Name: For One More Day
Rating: 4.093023255813954 (129 reviews)
ISBN: 9781401303273

Mitch Albom

In an inspirational debut novel by the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Charles ""Chick"" Benetto, grieving over the death of his mother, uses alcohol as a crutch to deal with his loneliness, isolation, and depression and the disintegration of his life, until an encounter with his mother's ghost brings him new awareness and leads him to attempt to put his life back together.

For One More Day

A moving story from the internationally bestselling author of Tuesdays With Morrie that will 'make you smile . . . make you wistful [and] . . . make you blink back tears of nostalgia' (James McBride) As a child, Charley Benetto was told by his father, 'You can be a mama's boy or a daddy's boy, but you can't be both.' So he chooses his father, only to see him disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence. Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been destroyed by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits rock bottom after discovering he won't be invited to his only daughter's wedding. And he decides to take his own life. Charley makes a midnight ride to his small hometown: his final journey. But as he staggers into his old house, he makes an astonishing discovery. His mother - who died eight years earlier - is there and welcomes Charley home as if nothing had ever happened. What follows is the one seemingly ordinary day so many of us yearn for: a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain the family secrets and to seek forgiveness.

This story is heartwarming in a way that you'd never really expect the things that unfolds. It's great that the book isn't just about wanting to die or what happens at the moment you lose consciousness and sees the world in a different lens before you stirr awake like a completely new person. It's so much more than that. It's beyond the topic of a mother's sacrifice and how they'll forgive their children over and over. And I guess, just like Charley, there are things we'll regret for the rest of our lives because it hurted the people we love. Some of it could be reconciled and some needs to stay as a lesson in our lives. Overall, I applaud this story and I applaud Mitch Albom for another thought-provoking novella.

"Children should never choose."

This story is heartwarming in a way that you'd never really expect the things that unfolds. It's great that the book isn't just about wanting to die or what happens at the moment you lose consciousness and sees the world in a different lens before you stirr awake like a completely new person. It's so much more than that. It's beyond the topic of a mother's sacrifice and how they'll forgive their children over and over. And I guess, just like Charley, there are things we'll regret for the rest of our lives because it hurted the people we love. Some of it could be reconciled and some needs to stay as a lesson in our lives. Overall, I applaud this story and I applaud Mitch Albom for another thought-provoking novella.

def not my fave of his, but still inspiring, and makes me miss my mom even more!

amada ♡

Kirsten Simkiss

As the book I read just prior to this was The Five People You Meet In Heaven, I can't help but feel that this was a very similar story with a very similar message and a very similar main character. However, I found this book more emotionally impactful and more relatable than the other. In fact, they even link up. The mother of Chick in this book was the cousin of Joe and Eddie from The Five People. It was so similar that it's almost hard to see them as separate works. The formatting is the same. The writing style is just as simple. The subject material is similar, though with some minor differences - namely that Chick didn't die. (Who knows! Maybe he'll go on to meet five people anyway.)

I wasn't in love with this book, but I enjoyed it well enough to read it through in one sitting. I rounded what I would have given 3.5 stars up to 4 for Goodreads. It was certainly worth the read and was much more relatable for me than The Five People You Meet In Heaven, even as a 26 year old woman who's never been good at sports. This is because the relationship between parent and child is always fraught with turmoil and laughter. You grate on each others nerves. You say hurtful things. You love them and you make them laugh. That's how family is. Even when things are a little rough between you, you still love them.

The moral of the story is, as I said, very similar to The Five People You Meet In Heaven, but with some small newer nuances. While there is certainly an element of forgiveness in For One More Day, it's more about appreciating those who love you and never taking their love for granted. 

It's a very nice book, certainly, though dark and exploring some dark themes. Suicide is a prominent topic in this book, so please be advised when heading into reading this book. Alcoholism is also a very notable issue for both the main character and his father. There are also other elements in the story that I won't mention so I don't give away any spoilers, but this is probably not the best book for a child of any age to read even though the vocabulary is simple. Ultimately, if you are a parent, you know your child better than I and can either recommend it to them or attempt to dissuade them. If the language content is a concern, trust me when I say that it is actually very simple reading.

Jaymie Lemke

Another story that I was really anxious to read. Left me disappointed. Glad it was a quick read, as I didn't even like the main character. Perhaps that was the point?

Haley

This book was an easy read, but it told a very important and significant story. The plot was touching and the writing was beautiful.

Shannon Arputharaj

"And I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know". 

I love the openness of this book. All the faults and all the damage is exposed; you really should hate the main character. It doesn't sugarcoat the truth, it only explains a situation that had many sides. In this way, the novel was incredibly insightful and incredibly honest. 

Granted, I have been super blessed to have a mother like the one portrayed. Many families don't have parents who care as much. I recommend this novel to anyone leaving for home for an extended period of time. It'll make you appreciate what you have. Like all of Albom's books, it'll help you understand and make better use of your time on earth.

daisy

this book got me crying and i miss my mom even more after reading this. a must read!

Caitlin Berger

I would give this 3 and a half stars if I could! I did enjoy this book a lot, it was a very fast and easy read. The themes and messages were interesting and meaningful. In the end, for me, it was just a good book to read, nothing more, nothing less. If it's on your to-read list, go for it! If not, it's not such a huge loss.

Every family is a ghost story . . .' As a child, Charley Benetto was told by his father, 'You can be a mama's boy or a daddy's boy, but you can't be both.' So he chooses his father, only to see him disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence. Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been destroyed by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits rock bottom after discovering he won't be invited to his only daughter's wedding. And he decides to take his own life. Charley makes a midnight ride to his small hometown: his final journey. But as he staggers into his old house, he makes an astonishing discovery. His mother - who died eight years earlier - is there, and welcomes Charley home as if nothing had ever happened. What follows is the one seemingly ordinary day so many of us yearn for: a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain the family secrets and to seek forgiveness.

erin

In his highly anticipated new novel, Albom tenderly explores the themes of family, divorce and regrets, and the wish that we could have just one more day with a lost loved one.

For One More Day

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