For One More Day

by Mitch Albom

Hardcover, 2006

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Collection

Publication

Hyperion (2006), Edition: 1st, 208 pages

Description

In an inspirational debut novel by the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Charles "Chick" Benetto, grieving over the death of his mother, uses alcohol as a crutch to deal with his loneliness, isolation, and depression and the disintegration of his life, until an encounter with his mother's ghost brings him new awareness and leads him to attempt to put his life back together.

User reviews

LibraryThing member jayne_charles
A heartwarming tale with a little bit of magic running through it told in an admirably simple and well paced style. Essentially about the importance of appreciating what you have, it’s also illustrative of the treatment of single parents in 1950s and 60s society.

There is nothing new or
Show More
groundbreaking in the values it espouses, and I don’t think any readers will fail to work out what is really going on as the protagonist meets up again with his dead mother. The twist at the end is clever though, and the whole thing leaves the reader with a nice warm feeling.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
This was my Mother's Day gift from my son--a story of a mother told by her son. What more is there to say? Albom touches every heartstring along the way asking what would you do if you had just "one more day" with someone who was very, very special.
LibraryThing member tropicalbreezz
I love this story. It's not a long read but the message is loud and clear. Guys should read it too, it mentions baseball! This book is heart-warming and will make you look at your family in a different light. I cried at times because it was just so sweet or sad at points. This would be a great book
Show More
for teenager to read through those rebellious years. The author in general is an amazing writer.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
A small book that packs a powerful message of love and forgiveness.

Charles "Chick" Benetto made some mistakes he deems unforgivable. As a down and out alcoholic his lost his wife and daughter; As a son, he left his mother alone when she needed him most; As a child, he was sharp tongued and self
Show More
absorbed.

Hell bent on suicide, this former baseball player receives a miracle visit from his deceased mother.

The beauty of this book is that it is a well written, emotional story without being too overly schmultzy and sentimental.

4/5 stars
Show Less
LibraryThing member mrstreme
This was a warm-hearted tale about a strung-out, former baseball player, Chick, who gets one more day with his deceased mother.

Chick spent his whole life trying to fulfill his father's dream without realizing that it was his mother that was buttressing him the entire time. It was a light read -
Show More
not as good as Tuesdays with Morrie - but it was the perfect book for what I was going through at the time. Albom has a nice way of telling a story, even when it is sappy. (It did make me want to hug my mom, which isn't a bad thing!).
Show Less
LibraryThing member tinkerbellkk
Beautiful insight of the power of a mother's love. This books make you stop and think about what you take for granted. A true lesson about telling people how you care for them when you have the chance.
LibraryThing member ct.bergeron
In this second novel from Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven author Albom, grief-stricken Charles "Chick" Benetto goes into an alcoholic tailspin when his always-attentive mother, Pauline, dies. Framed as an "as told to" story, Chick quickly narrates her funeral; his
Show More
drink-fueled loss of savings, job ("sales") and family; and his descent into loneliness and isolation. After a suicide attempt, Chick encounters Pauline's ghost. Together, the two revisit Pauline's travails raising her children alone after his father abandons them: she braves the town's disapproval of her divorce and works at a beauty parlor, taking an extra job to put money aside for the children's education. Pauline cringes at the heartache Chick inflicted as a demanding child, obnoxious teen and brusque, oblivious adult chasing the will-o'-the-wisp of a baseball career. Through their story, Albom foregrounds family sanctity, maternal self-sacrifice and the destructive power of personal ambition and male self-involvement. He wields pathos as if it were a Louisville Slugger—shoveling dirt into Pauline's grave, Chick hears her spirit cry out, " 'Oh, Charley. How could you?' "—but Albom often strikes a nerve on his way to the heart.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JakyBF
Had to read this book as part of a book group, and personally I found it poorly written and boring. The book is very short, and has a lot of large gaps (hardcover edition) which make it look longer than it actually is. I feel that this book started with a mother/son relationship which ended up
Show More
becomming more like a mother/daughter relationship due to the issues it addressed. Cringeworthy moments were the 'times I did not stand up for my mother' ect. which seemed to break up the storyline. It wasnt a complete stinker, but certainly not one of my better reads. 2/5*
Show Less
LibraryThing member colinsky
Formulaic heart-tugging fiction designed to remind people to love their mothers, or count their blessings, or something. I kind of liked Tuesdays with Morrie and wanted to like this, but just couldn't.
LibraryThing member Librarygirl66
This stunning new novel from the author of the "New York Times" bestsellers "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven is for anyone in a family."Through Albom's inspiring characters and masterful storytelling, readers will newly appreciate those whom they love--and may have
Show More
thought they'd lost--in their own lives.
Show Less
LibraryThing member readaholic12
I wanted to like this book, but it was too contrived and manipulative, and I couldn't get past Chick's use of the word inexorably on page 4. Some of the writing and themes rang true and touched me, but my inner cynic and critic just expected more. A very quick read, will make you miss your mom and
Show More
yearn for a story more worthy of the title.
Show Less
LibraryThing member frolicsome_kid
A short and sweet novel about Chuck who, on the verge of his death, met his mother. She helped her son to be strong and brought him to places which she frequents. The story ends when Chuck discovers a secret that was hidden from him all this while...

