch Albom is akin to It’s a Wonderful Life. A man believes his life means nothing until after he dies, then learns how important each life truly is. Yes, this story has been done before, but Albom is a master at the art of magical thinking and reminding people that we are all connected. It’s a short and easy read, perfect for a book club, or even for a reluctant teen reader.

This is a tale of the 5 people you meet in heaven and the effect they had on your life or vice versa.  It follows the death of Eddie, a fairground worker, who meets the 5 people who affected his life the most, some of whom he never even met. It prompts the conversations about who you would meet and why, giving pause to think about the effect of your life on others.