Beyond the Book

The five people you meet in Heaven, written by Mitch Albom proved to be one of the best books I have come across. It is a story about a man named Edward, popularly known as Eddie who works at Ruby Pier and his job involves maintaining and fixing the rides in the seaside amusement park. One fateful day, Eddie dies while trying to save a young girl's life. The next thing we know, Eddie wakes up in his afterlife and gets to meet five people in Heaven.  Albom manages to create his own version of Heaven that seems to be authentic and real. From childhood to old age, Eddie gets to meet people whom he may or may not have known but impacted their lives in some way. He thus realizes that Heaven is not a resting place but instead it is a destination where you seek answers and comprehend your time on Earth.  A brilliantly written novel, it managed to get through my deeply entrenched views on life and death and made me realize how all human lives are interconnected and tend to impact ea

Finding Chika is a heart-warming and moving memoir of loss and love. Considering it as one of the most personal stories of  Mitch Albom, the novel revolves around what it means to have a family tied by the bond of love, friendship and understanding rather than blood.  Born three days before the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, Chika lives her initial years impoverished. She is brought to the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage operated by Albom in Port Au Prince after the birth of her brother. On arriving at the Orphanage that acts as Albom and his wife Janine's family, Chika does not take much time to form an ever-lasting impression. Curious, enthusiastic and sprightly, Chika was a sight to behold! At age five, Chika is diagnosed with brain tumor which forces her out of her homeland and into the unknown-America.  Personal conversations, memories of the young girl and especially her journey with her adoptive parents towards finding a cure brings out the vulnerability, st