It had been a couple of years since I last read Mitch Albom's work. I am a hard-core fan of Mitch, ever since I first read ‘Five People You Meet In Heaven’ a decade ago. Recently I got my hands on one of his new books, which is a sequel to this book. I got sort of excited looking at the title, but I was left with mixed feelings.
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Fifteen years ago Eddie, a maintenance guy, at Ruby Pier died
in an accident while saving a little girl Annie. In the prequel his
journey after life is highlighted with the retrospection of his life and the
choices he made, and making connections with the actions. Sequel revolves
around that little Annie, now a grown-up young lady, the aftermath of the
accident in her life. Didn't Mitch touch the same concepts in the first book?
Making peace (Eddie with his Dad, Eddie and Tala), Connection to a soul with
another (Eddie and his wife), sacrifice (The Officer in the war time) etc. This
book runs almost on the same concepts, connections known or unknown, actions
intentional or accidental, reconciliation and letting go, understanding
that our lives are meaningful and worth.
One thing is sure, that Mitch still got his
magic working on weirdos like me. His craft of storytelling is flawless
and engaging. Did it thrill me as its prequel? I would say No. I felt like it is sort of another ‘Five People You Meet In
Heaven’ interlaced with 'For One More Day'.
Yet, I found some quotes worth saving. Thanks to
Mitch, he did not completely make me feel that my time is wasted.
“We fear loneliness, but
loneliness itself does not exist. It has no form. It is merely a shadow that
falls over us. And just as shadows die when light changes, that sad feeling can
depart once we see the truth.”
“What’s the truth?” Annie asked.
“That the end of loneliness is when someone needs you.”
“Children begin by needing their
parents. Over time, they reject them. Eventually, they become them.”
“Just because you have silenced
a memory does not mean you are free of it.”
“Because we embrace our scars
more than our healing, we can recall the exact day we got hurt, but who
remembers the day the wound was gone?”
“That’s how salvation works.
The wrongs we do open doors to do right.”
“Loss is as old as life
itself. But for all our evolution, we are yet to accept it.”
“You lose something every day
you live. Sometimes it’s as tiny as the breath you just expelled, sometimes
it’s so big you think you won’t survive it.”
“All endings are also beginnings; we
just don’t know it at the time.”
