***I am trying out a format for my entries, stolen from the "Lets Eat Grandpa!" blog. I don't know yet if it will stick so, bear with me.***
Have a Little Faith: A True Story - Mitch Albom
Read: it showed up at work one day, and I have always wanted to read Tuesdays with Morrie
Source: Borrowed from Anthony
Finished: 6/22/11
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 260
Published: 2009
Product Description: (from amazon.ca)
In the beginning, there was a question...
With those words, Mitch Albom launches his long-awaited return to nonfiction. Have a Little Faith is Albom's first true-life story since Tuesdays with Morrie, and like that classic tale, this book explores life through a unique journey: Mitch's search for the right words to eulogize a Man of God.
Albom takes his readers on a stirring, heartfelt mission to honor a last request and send a beloved rabbi off to heaven the way the cleric had done for so many before him. Along the way, Albom--who walked away from a deeply religious background as a young man--rekindles his own faith by sitting with and caring for the wise, funny, but slowly decaying man of the cloth. Together, they explore the things that pull us apart about faith, as well as the universal beliefs that pull us together: God, heaven, doubt, war, atheism,intermarriage, the "us" versus "them" of religion.
Meanwhile, as Albom crafts his cleric's final sendoff, he accidentally engages with an inner-city pastor of a crumbling church, one that houses the homeless and collects no dues--as far from Albom's religious upbringing as possible. Skeptical at first, Albom begins to admire the pastor and his impoverished congregation. And as his own beloved cleric slowly lets go, Albom discovers that a faithful heart comes in many forms and from many places.
Insightful, stirring, humorous, and heartbreaking, Have a Little Faith will make readers explore their own beliefs, and perhaps realize how much more we are alike than different. And as Albom fulfills his cleric's last request and tearfully asks God to welcome the man home, this book will surely become everyone's story.
Overall Impressions:
I may not be a religious person, but I have always found religion and spirituality an interesting topic. I love to learn about different religions and see how people practice theirs. You don't have to be a religious person to be familiar with Mitch Albom's famous books, Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. So it pretty much goes without saying that Mitch Albom is a famous author, and for good reason! He weaves a fine tale, even if it is non-fiction.
I liked this book largely because no subject was off limits. He asked his Rabbi, Albert Lewis, all the hard questions, and got pretty realistic answers. There's some fine lessons and great quotes to be taken from this story, the vast majority of which you don't need a man of God to explain to you - it's all just good sense. It is amazing how often good, old fashioned logic and sense get left behind when religion is involved. And that's just plain silly. You can be religious and logical, all at the same time!
Positives: This is an uplifting, easy to read, feel good book, even though if the subject matter is a sad. Some of the personal stories are heartbreaking, but the whole thing comes through with a positive message. Gotta love that.
Negatives: I honestly found little fault in this book. If you are looking for an in-depth study of religion, or if you find vague morality discussions frustrating, this is not the book for you.
For the majority of people who are not terribly jaded it is a worthwhile read.
Other books I've read by Mitch Albom: Zip. Zilch. Nadda.
****
Book count: 1
Page count: 260/15000
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom was a wonderful depiction of the differences and similarities of two religions. There were parts that made me laugh out loud as well as shed a tear or two. Mitch Albom is a master at writing stories that capture the interest of the reader from page one. It was sweet, inspiring and motivating story. In these times that we're living in, a congregation of any faith may be just the thing to reestablish faith and a sense of community that appears to be lacking in the lives of many I know.
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