You may be familiar with Mitch Albom. He wrote The five people you meet in Heaven and Tuesdays with Morrie. He has this knack of writing about death and the afterlife that is so profound and beautiful without being sentimental.

This book is no different. Chick Bennetto has reached the end of his tether and decides to give up, he tries to end his life. However, he enters this dream-like state where he meets with his mother who passed away a few years previously. Through their interactions, Chick learns so much about his mother that he never knew. He learns the reasons why she made certain decisions, the sacrifices she made without mentioning them and the love she had for him and many others. It is an exceptionally moving story as Chick comes to terms with his past, is reunited with his mother for one more day and ultimately learns to let his difficult past go. But then what happens? Does he get a chance to be alive again? You’ll have to read it to find out.

My favourite quote from this book is “But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.” I think that is so true and beautiful, and it also sums up the novel. There are other quotes I could have chosen, as this short book is packed with nuggets of wisdom on life and relationships.

This is a short book and is lovely to read, though of course the subject matter is very sensitive and delicate. However, Mitch Albom deals with the issue so sensitively and powerfully that I would recommend this book to anyone.