The Five People You Meet in Heaven

This is a really good book. I liked it a lot. It is about a man named Eddie. He is the maintenance man at and amusement park called Ruby Pier. On Eddie's 83 birthday, a ride malfunctions and falls. A little girl would've been killed but Eddie pushed the little girl to safety and was smashed by the roller coaster cart.

Eddie went to heaven where he met a man with blue skin, his army captain from the battle in the Philippines, a woman named Ruby who the amusement park is named after, his deceased wife Marguerite, and a little girl named Tala. When people died, they get their own five people. Each one of these people taught Eddie a lesson.

Eddie's first lesson was from the Blue Man. The Blue Man taught Eddie that there are no random acts and we are all connected. You cannot separate one life from another just like how you can't separate the breeze from the wind. Eddie's second lesson is taught by his captain. His second lesson is that time is not what you think it is. Dying is not the end to everything, but what happens on earth is only the beginning. Ruby teaches Eddie that holding anger is a poison that eats you from inside. We might think hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us, but really it is a curved blade that only harms us. Marguerite taught Eddie that lost love is still love. It just takes a different form. She says even though life has to end, love doesn't. Tala, a little 5 year old, is Eddie's fifth person. She taught Eddie his purpose on life was to work at the amusement park and help keep all the visitors safe.

Eddie's heaven turned out to be Ruby Pier. Inside the park were millions of people that Eddie helped to keep safe. That is where Eddie stayed and waited to teach someone else their purpose of life.