New Releases by Mitch Albom

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER What if you got to do everything in your life—twice? The heart of Mitch Albom’s newest novel—charmingly narrated by Mitch himself—is a stunning love story that dares to explore how our unchecked desires might mean losing what we’ve had all along. When he is eight years old, Alfie Logan discovers the magical ability to get a second chance at everything. He can undo any moment and live it again. The one catch: he must accept the consequences of his second try—for better or worse. He grows up correcting his mistakes and saving himself from adolescent embarrassments. He even takes foolishly dangerous risks, just to see what it’s like to come close to death, before tapping back to safety. Eventually, Alfie turns his gift to his love life, studying his crushes and going back to make himself more appealing. In time, he falls deeply in love with Gianna, the woman he believes is the one. He seems to find contentment. But as the years pass, Alfie’s eye begins to wander. Which is when he learns a lone caveat to his power: once he undoes a love, that person can never fall in love with him again. Knowing if he gives into to temptation, he will risk losing what he has with Gianna, Alfie makes a choice that changes his life forever. The book begins many years later, after an ailing Alfie is arrested for allegedly cheating and winning millions at a casino roulette wheel. As a curious detective interrogates him, he slowly uncovers Alfie’s incredible story, and its most unlikely conclusion. In Twice, America’s favorite storyteller, Mitch Albom, is at the top of his powers. A love story that is enchanting, probing, and clairvoyant in matters of the heart, Twice will make you think, weep, and overflow with love from beginning to end. And what better way to experience this story than through the delightful audiobook, narrated by Mitch himself.

An Instant New York Times Bestseller Beloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with his most important novel to date, an unforgettable story of truth and lies set during the Holocaust. Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis has never told a lie. When the Nazis invade his home in Salonika, Greece, the trustworthy boy is discovered by a German officer, who offers him a chance to save his family. All Nico has to do is persuade his fellow Jewish residents to board trains heading “north,” where new jobs and safety await. Unaware that this is all a cruel ruse, the innocent boy reassures passengers on the station platform every day. But when the final train is loaded, Nico sees his family being herded into a boxcar. Only then does he discover that he has helped send them—and everyone he knows and loves—to their doom at Auschwitz. Nico escapes—but he never tells the truth again. In The Little Liar, Mitch Albom examines the human repercussions of deception by interweaving the stories of Nico, who yearns for forgiveness; his older brother, Sebastian, who vows revenge against him; Fannie, the girl who must choose between them; and Udo Graf, the Nazi officer who forever changed their lives with his lies. Through the war years, the concentration camps, and the decades that follow, Albom reveals the consequences of each person’s honesty and dishonesty, bringing them back to where it all started in a staggering climax worthy of the best of Albom’s internationally embraced stories.

#1 New York Times Bestseller What would happen if we called on God for help and God actually appeared? In Mitch Albom’s profound new novel of hope and faith, a group of shipwrecked passengers pull a strange man from the sea. He claims to be “the Lord.” And he says he can only save them if they all believe in him. Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling novel yet. Albom has written of heaven in the celebrated number one bestsellers The Five People You Meet in Heaven and The First Phone Call from Heaven. Now, for the first time in his fiction, he ponders what we would do if, after crying out for divine help, God actually appeared before us? In The Stranger in the Lifeboat, Albom keeps us guessing until the end: Is this strange man really who he claims to be? What actually happened to cause the explosion? Are the survivors in heaven, or are they in hell? The story is narrated by Benji, one of the passengers, who recounts the events in a notebook that is discovered—a year later—when the empty life raft washes up on the island of Montserrat. It falls to the island’s chief inspector, Jarty LeFleur, a man battling his own demons, to solve the mystery of what really happened. A fast-paced, compelling novel that makes you ponder your deepest beliefs, The Stranger in the Lifeboat suggests that answers to our prayers may be found where we least expect them.

