Have a little faith

have a little faith, a true story

by Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays With Morrie

Publisher: Hyperion   New York

ISBN: 978-0-7868-6872-8

Hardcover: $23.99

Perhaps I enjoyed this book because of the loss of my Dad, my brother and my aunt in the past few months. Albom speaks about two men in this book and their different approaches to faith and the shepherding of their flocks. Asked by his childhood Rabbi to write his eulogy, Albom begins a journey of discovery of the man they call "Reb", Albert Lewis. The two men meet once a month and talk about the past, the present and eternity. Albom finds a new appreciation for his Jewish faith but more importantly, he finds a man behind the rabbi.

The journey takes him down another road. An unexpected look at the life of an African American, an impoverished and at one time a criminal, pastor of an unusual church. Far from the well-to-do Jewish congregation of Reb, Pastor Henry's flock is homeless and the shelter he is able to provide is falling down, with no heat. Albom, surprisingly, finds hope in the desolation of the homeless church and is drawn to the importance of faith these two very different men share.

The chapters or sections of the book are laid out in the seasons of the year. As the Rabbi approaches death and Henry faces the challenges of the harsh winter a unity is profoundly born in faith that there is something bigger than ourselves.

With the same care and insight as Tuesdays With Morrie, Albom speaks to the difficult subject of dying in a provocative but simple language, making it less frightening as he helps us to recognize death as the great equalizer. Faith helps to make sense of the purpose of life and the natural consequence of death.

Easy book to recommend. Easy to digest in small bites for a more thought provoking read or read from cover to cover without putting it down. Either way, this is truly a good read.

Available at booksellers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble in both print and electronic media.