The Five People You Meet in Heaven By: Mitch Albom
Plot Line
Eddie is working as head of maintenance at Ruby Pier Amusement Park. While freeing kids from a broken ride, Freddy's Free Fall, one of the carts falls. He tries to push a little girl out of the way. This is when Eddie dies. In heaven, the first person Eddie meets is the Blue Man. They talk about Eddie's life as a child. The second person Eddie meets in heaven is the captain that saved his life in World War II. The third person Eddie meets is Ruby. Ruby Pier was named after her and built by her husband. The fourth person Eddie meets is Marguerite. Marguerite was Eddie's wife who died young from a brain tumor. The Fifth person Eddie meets is Tala. Tala was a young girl that Eddie unknowingly killed in the war. While burning down an enemy camp, she was in one of the burning buildings and couldn't get out. Eventually Tala forgives him and he moves on to his piece of heaven. Eddie's heaven is Ruby Pier with everyone he ever knew and he finds out he saved the little girl's life.
Setting
The story takes place in Eddies home town which has an amusement park, Ruby Pier. Ruby Pier extends over the ocean. Eddie worked at the park as head of maintenance, like his father before him. The story begins at the end of Eddies life on his 83rd birthday.
Characters
Eddie is the protaganist in this story. He is strong, brave, smart and loyal. His wife, Marguerite, is loving, pretty and quiet. Eddies father was a hardworking, old fashioned man with a drinking problem. His mom was loving and in her older days a bit dilutional.
Theme
The theme of this story is everything happens for a reason. There are no random acts. The main example of this is when the captain shoots Eddie in the leg crippling him, but saving his life. Eddie doesn't get to live the life he wants to and stays at Ruby Pier, but because of it he saved a girl's life.
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Conflicts
There are two main conflicts in this story. The first one is person versus person. Eddie blames his father for not letting him pursue a careerer and for dieing, because he had to take care of his mom the rest of his life. The other conflict is person versus self. Eddie is filled with regrets. He blames himself for his wifes death and what he did in the war. He also has to overcome being shot in the war and unable to effectively use his right leg.
Recommendations
I would recomend this great book to anyone who has ever wondered what happens after death and how your actions effect people.
Quotes
"This is a story about a man named Eddie and it begins at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun." The point of view of this story is third person omnicient.
"There is no fair in life and death. If it were, no good men would die young."
"There are no random acts. We are all connected. You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind."
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