Review- The Next Person You Meet in Heaven + Mitch Albom Book Signing

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

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.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven has been a favourite book of mine since I read it over fifteen years ago. I can count the number of books that I reread on one hand- and The Five People You Meet in Heaven is one of them. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven is the sequel that I didn’t even know I needed or wanted. If you ever wondered what happened to Annie, the girl Eddies saves in the first novel, all your questions will be answered in this book.

I was nervous that this book would not have the magic of the first book, but the magic was not lost. The story is moving and very bittersweet. This is a topic that could easily turn cheesy but in Mitch Albom’s hands it remains uplifting and charming but also has a lot of depth.

I do not want to say too much because it is a sequel, but if you loved the first book I am confident that you will love this one as well.  I was truly touched by it and reminded why Mitch Albom is my favourite author.

I went to a Mitch Albom book signing and he is absolutely incredible. I do not think that there is a better speaker out there. I learned so much about him as a person and he really emphasized how all of these little things had to happen in order for him to end up where he is today. That is a major theme in The Next Person You Will Meet in Heaven. I tweeted about this but you know how people say never to meet your heroes? That was not the case for me. Mitch Albom is as fantastic as I thought he would be and many people in the room were moved to tears- including my dad. I went to the event with my dad, who is the person who put Tuesdays With Morrie in my hands all those years ago. It was even more special that I was able to attend with him.

“She would tell her that endings are also beginnings, we just don’t know it at the time.”

“Love comes when you least expect it. Love comes when you most need it. Love comes when you are ready to receive it or can no longer deny it.”

“Secrets. We think by keeping them, we’re controlling things, but all the while, they’re controlling us.”

If you have never read anything by Mitch Albom, I truly think you should give one of his books a chance. They are short but powerful. Start with Tuesdays With Morrie and go from there! I have read all of his novels and there is not one that I wouldn’t recommend.