मॉरी नावाच्या वृद्ध प्राध्यापकाला मिच अ‍ॅल्बम अनेक वर्षांनंतर भेटतात. मधल्या काळात अनेक स्थित्यंतरं घडलेली असतात. सत्तरी ओलांडलेले मॉरी एका दुर्धर आजारामुळे बिछान्याला खिळलेले असतात. मिच अ‍ॅल्बम या वृद्ध प्राध्यापकांना धीर देण्याचा प्रयत्न करतात; पण अ‍ॅल्बम यांनाच मॉरीकडून अनोखी जीवनदृष्टी लाभते. प्रेम, संयम, आपुलकी, कुटुंब, मृत्यू... जीवनाच्या अशा अनेक पैलूंबाबत मॉरी यांच्याकडून मिच अ‍ॅल्बमना महत्त्वाचे जीवनबोध मिळतात. दर मंगळवारी मॉरीसह त्यांचा संवाद रंगू लागतो आणि सार्वकालिक अशी जीवनमूल्यं आणि जीवनबोध मिच यांना प्राप्त होतात. या गुरू-शिष्यात रंगलेला हा संवाद आणि त्यातून उलगडत जाणारं जीवनाचं सार्वकालिक तत्त्वज्ञान म्हणजे ट्युजडेज् विथ मॉरी हे पुस्तक!

Annie még kislány, amikor baleset éri egy vidámparkban. Itt találkozik először Eddie-vel, a karbantartóval, aki mindent elkövet, hogy megmentse a lány életét. Találkozásuk mindössze egyetlen pillanat. Eddie meghal, Annie viszont… Mitch Albom Öten a mennyországban című bestsellerének várva várt folytatásában az immár felnőtt Annie-vel utazhatunk egy különös helyre, amely akár a mennyország is lehet. Útja során öt felejthetetlen találkozás várja, öt olyan személy, akik alakították az életét. Ahogy egyre több részletre derül fény a lány múltjából, az apró mozaikokból lassan kirajzolódik valódi története.Vajon mi történt a szörnyű gyermekkori baleset után? Mit keres Annie a nászéjszakáján egy hőlégballonban? És vajon a sors mindent elrendez, vagy épp ellenkezőleg, összekuszálja a szálakat?Mitch Albom megrázó, ugyanakkor felemelő regénye újra emlékezetünkbe vési, hogy nincsenek véletlenek.

"Mitch Albom has done it again with this moving memoir of love and loss. You can’t help but fall for Chika. A page-turner that will no doubt become a classic.” --Mary Karr, author of The Liars’ Club and The Art of Memoir From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tuesdays With Morrie comes Mitch Albom’s most personal story to date: an intimate and heartwarming memoir about what it means to be a family and the young Haitian orphan whose short life would forever change his heart. Chika Jeune was born three days before the devastating earthquake that decimated Haiti in 2010. She spent her infancy in a landscape of extreme poverty, and when her mother died giving birth to a baby brother, Chika was brought to The Have Faith Haiti Orphanage that Albom operates in Port Au Prince. With no children of their own, the forty-plus children who live, play, and go to school at the orphanage have become family to Mitch and his wife, Janine. Chika’s arrival makes a quick impression. Brave and self-assured, even as a three-year-old, she delights the other kids and teachers. But at age five, Chika is suddenly diagnosed with something a doctor there says, “No one in Haiti can help you with.” Mitch and Janine bring Chika to Detroit, hopeful that American medical care can soon return her to her homeland. Instead, Chika becomes a permanent part of their household, and their lives, as they embark on a two-year, around-the-world journey to find a cure. As Chika’s boundless optimism and humor teach Mitch the joys of caring for a child, he learns that a relationship built on love, no matter what blows it takes, can never be lost. Told in hindsight, and through illuminating conversations with Chika herself, this is Albom at his most poignant and vulnerable. Finding Chika is a celebration of a girl, her adoptive guardians, and the incredible bond they formed—a devastatingly beautiful portrait of what it means to be a family, regardless of how it is made.

