“It may seem strange to start a story with an ending,” writes Mitch Albom. “But all endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.”

So begins Mitch Albom’s 2003 number-one New York Times bestseller, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the heartwarming tale of a maintenance man named Eddie and the life he finds after death. Although this novel is not new, its message is still important and relevant. Following in the footsteps of Albom’s beloved memoir, Tuesdays With Morrie, this book is sweet, thoughtful, and clever.

Eddie is a widowed handyman at Ruby Pier, the amusement park that he grew up near. One day, under the warm summer sun, Eddie dies saving the life of a little girl falling out of a malfunctioning roller coaster. As the ride crashes over him, he sees a flash of light and then his world melts into nothing.

Eddie’s last moment on Earth is just the beginning of his journey. Dazed, confused, and free from worry or pain, Eddie is visited by five people who impacted his life. From loved ones to strangers who shifted the direction of his fate, these people reveal pieces of his past and show him that his life is not yet complete: it is only beginning.

The first person he meets, a deformed man from the World’s Most Curious Citizens show at Ruby Pier from Eddie’s boyhood, shows him that Eddie’s life reached further than he thought. After discovering that he impacted this circus performer in a profound way, Eddie revisits his experience in World War II and other important periods of his life, meeting unlikely people along the way.

Although the premise of the novel may seem dark, the story is uplifting and entertaining. Rather than focusing on the grief of Eddie’s death, Albom shows that it takes many people to make a life complete. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is especially unique because of its light tone and sweet message.

The book’s style is unique and takes some getting used to. Rather than having traditional chapters, Albom separates Eddie’s experience in the afterlife with flashbacks to his birthdays. Initially this format may seem disorienting, but it becomes part of the rhythm of the novel and gives depth to Eddie’s story.

At less than 200 pages, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a quick and charming read that offers a unique view of life after death. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is certainly worth a try.