Eddie is a wounded war veteran, the head maintenance man at the Ruby Amusement Park, and it is his 83rd. birthday. As the book opens, Eddie is only minutes away from his own death. Mitch Albom then covers the tragedy of his death, while trying to save a little girl whose life was put in critical danger by the malfunction of one of the rides.

Finding himself in heaven, Eddie is greeted by five people whom he had encountered on earth. Each of the five persons has a story, a secret and a lesson to share with Eddie. They all contribute to a new understanding of the meaning of human life, and how we are interconnected in ways we have never imagined.

This moving story is by the same author, who wrote the #1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE (LD571.B418S383 1997). It also is in our parish library.

Of THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, the LOS ANGELES TIMES says, "There's much wisdom here...An earnest meditation on the intrinsic value of human life."