“Bagaimana seandainya akhir bukanlah akhir?” Suatu pagi di Coldwater, Michigan, telepon-telepon mulai berdering. Para peneleponnya berkata mereka menelepon dari surga. Mukjizatkah ini? Atau olok-olok kejam? Ketika berita ini menyebar, banyak orang mulai berdatangan ke Coldwater untuk ikut membuktikan. Pada saat yang sama, Sully Hardings, pilot yang telah kehilangan nama baiknya, baru bebas dari penjara dan mendapati kota tempat tinggalnya sedang mengalami “demam mukjizat.” Bahkan anaknya yang masih kecil membawa-bawa ponsel mainan karena berharap ditelepon ibunya dari surga. Ketika telepon-telepon ini makin sering terjadi, dan bukti adanya kehidupan di alam baka mulai terkuak, kota itu––dan dunia––mulai berubah. Hanya Sully yang tidak percaya. Baginya, tidak ada apa-apa lagi setelah dunia yang penuh kesedihan ini. Dan dia bertekad untuk membuktikannya, bagi anaknya dan bagi dirinya sendiri. Dalam Th e First Phone Call from Heaven, Mitch Albom bertutur dengan fasih tentang kisah cinta, sejarah, dan keyakinan; suatu misteri mendebarkan dan perenungan tentang kekuatan hubungan antarmanusia.

Semua manusia berbakat musik. Jika tidak, mengapa Tuhan memberimu jantung yang berdenyut? Melalui kecintaannya pada musik, Mitch Albom menyusun novel indah tentang pengaruh bakat dalam mengubah hidup manusia. Inilah kisah epik tentang Frankie Presto––gitaris paling hebat yang pernah ada––dan enam kehidupan yang diubah melalui enam dawai biru gitarnya. Frankie lahir di gereja yang terbakar, bayi yatim-piatu yang dididik oleh seorang guru musik di kota kecil di Spanyol. Perang menghancurkan hidupnya, dan pada usia sembilan tahun dia diselundupkan ke Amerika di dalam perahu. Harta Frankie satu-satunya adalah gitar tua dan enam dawai berharga. Frankie merambahi khasanah musik tahun 1940, 1950, dan 1960-an dengan bakatnya yang luar biasa sebagai gitaris dan penyanyi yang memengaruhi bintang-bintang pada zaman itu, (Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley), sampai akhirnya dia pun menjadi bintang tenar. Namun bakat luar biasa ini juga menjadi beban ketika Frankie menyadari petikan gitarnya, musiknya, dapat memengaruhi kehidupan orang-orang lain. Pada puncak ketenarannya, dia membuat satu kesalahan, dan merasa bersalah. Dia menghilang. Legendanya berkembang. Berpuluh tahun kemudian, setelah hatinya pulih, dia muncul kembali untuk mengubah satu kehidupan terakhir. Dalam buku ini, Musik menjadi sang Narator, dan melalui tutur katanya kita diajak melongok ke dalam banyak kehidupan yang diubah oleh sang gitaris yang dawai-dawainya sanggup menyentuh jiwa musik di dalam diri kita semua.

Nel giorno del suo ottantatreesimo compleanno, Eddie muore. Succede senza preavviso, mentre cerca di salvare una bambina, in pericolo per un guasto a una delle attrazioni del luna park dove Eddie lavora. Si risveglia sotto un cielo cangiante e scopre che il Paradiso non è un luogo di ozio, ma di scoperta: lì ciascuno di noi incontrerà cinque persone, che gli sveleranno il senso profondo della propria vita. Ascoltando i racconti dei cinque maestri, Eddie rivedrà sotto una nuova luce tutto il suo passato e comprenderà che anche la sua modesta esistenza ha avuto un ruolo necessario nell'ordine delle cose. Mitch Albom è sceneggiatore e giornalista, autore di opere teatrali e numerosi bestseller. Le cinque persone che incontri in Cielo, che ha venduto 14 milioni di copie nel mondo, è fra i suoi maggiori successi, tutti numeri uno del New York Times, insieme al celebre I miei martedì col professore. Le sue opere hanno venduto oltre 39 milioni di copie e sono tradotte in 45 lingue. Il suo ultimo attesissimo romanzo, La prossima persona che incontrerai in Cielo, è uscito nel 2019 per Sperling & Kupfer. Albom ha fondato diversi enti caritatevoli a Detroit, la sua città natale, e un orfanotrofio ad Haiti. Vive con la moglie in Michigan. www.mitchalbom.com

