Everyone thinks about and deals with death in different ways. In fact, there are very few things anyone knows about what comes after life. Mitch Albom has become well known for his books that explore life before, during and after death.
Tuesdays with Morrie
Albom’s first book, released in 1997, was his own autobiography recounting his time with an old professor, Morrie Schwartz, as Morrie slowly approached death during his fight with ALS.
Many people fear death and the inevitable end we all face. Morrie, however, did not. In the weeks that Mitch and Morrie met, Morrie took the time to teach Mitch one more class: how to live.
Among his teachings, Morrie emphasizes that the most important things are love, acceptance and human goodness. Morrie also speaks a lot about the importance of accepting death for what it is, and only in knowing how to die will one know how to live.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Albom’s second book, released in 2003, follows a man named Eddie as the book counts down to his death. As Eddie’s earthly body dies, he meets five people whose lives were changed because of him.
As he meets these people, he learns how much he has affected other people around him. A lot of the events were for the worse, but these people helped teach him important lessons that helped him overcome the hurt he felt in life and find forgiveness for both others and himself.
“The Five People You Meet in Heaven” illustrates how much one person’s actions affect another’s life and how sometimes the worst things that happen to us are really a blessing in disguise.
For One More Day
“For One More Day” follows Charles “Chick” Benetto, who has fallen on hard times and decided to end his life.
However, when Chick wakes up from trying to take his own life, he finds his mother standing over him, who has been dead for 10 years.
The book alternates chapters between Chick’s old memories with his mother and the present day, where he finds himself with someone he thought he had lost forever.
Throughout the day, Chick’s late mother, Posey, brings him to women she used to work with as Chick tries to make up for lost time.
The flashback chapters show how strained his relationship was with Posey in life, illustrating how much Posey cared for him despite how he may have acted in his youth.
“For One More Day” explores the idea of having just one more day with someone who gave you the world, and getting the chance to fix a mistake you made while they were still with you.
The First Phone Call from Heaven
If someone told you they received a phone call from heaven, would you believe them? If you received your own phone call from heaven, is it enough to say to others?
“The First Phone Call from Heaven” follows the events in a small fictional town in Michigan, where multiple individuals have received phone calls from those they knew who have since passed away.
When one of the recipients decides to share the news of her phone call, word spreads worldwide like wildfire.
People come from around the country to be a part of heaven’s miracle, while others object to the news, claiming it’s fake or that heaven should be left on its own.
“The First Phone Call from Heaven” takes readers on a story full of hope, following the heartbreak of those who have lost someone and now have the chance to talk with them once again, and leaves readers wondering how much they believe.
Albom has written many books since the publication of “Tuesdays with Morrie” in 1997, all of them offering different perspectives on what life after death may look like, a concept with so little certainty. Albom’s stories not only give readers something to believe in, but they also provide readers with closure in the life they lead on earth and a glimpse into what to believe after death and who they might get to see again.
