The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

The First Phone Call From Heaven is about people living in a small town, Coldwater, who receive calls from loved ones who have passed away.

Having recently lost my father, I wondered how I would react if my father called me from Heaven. Would I have blind faith that it was indeed him? Or would I be skeptical and demand irrefutable proof that people in Heaven can in fact make phone calls?

Being able to talk to my father, just one more time, would mean everything to me.
So, quite likely, like many of the townspeople of Coldwater, I would want to believe and I would defy logic to keep believing that my father can talk to me from heaven.

This is the first book I have read by Mitch Albom and I did enjoy it. I liked the clever way he included the history behind the invention of the telephone with anecdotes and facts about Alexander Bell, his wife (the irony of her condition in relation to his work) and the trials he had bringing his invention to market.

The only negative comment I have about this book is that it sometimes seems to lose its way. Perhaps there were too many characters with stories that needed to be told and not enough pages.

While Heaven was calling the town of Coldwater, human nature remained true to form and the usual suspects are all well portrayed within the story:
The greedy: those who use others fortune or misfortune as an opportunity to cash in financially, make lots of money and get famous
The cynics: those who rubbish everything that is good in life
The sheep: blindly following the crowd because everyone is doing it

The book deals brilliantly with the issue of forgiveness, primarily forgiving oneself. Thankfully it does not lecture or sermonise but rather it allows the reader to explore the possibility of mercy and compassion, especially for themselves. I like that.

The story draws you in, not because it’s plausible but rather because it accurately mirrors how everyone one of us would behave given a similar situation. A phone call from heaven answers the question, ‘What happens when we die?’… and knowing that there is only goodness and love waiting for us should make everyone a better person, more tolerant, more compassionate. Yet the characters (probably like most of us) remain stuck on the anger, distrust, greed, and pettiness that make up our daily lives.

Despite all this, and regardless of how cynical we may or may not be, we all want to believe that miracles can and do happen. It’s just seems that we have a huge problem with recognising them when they do happen.

 

My rating for The First Phone Call From Heaven  - 4 Flutes

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is a brilliant storyteller and in the “And the Mountains Echoed”, he does not disappoint.  The book which spans several generations and 3 continents, follows Pari’s journey through a life that is defined by a decision her father took when she was a very young child. The book’s theme is about choices and the far reaching consequences they have on the future as well as the propensity they have to influence the generations to come. 

On the first page, the first sentence reads, ”So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one” and the stage for Pari's story is set.   As Pari and her brother, Abdullah travel with their father from a small village in Afghanistan and across the desert to Kabul, they are oblivious to the underlying forces that will shape their destiny and ultimately seal their fate. 

However, towards the middle (about half way through the book), it all gets very confusing. As new characters are introduced, it is unclear who they are and what their connection, if any, is to the main characters and to the story. There are also a couple of shock factors thrown in that don’t quite work with the story line and could have just as easily been left out.

In the latter part of the book, the clarity is back and the story sprints towards an awesome ending as the main characters, Pari and Abdullah, take centre stage once again…58 years later.

I was particularly impressed with Hosseini’s compassion and caring when writing about Abdullah’s mental illness. It is a condition that many of us with aging parents and /or grandparents are familiar with; I recognised and related to the anguish and sorrow felt by Abdullah’s daughter, also called Pari, as she came to terms and dealt with her father’s condition. 

I loved “The Kite Runner” and while “And The Mountains Echoed” is not as captivating, it is still a very good book. 

My rating for And The Mountains Echoed  - 4