For One More Day

For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, follows the trials and tribulations within the life of Charles "Chick" Benetto. After the first few pages, the reader is thrust into the world of a bitter, angry and seemingly remorseless alcoholic. This caustic bitterness is of the worst variety for it is an incurable unrelenting bitterness toward life. It is a bitterness that kills one's spirit or at least places it in a substantial coma.

Thus, the reader is cast into a violent Baum-like, Bill W twister wherein our destination is neither the Land of Oz nor an AA meeting but the quiet little town of Pepperville Beach (formerly known as Pepperville Lake).

At Pepperville Beach and, subsequently, Chick's childhood home, the reader is introduced to Chick's dear departed mother Pauline also known as Posey. A metaphorical autopsy takes place wherein Chick's life is dissected and examined in order to account for the death of his spirit.

Part way through the novel, it becomes apparent that Chick is not as much the protagonist as is the relationship between him and his mother. It is through this one day mystical journey that Chick and Posey seek to discover that which ails Chick's spirit. What they eventually discover will surprise you.

The final chapters contain startling revelations that crescendo into a grand epiphany. The reader will find themselves racing through the final pages to sate their literary hunger and desire for what'll happen next.

The texture to this novel is fast and neat, lacking anything superfluous. Everything has a place and everything is in its place as the reader floats through small digestible sections. Each section is prefaced with prose and anecdotes of which Posey is the author and Chick the focus. Albom cleverly creates character depth through this subtle literary technique.

Though the novel chronologically jumps back and forth between present and past, Albom is sensitive to his reader and labors to maintain an even and recognizable flow. This is done most identifiably through the manipulation of fonts and the breaking down of sections.

For One More Day has sat high atop the New York Times bestseller list for a number of weeks for good reasons. It touts a wide cross section of appeal based on Albom's other works, yet it captures the interest and imagination of those who have not yet ventured into those other works. It is a fast read that is accessible to all. Ultimately, the storyline draws the reader inward and does not release him or her until the final page.