It's been a long time since I read a fiction novel. Been reading more serious stuff in the past few years and wanted to take a break. As I stood there in front of my home library, wondering what to read next, this book caught my attention, amidst Tuesdays with Morrie and The five people you meet in heaven.
Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, which I read in 2005 is one of my all-time favorites. His style of writing is simple, meaningful, and relatable. "For one more day" follows a similar writing pattern and starts with an intriguing premise. The protagonist Charley gets to meet his dead mother for one more day. Their present-day interactions and past experiences form the crux of the story. The back-and-forth storytelling provides an interesting platform to build on the relationship between Charley and his parents, his growing-up years, and the life choices made. I especially loved the characterization of Posey, his mother - her struggles and the dignity with which she handled them, her hand-written notes for his son, being proud of her son's every little milestone, and more.
As the story progresses, multiple one-liners make you pause and reflect.
"A child embarrassed by his mother is just a child who hasn't lived long enough"
"Going back to something is harder than you think"
"When someone is in your heart, they are never truly gone. They can come back to you, even at unlikely times"
"You need to keep people close. You need to give them access to your heart"
At the end of it, the story tugs at your heart with a melancholic feel and a wish to meet your dead loved one for one more day.