Ryan Chartrand
His books often deal with the complicated and intricate relationships that exist between people, and his latest novella is no exception. In “For One More Day,” author Mitch Albom chronicles the bond between a mother and son.
As a child, Charley “Chick” Benetto is told by his father, “‘you can be a mama’s boy or a daddy’s boy. But you can’t be both.'” Like most young boys would, Chick decides to be a daddy’s boy, and emulates the mannerisms and traits of his father. He takes up baseball, his father’s greatest passion, and carries a glove everywhere he goes. However, his world is shattered at age 11 when he is told that his father is never returning home.
He spends the remainder of his youth as a mama’s boy, and describes her love as unconditional. “She loved me coming and going, at my worst and at my best. She had a bottomless well of love for me.” Even so, Chick continues to worship baseball and the dream his father had for him – playing in the major leagues, while abhorring his mother’s desire that he receive an excellent education. Years later, he realizes that he held his father to a lower and looser standard because, “you cling to the one you think you might lose.”
This irony is evident throughout the entire story, as Chick ceaselessly takes his mother for granted, yet idolizes his father and chases the love that eludes him. However, this is not simply a story about a skewed and distorted belief system; it is also the story of second chances. Albom uses Chick’s enthralling life to tell the story of a man who receives another chance to have one last conversation with his mother; one last chance to love and appreciate her for who she is.
Chick’s second chance occurs later in life, when he is shattered and despondent because of alcohol, regret, and lost hope. He decides to kill himself, and returns to Pepperville Beach, his hometown. “I was going to end my life where I began it. Blundering back to God. Simple as that.”
His plans go awry, and he fails to kill himself. However, the night takes an interesting twist when he returns to his childhood home and makes an unbelievable discovery: his mother, who died eight years earlier, is still living there.
He is granted “one more day” with his mother, and realizes the hours he could have spent with her add up to a lifetime. In his last moments with her, Chick realizes that he chose his father his whole life, and that he made the wrong choice.
“For One More Day” easily engages the reader because of Albom’s unique writing style. He carefully crafts Chick’s story by recounting an interview with him, and then weaves in anecdotal material such as personal notes and pages found from Chick’s journal. He successfully tells the story from Chick’s perspective and voice.
However, in comparison to his bestsellers like “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” his latest book does not possess the power to stir and comfort readers. Although it focused on a touching subject, it is unlikely that a reader would recommend the book to friends and family members, or even re-read it in the future. For those who long a read categorized by brevity, “For One More Day” suffices.