For One More Day

Title : For one more day
Author : Mitch Albom

Review
This is a family 'ghost' story, where the author let the main character, Charley 'chick' Benetto, to narrate his own very story. Story starts from how his life ruined and his marriage collapsed and how he had became an outsider for his daughter. All started after her mother's death. Attempting to kill himself, with a gun and bottles of beer, he drove back to his hometown.

This was when he 'met' his mother again. This was when he spent one more day with his mom. This was when he got to know everything that he never got to know when his mother was alive. This was when he apologized for the wrong choice he made to be daddy's boy not mama's boy (as he took it for granted). This was when his mom told him that a child should never have to choose and this was when his mom again stood up for him and 'save' his life.

Opinion
Love it. This is another book from Mitch Albom that I cannot put it down. Finished it in four hours straight. Eternal power of mother's love is what the story tries to tell. Reminder for readers how incredible a mother is. In the book, there are lists that Chick wrote about how his mother had always stood up for him and I like one best, here it is:

I am nine years old. I am at the library. The woman behind the desk looks over her glasses. I have chosen 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. I like the drawings on the cover and I like the idea of people living under the ocean. I haven't looked at how big the words are, or how narrow the print. The librarian studies me. My shirt is untucked and one shoe is untied.

"This is too hard for you," she says.

I watch her put it on a shelf behind her. It might as well be locked in a vault. I go back to the children's section and choose a picture book about a monkey. I return to the desk. She stamps this one without comment.

When my mother drives up, I scramble into the front seat of her car. She sees the book I've choosen.

"Haven't you read that one already?" she asks.
"The lady wouldn't let me take the one I wanted."
"What lady?"
"The librarian lady."

She turns off the ignition.

"Why wouldn't she let you take it?"
"She said it was too hard."
"What was too hard?"
"The book"

My mother yanks me from the car. She marches me through the door and up to the desk.

"I'm Mrs. Benetto. This is my son, Charley. Did you tell him a book was too hard for him to read?"

The librarian stiffens. She is much older than my mother, and I am suprised at my mother's tone, given how she usually talks to old people.

"He wanted to take out 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne," she says, touching her glasses. "He is too young. Look at him."

I Lower my head. Look at me.

"Where's the book?" my mothers says.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Where's the book?"

The woman reaches the book behind her. She plops it on the counter as if to make a point by its heft.

My mother grabs the book and shoves it in my arms.

"Don't you ever tell a child something's too hard," she snaps. "And never - NEVER - this child."

Next thing I know I am being yanked out the door, hanging tightly to Jules Verne. I feel like we have just robbed a bank, my mother and me, and I wonder if we're going to get in trouble.