From the Publisher
Albom’s gift for storytelling continues to shine in this sequel.” — Library Journal
“[Albom’s] new novel offers unexpected twists and clever turns that will delight his passionate fans.” — AARP Magazine
“Fans of the first book will have plenty to appreciate here.” — Publishers Weekly
“It’s a tale filled with joy, heart and wisdom, and it’s a reminder to cherish those we love most.” — Woman’s World Magazine
AARP Magazine
[Albom’s] new novel offers unexpected twists and clever turns that will delight his passionate fans.
Woman’s World Magazine
It’s a tale filled with joy, heart and wisdom, and it’s a reminder to cherish those we love most.
Booklist
As Annie learns her lessons about the meaning and value of both life and death, Albom wraps up this heartfelt fable with a totally unexpected twist. Order plenty of copies, and warn readers to keep their hankies handy!
Booklist
As Annie learns her lessons about the meaning and value of both life and death, Albom wraps up this heartfelt fable with a totally unexpected twist. Order plenty of copies, and warn readers to keep their hankies handy!
Women's World Magazine
It’s a tale filled with joy, heart and wisdom, and it’s a reminder to cherish those we love most.
Woman's World Magazine
It’s a tale filled with joy, heart and wisdom, and it’s a reminder to cherish those we love most.
DECEMBER 2018 - AudioFile
As a writer, Albom has a knack for creating stunning imagery and tapping into the deepest human emotions. Once again, as he narrates his latest work, he proves himself to be just as good a voice actor. Told in the third person, the story casts Albom as an omnipotent narrator; the protagonist, Annie; and a small collection of divinely selected people whom Annie meets in heaven. Albom ensures that no two characters sound alike in tone, tempo, or delivery, and he seamlessly switches between them as well. With its touching message and expert narration, this audiobook is sure to bring some listeners to tears. V.T. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-07-02
Albom (The Magic Strings of Frankie Pesto, 2015, etc.) returns to the scene of previous literary crime: heaven, that is, and the realm of departed folks who are only too glad to dispense advice."This is a story about a woman named Annie, and it begins at the end, with Annie falling from the sky." In this sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2003), gruff Eddie the maintenance man gets to have a little chat with the aforementioned Annie, for whom he gave up his life in a freak roller-coaster accident in the first book, sparing her from death. So what's she doing up in the afterlife? Well, it seems Annie has fallen in love, married, and then honored the event by going up in a hot air balloon. What is it with her and divergent modes of transportation? And now, thanks to high-tension wires, Annie has bitten the big one—or maybe not—and is wandering around in the clouds reliving past mistakes and holding self-discovery sessions with, yes, five of her predecessors in the dirt nap. You'd think Eddie would be a little ticked that he lost a decade to a woman who seemed destined for the express checkout lane in any case, especially because, Albom writes, "She never thought about heaven." He adds, helpfully, "But heaven is always thinking about us." Yep, and yuck. There's more than a little of The Little Prince here ("A vast brown desert surrounded her. / And she was alone") and more than a little too much wisdom ("We don't realize who else we punish while we're punishing ourselves"). A question: Isn't it a cheat when one of the dead quintet is a dog? And further: If you avoid death proper but have met your allotted five people in the great fluffy cloud beyond during your near-death experience, do you have to meet five other people when your time actually does come? Isn't that fudging the numbers?For those who prize fortune-cookie philosophy and sticky-sweet resolutions, this is just the ticket to ride.
