Five People You Meet In Heaven is based on the life of a real person with whom Albom felt a deep connection. The author used the character of Eddie as a tribute to his uncle, Eddie Beitchman, who died at the age of 83 believing that he had not accomplished enough in his life. Beitchman had a similar life as the author has described in the book. Like his fictional counterpart, Beitchman also fought in World War II. Albom wanted to explore his belief that "there is some kind of sense of accountability to an afterlife."
So this story tells about the life and death of a man named Eddie who died in some accident at the Ruby’s Pier and was sent to heaven. And then in the heaven he encounters five people who had a significant impact upon him while he was alive. And it also describes the fact, how we all have an insecurity about doing nothing in our life and wasting our life but we somehow always have some positive impacts on someone’s life unknowingly.
He meets five people in the heaven named: The Blue Man, Captain, Ruby, His wife Marguerite and Tala.
The blue man was the one who saved Eddie’s life when he was crossing the road to get his ball and instead Joseph (The Blue Man) died of heart attack.
The captain also played a big role in his life. He was the commanding officer in the war as Eddie was in the army before becoming a maintenance man at Ruby’s Pier. The captain saved his life by shooting him on his leg when he was refusing to get back with everyone as he saw a girl crawling in the fort which they had set on fire. And the captain died in the land mine while checking whether the path was clear or not.
As the Ruby’s Pier was named after the third person whom he meets in the heaven. Ruby tells Eddie the real reason of his father’s death as he was trying to save Mickey’s life. She taught him the lesson of forgiveness.
In heaven he meets his wife as the fourth person. She teaches him that true love never dies as she takes him to several weddings in the heaven.
The last person whom he meets is Tala who he was trying to protect during the fire in the fort when he was in the war. Tala tells him that after leaving army he did have a purpose in his life to save children at the amusement park where he worked as a maintenance man.
The best part of book that I enjoyed was when Eddie tried to save life of two different young girls ( one in the war and the other in the amusement park). This portrayed his nature and how he felt for others. He was a kind man though he had many problems in his life.
The book tells us that how one person is connected to other even if they have not met them as Eddie did not know Joseph, Ruby and Tala but still they had some part to play in his life. This book also tells us about the cycle of life and death, one dies and the other takes a birth. The author also reflects this in novel by telling us that death is not the end but some kind of beginning.
The book also teaches us many lessons such as forgiveness, true love, sacrifice and interconnection of life. This book is real happiness and full of grasping things that one must know about.
I suggest,you must read this book. You will get to know many new things and will definitely enjoy reading it.
Hope you like it! Connect with me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the._bookarazzi/