Happy Sunday! Today I have a review for the sequel of The Five Peole You Meet in Heaven, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and publishing via Harper Books on October 9, 2018! Confession: I was loaned The Five People You Meet in Heaven by a professor in graduate school. She was not just any professor; she was (and continues to be) a mentor to me and truly an inspiration inside and outside professional life. I am sad to say I ran across her copy in my collection recently, so I was the culprit in not returning a book! Eek!
My Thoughts:
Everyone wanted a sequel to one of the most beloved books, and Mitch Albom has delivered!
Briefly, to set the stage, in The Five People You Meet in Heaven, we met Eddie, a rough and gruff war veteran turned mechanic who passed away in the act of saving a little girl named Annie. Eddie’s trip to heaven involved questions and answers about the meaning of life.
In this follow-up, Annie’s story is told.
After the accident that took Eddie’s life, Annie has visible scars but no memory of what happened. Not only does she have memory loss, she is haunted by what the truth may reveal. It consumes her.
Annie later becomes an adult and is about to be married when another accident occurs leaving her on a journey to heaven where she reunites with Eddie. He shares what he has learned about life with Annie.
An emotionally-charged and beautifully-written read and filled with clever twists, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven is a huggable book with important lessons for us all. I took away a reminder of that old saying: when one door closes, a window opens in its place.
Filled with hope and all heart, Mitch Albom once again addresses the meaning of life and proves his point with flourish.
Thank you to Harper Books for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
In this enchanting sequel to the number one bestseller The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom tells the story of Eddie’s heavenly reunion with Annie—the little girl he saved on earth—in an unforgettable novel of how our lives and losses intersect.
Fifteen years ago, in Mitch Albom’s beloved novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the world fell in love with Eddie, a grizzled war veteran- turned-amusement park mechanic who died saving the life of a young girl named Annie. Eddie’s journey to heaven taught him that every life matters. Now, in this magical sequel, Mitch Albom reveals Annie’s story.
The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. Injured, scarred, and unable to remember why, Annie’s life is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew. Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love, she believes she has finally found happiness.
As the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo. But when her wedding night day ends in an unimaginable accident, Annie finds herself on her own heavenly journey—and an inevitable reunion with Eddie, one of the five people who will show her how her life mattered in ways she could not have fathomed.
Poignant and beautiful, filled with unexpected twists, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven reminds us that not only does every life matter, but that every ending is also a beginning—we only need to open our eyes to see it.
Have you read The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, or any other books by Mitch Albom? If so, what did you think? Happy Reading! ~ Jenni THR
I seriously need to read it asap 💕🌟
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I hope you enjoy it, too, Priyasha! ♥️
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Lovely picture and review. I have not read any books by this author. Happy Sunday.
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Thank you, Virginia! Happy Sunday to you too! ♥️ xoxo
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I have read the first and didn’t even know there is to be a new one. Great review!
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Thanks, Marialyce! I think you’ll love hearing from Alice! ♥️
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I do really want to read this series! 🙂 Fab review!
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Thank you, Chrissi! They are lovely quick reads! I hope you get the chance to fit them in!
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Is this a religious book? I remember seeing The Five People You Meet in Heaven around quite a lot when I was younger, but I was never sure if it was Christian fiction.
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That is a great question, Alyssa. Because there is a heaven some people would say it’s religious just because of that, but it’s been criticized because of the absence of God and for several other things. I think it may feel religious to one person and not to the next, so it’s hard to say. I think it would depend on your outlook and expectations going into it. For me, it was spiritual solely because of the heaven aspects, but it was focused on the characters and the beautiful life lessons that could also apply in a secular way. But that’s just my experience. 😊
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I see, it sounds like an interesting book either way. Great review!
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Thanks! Yes, it is a sweet, quick story. Nicely uplifting!
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I’ve read Tuesday’s With Morrie and The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto……I have added this one to my TBR. Thanks!
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Oh, yes, Tuesdays with Morrie was soooo good! I think I may own Frankie Presto- need to check! I hope you enjoy this one, Carol!
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Who is this Jenni person?😁Wonderful review Jen! I haven’t read either one…..yet!! Happy Sunday my friend!💕
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😂 I go by all three versions of my name interachangeably, and I’m getting tired of typing Jennifer. 😂 I hope you enjoy these if you ever do read them! I also hope you’ve had a wonderful Sunday! 💗 xo
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I can’t wait to read this one; the first one had me in tears. I’m sure this one will too. Wonderful review! Happy Sunday! ❤
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Thank you, Stephanie! It’s such a sweet, emotional story! I hope you’ve had a lovely day today! A nice cloudy day for reading! ♥️ xoxo
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You’re welcome! 💗 I’m sure it is! My sister in law got married today! 🎉💞🎉 She’s 17 yrs younger than my husband (his mom’s 2nd marriage), so her 1st wedding. I was a bridesmaid for the 1st time in over a decade, but it was so much fun! A gorgeous bride and wedding! It was outside, so thank goodness the weather wasn’t rainy! I’ve been reading all night and hope to finish November Road if I stay up later than I should. It’s looking like a 5 star read unless something happens toward the end. Then I’ll have to start The Clockmaker’s Daughter! We should do a buddy read some day since we always have so many of the same books! I’ve yet to do one, lol. I hope you enjoyed your reading day! ❤🤗
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Aw, that sounds like a lovely day! ♥️ I am glad you had nice weather! I would LOVE to do a buddy read with you! Let’s put our schedules together soon, ok? 💕 xoxo
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It was! I’m so glad it wasn’t last weekend during Flo!! We definitely will have to do that!! Yay! ❤ xoxo
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Despite the excellent review, you haven’t tempted me this time! Not enough murders and horrible people in it for my taste… 😉
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Thank you, FF! It definitely would not suit! 😉 😊
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I thoroughly enjoy his books I will need to pick this one up on audio! Lovely review!💕
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Thank you, Berit! I bet it will be a terrific audio! Can’t wait to hear what you think. ♥️ Hope your Sunday has been a good one!
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to answer your question. I think I watched the movie first I was working at a blockbuster video. We had a bunch of free rentals a week and I ended up picking 5 people you meet in heaven. I loved it. Found out it was a book and ate it up. And I wasn’t much of a reader at the time as well. Funny what can jump start everything.
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Oh, I love this story and your connection to this series! Thanks so much for sharing that with me. I hope you get a chance to read this one, too. I’d love to know what you think of Annie’s story.
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A huggable book, I like how that description. This certainly sounds like a lovely read and I am glad that you enjoyed it. Beautiful review.
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Thank you, Diana! It’s a warm, fuzzy emotional read. I really enjoyed it.
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I am glad you enjoyed this one!! It’s on my TBR!! 🙂
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Thanks, Leslie! I hope you enjoy it too!
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Thanks!
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Sometimes hope and heart are just what I need. Beautiful review, Jennifer!!
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Thank you, Mack! So true! A nice respite of a read!
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I haven’t read the first book yet but I watched the movie and I liked it. I need to read both. Great review! 😄
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I haven’t watched the movie, Marie! I need to! Thanks so much! Happy weekend! ♥️
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