THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN

"All endings are also beginnings." With those words, Mitch Albom takes listeners on a journey through the stages of the rough life of Eddie, a maintenance man at Ruby Pier who died saving a girl's life. With each milestone comes a reunion with someone Eddie met in life—and a lesson about living. Albom's narration at times has a fairy-tale quality; at other times it sounds realistic and authentic. While Albom’s narration does not moderate his heavy-handed writing style, the story has at its heart a likable protagonist who is coping with a war injury, the death of his wife, and other misfortunes. In the end, Albom effectively makes his point that each life touches many others. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]