Book Review: The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom

Book: The First Phone Call From Heaven

Author: Mitch Albom

Cover Price: 15.99

Is the book well written?

Yes, the narrative is told by five of the main characters of the story, and the seamless transition from one narrative to the next, gives you a rounded and whole feeling of the town as the miracles are happening. The main narrative is framed by the love story of Alexander and Mabel Bell, the creator of the telephone, and his deaf wife. You find yourself digesting multiple stories, that links together to tell a fabulous tale of faith, and forever.

Is it an easy read?

Yes, it is a fun and faith inspiring story, that is well-told. It is filled with simply strung and lyrical words of brilliance that transcend into thought provoking self-reflection.

Is it a page turner?

Yes. I couldn't give it anything less than a B+ for the speed in which I digested this story. I ended up spending a quality snow day with it and finished it the next morning.

Readers Grade: B+

Mitch Albom knows how to appeal to the child that still exists within all of us and his tales have a folkloric authenticity to them. This book is one that leaves the reader hoping that the story unfolding is a true one, rather than getting caught up in the fuss, about whether or not it could be. In “The First Phone Call From Heaven”, which takes place in a a small fictional town in Michigan, a few chosen residents are receiving phone calls from a most unexpected place… they are hearing for their loved ones from heaven.

His characters are people that could be a neighbor, brother, mother or friend. The first person narrative cleverly transitions from one character to the next, throughout a handful of people about the town, painting the scenery of our story. They hook you and keep you reading about their unique, quirky, and note-worthy everyday experiences; they are relatable people. It is that quality about the characters in this story that make their extraordinary and fantastical experiences even more appealing to a reader, clawing at and reaching to, a place of imaginative possibility located deep within.

I am someone who has a strong personal faith, that includes the existence of a heavenly reward, for those who lived their lives in the light of God. This story plays to the heartstrings of faith within the reader, and the desire to know our loved ones who have passed before us, are at peace now. It is done so teasingly, in a way that embraces the possibilities that come with technological advances, and takes any reader to an intangible place of hope and heavenly possibility. This was a book of comfort for anyone who has ever lost someone close to them and a phenomenal read for all with a faith in God. The messages being sent back home from heaven are not new, the message is timeless and true, but told in a simpler and less fantastical way.

At the very least, I believe even the most pessimistic of reader, will come away from this story with a lighthearted warmth that comes with using your imagination. I believe this book is centered in the idea that nothing happens out of pure chaos in this world we live in. It brought me back to a place within myself, where I remembered the trust I have in the final design of my creator, and that I can only live my days accordingly. This book acted like a dose of personal comfort medicine for my soul and faith. I recently lost my mother and the messages from heaven in this book, were everything I feel to be true of it, and the way she taught me about it. I really suggest reading it if you are missing someone you have recently lost.

While I have given this book a B+, please, DO NOT MISINTERPRET THIS. I made my content judgement criteria so tough for books, so that when I do claim a book is worthy of an A grade, it means something more. It will differentiate itself as a “must-read” phenomenal book and not because of my own enjoyment of reading. With that said, I read this book in a little more than one day, and I highly suggest it to all looking for a light-hearted read.

“All blessings do not bless the same.”

“It’s quiet theft, how time lures people away.”

“Sometimes, love brings you together even as life keeps you apart.”

“There are two stories for every life; the one you live, and the one others tell.”

“What do you do when the dead return? It is the thing people most fear- yet, in some cases, most desire.”