After just one book, I'm won over by his storytelling abilities. I bet a lot of other people were too.
The central theme of For One More Day is a question that has been asked and answered over and over again in perhaps many other books - if you were given one day with a deceased loved one, what would you do?
Chick Benetto - the lead character of this story - is on the verge of committing suicide. Too many things have gone wrong for him, and when he is not invited to his daughter, Maria's wedding, his decision is made.
Drunk-driving, he crashes into a truck, gets thrown out of his vehicle, and miraculously makes it back to his childhood home, where he is greeted by his mother. Who is supposed to be dead.
The story that ensues is a normal tag-along-trip with his mother to her appointments. During each appointment, he pieces together more and more things about his mother that he has never known. More importantly, he gradually understands his mother's misunderstood actions after decades of "not standing up for my mother".
Mitch Albom is a great storyteller. I really liked how he inserted seemingly random "notes" or "entries" from Chick Benetto's "possessions" as the story unfolded. Everything was carefully planned to give us an insight into Chick's life and how he is who he is today. He is capable of expressing deep and realistic emotions through simple actions. I love how these small aspects speak volumes about the characters and their personalities.
Reading this book really forces us to reflect on ourselves. As humans, we seem to have this knack of desiring something or someone we don't have. We also have this knack of taking those around us for granted, simply because they have been there for us one too many times. And then, we only realize our mistakes when it's too late.
For One More Day echoes what many people think to themselves subconsciously or what many people may have gone through themselves. It is just a book, a fictional thought; but its influence is much more than that.
It is a reminder that life is too short for us to take anything for granted.
It is also a reminder that love, truly can keep a person alive in your heart.
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