THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN

CONTRASTS + CONTRADICTIONS

• Eddie, a calm humble 83 year old man, attacks his military captain after meeting him in Heaven.
• Eddie learns the captain paralyzed his leg, but it was to save his life.
• Eddie was never a viscous person, so for him to attack the captain was shocking.

AHA MOMENTS

• Eddie realizes that his actions in the past are what create a connection to the people he meets.
• This changes how Eddie acts toward the people he meets. Instead of thinking about himself, he wants to know their story too.

TOUGH QUESTIONS

• The toughest question in the book is "Why am I in Heaven?"
• Heaven is interpreted as a place where you meet 5 people and reflect on the meaning of your life.
• I wonder if Heaven is actually a journey to discover your meaning.

WORDS OF THE WISER

• ""But there is a balance to it [life]. One [person] withers, another dies. Birth and death are part of a whole."" - Blue Man
• The Blue Man teaches Eddie that all actions have consequences

AGAIN AND AGAIN

• Eddie asks everyone he meets if he saved the little girl
• By trying to save the little girl, Eddie died so he wants to know what happened
• The author does this to create a big reveal later in the book

MEMORY MOMENT

• The book is told in memories. We see Eddie in heaven and flashbacks to Eddie's birthdays.
• These memories are important because they tell us about Eddie's life.
• Through these memories we see all of Eddie's connections to the people he meets in Heaven.