The First Phone Call From Heaven

Up until now, I am still smitten with Mitch Albom's previous best selling book, "The Time Keeper," and when I started to read a new book by him last week, clearly I held my hope and expectations high. 

Mitch Albom cannot be anymore clear about his title, because it is what it is. It's neither a figurative sentence, nor a parable. 

The story takes place in a small town of Coldwater, Michigan. It's never a crowded place, it's always quiet and eventless. That until its residents started to receive phone calls from the dead. The seemingly impossible miracle occured one Friday morning, with Tess Raferty listens to her answering machine. On the other line, her mother's voice was heard, saying "It's Mom... I need to tell you something." For other people, it may sound like a regular telephone conversation, but Tess is filled with the uttermost shock and dismay, as her mother has been dead for four years.

The same thing happened to several other people in Coldwater. A total of 8 persons admit to have received regular phone calls from their departed families, friends, or business partner. What was once an unheard place with small population, Coldwater is now swarmed with TV stations, believers, and non-believers, wanting to see with their own eyes the miracle that's happening in this town. The whole country's eyes are on Coldwater. 

Only 1 man, who just got out of prison and bittered by life, now living as a single dad after his wife's passing in a car accident, Sully Harding, doesn't buy all of the stories about receiving calls from the other end. He's determined to find prove that all of these are merely hoax, conducted by irresponsible person who fakes the calls. Is his assumption correct? Why Coldwater, of all places? People never once pay attention to this town, it never attract tourists, it doesn't have anything special in it. Why are these 8 people chosen? Why do the phone calls always come on a Friday? Sully is ready to give his all to unveil the mysteries, while he, himself, trying to prove that the dead is dead, his wife will never return, he want to prove no such miracles exist, that there's no way you can hear the voices of the departed again.

Although the premise of this book is interesting, it's not a book I'll remember in 10 years or so. Characters wise, there are too many names I have to remember, 9 in total, not including the supporting, and each has its own story. I don't know which character is which, as they keep inter lapping with one another, and the plot makes it far more confusing. It's not finely sewn, you can see patches here and there. Strong believers, however, will probably find more joy in reading the book. It's clearly a religious book, its story is set on September until Christmas, and it contains no controversy. It's safe, and true, like a scripture in a bible. God will read this and smile, I can imagine. 

I am a little bit disappointed in Albom, as you might have guessed by reading this review. Maybe my expectations were too high to begin with. It's not a terrible book, but it's definitely not a masterpiece. I don't remember any memorable quotes I want to include here, but the ending surely is magical, I'm impressed. I will not spoil its ending here, for once this time, because I want you to pick up this book and see it for yourself. Will you believe in heaven or the afterlife after reading it? Mitch Albom has an agenda, and you will see through it.