The Five People You Meet in Heaven

What happens to you once you die? In Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven, one apparently goes to Heaven and meets five different people there, people which the individual had affected in life but had been originally unaware of their involvement in the lives of those five people.

Albom's book opens by introducing an elderly maintenance man named Eddie, who stumbles around fixing carnival rides in need of repair. While Eddie's job appears exceedingly simple, his job causes him to put his life in danger. Eventually, Eddie's life faces the ultimate danger when a ride malfunctions and is about to crush a young girl, and Eddie sacrifices himself to try to save her. After this, the reader learns of the five people Eddie meets in Heaven who each seek to teach Eddie a valuable lesson.

Personally, I could not put this book down because there are numerous twists in the story, especially when the people Eddie meets in Heaven describe the impact he made on their lives, whether he affected them distinctly or indirectly. Also, the writing style demonstrates great fluidity and reads very easily. Does Eddie save the young girl's life by sacrificing his own? Pick up "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and find out! - Courtney G., class of 2012