A very good story which is straight to the point
Show More
and teaches us how to value life more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member roxanacaivano
Like all his books, a page turner, easy read, sentimental, and a nice story. It makes you stop and think how you treat your family, and how they are the most important thing in the world
LibraryThing member Griff
This is a short novel - a very quick read. Its small size, however, does not lessen its emotional impact. As I made my way through the pages, I found myself reflecting upon many aspects of my life, especially relationships with parents, siblings, spouse, and children.

Recently, while reading
Show More
Hornby's High Fidelity, one passage resonated above all: "Over the last couple of years, the photos of me when I was a kid…well, they've started to give me a little pang of something - not unhappiness, exactly, but some kind of quiet, deep regret…I keep wanting to apologize to the little guy: 'I'm sorry, I've let you down. I was the person who was supposed to look after you, but I blew it: I made wrong decisions at bad times, and I turned you into me.'" I was reminded of that passage during the most affecting portion (to me) of For One More Day - as one character offers the following word of advice: "Perdonare."

Yes, it is a book that knowingly tugs on one's heartstrings. You know that is the intent immediately upon reading the story synopsis. Still, it is quite effective, quite well done. It does not disappoint.
Show Less
LibraryThing member peggyar
A man whose life is falling apart has a near death experience which helps him come to terms with his life.
LibraryThing member mikewomack
After watching the movie "Pay It Forward" my two college roommates and close friends declared it, "painfully manipulative." I think if they read For One More Day, they might again tout those two words. I, however, thought both Pay It Forward and For One More Day were just okay. And maybe I'm okay
Show More
with manipulation in the form of entertainment.

For One More Day is what you might expect from Mitch Albom. Nothing more, nothing less. It's a little better than 5 People You Meet In Heaven and slightly worse than Tuesdays With Morrie. In all, the book takes a little more than a couple of hours to read. No twists, no surprise endings. It's basically a Hallmark movie in book form. Take that as you will.
Show Less
LibraryThing member alebel
Quick read. I kept thinking it was non-fiction so I liked how he wrote the perspective... Made me want to call my mom afterwards.
LibraryThing member realbigcat
A wonderful book. Mitch Albom knows how to craft a great story. How often have those of us that have lost loved ones wished we could see them just one more time. That's the premise of this book and it's a great story. A quick read and you won't be sorry if you do.
LibraryThing member LesaHolstine
Not up to par for Albom in the story of a troubled man who gets one more day with his deceased mother.
LibraryThing member bellamia
Mitch Albom is truly a great story teller. I didn't enjoy this book as well as his others. But it is a story that makes you think long after you're done reading it. And I guess if you are truly a great writer, than that is what should happen when someone reads your stories. Mitch does that.
This is
Show More
a story that will stay with me forever, just as his others have.
Show Less
LibraryThing member HvyMetalMG
Typical Albom. Very emotional beautiful story that made me (almost) teary-eyed. What if you had one more chance to be with someone you loved? This book explores that scenario for one man. I wanted to tell my Mom how much I love her after reading this one.
LibraryThing member ablueidol
Disappointed with this. It lacked the magic and sparkle of Tuesday with Morrie and the five people you meet in heaven.

The story is about the difficulties of pleasing parents who should love you enough for you to have your own dreams. And not seeing that love when it exists.

Yet I found it difficult
Show More
to see the characters as other then two dimensional or get a feel that this is taking place over the 60's and 70's. Or to understand the father or the failure of the story to deal with his version of love.

It read in my mind as a made for TV movie with C list actors. Mom who loves and struggles and dad who struggles to love...
Show Less
LibraryThing member readingrat
A touching story about a lost soul that gets to spend one more day with the person who loves him more than anyone else.
LibraryThing member kpetlewski
It struck a chord with me. It will remain memorable amidst the hundreds of other books I've read.
LibraryThing member kcarp
Oy. Everyone is reading this. Or rather, lots of middle-aged women are reading this, bemoaning the relationship they wish they had had with their sons. Or something. Pap. I'm sure there was supposed to be some sort of mystical wonderment or something, but I couldn't get past the over-the-top
Show More
sentimentality. (And I read this on a tropical beach, and still that wasn't enough of an idyllic setting to make this syrup ok.)
Show Less

Awards

Audie Award (Finalist — 2009)

Physical description

208 p.; 7.25 inches

ISBN

1401303277 / 9781401303273
Page: 3.138 seconds