"Esse livro é um presente para a humanidade." – Philadelphia Inquirer Cada um de nós teve na juventude uma figura especial que, com paciência, afeto e sabedoria, nos ajudou a escolher caminhos e olhar o mundo sob uma perspectiva diferente. Talvez tenha sido um avô, um professor ou um amigo da família – uma pessoa mais velha que nos compreendeu quando éramos jovens, inquietos e inseguros. Para Mitch Albom, essa pessoa foi Morrie Schwartz, seu professor na faculdade. Vinte anos depois, eles se reencontraram quando o velho mestre estava à beira da morte. Com o contato e a afeição restabelecidos, Mitch passou a visitar Morrie todas as terças-feiras, tentando sorver seus últimos ensinamentos. Durante 14 encontros, eles trataram de temas fundamentais para a felicidade e a realização humana. Através das ágeis mãos de Mitch e do bondoso coração de Morrie nasceu A última grande lição, que nos transmite maravilhosas reflexões sobre amor, amizade, medo, perdão e morte. Com mais de 15 milhões de exemplares vendidos, esse livro foi o último desejo de Morrie e sua última grande lição: deixar uma profunda mensagem sobre o sentido da vida. Transmitida com o esmero de um aluno dedicado, esta comovente história real é uma verdadeira dádiva para o mundo.

Dialah pencipta jam pertama di dunia. Dia dihukum karena mencoba mengukur anugerah terbesar dari Tuhan, diasingkan ke dalam gua hingga berabad-abad dan dipaksa mendengarkan suara orang-orang yang minta diberi lebih banyak waktu. Lalu dia kembali ke dunia kita, dengan membawa jam pasir ajaib dan sebuah misi: menebus kesalahannya dengan mempertemukan dua manusia di bumi, untuk mengajarkan makna waktu kepada mereka.

From the beloved author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven comes his most critically acclaimed novel yet—a stunningly original tale of love: love between a man and a woman, between an artist and his mentor, and between a musician and his God-given talent. Narrated by the voice of Music itself, the story follows Frankie Presto, a war orphan born in a burning church, through his extraordinary journey around the world. Raised by a blind guitar teacher in Spain and gifted with a talent to change people’s lives—using six mysterious blue strings—Frankie navigates the musical landscape of the twentieth century, from the 1950s jazz scene to the Grand Ole Opry to Elvis mania and Woodstock, all the while searching for his childhood love. As he becomes a famous star, he loses his way, until tragedy steals his ability to play the guitar that had so defined him. Overwhelmed by his loss, Frankie disappears for decades, reemerging late in life for one spectacular yet mystifying farewell. Part love story, part magical mystery, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is Mitch Albom at his finest, a Forrest Gump-like epic about one man’s journey to discover what truly matters and the power of talent to change our lives.

Mediante un estilo cálido, emotivo y transparente, el autor de Martes con mi viejo profesor y Las cinco personas que encontrarás en el cielo presenta una narración conmovedora y llena de verdad. Todo ocurre en un pequeño pueblo de Michigan, el cual se convierte en noticia internacional cuando sus ciudadanos empiezan a recibir llamadas telefónicas de sus seres queridos... que ya han fallecido. ¿Se trata de un milagro o de un elaborado fraude? Sully Harding, un padre soltero, está decidido a averiguarlo. Estas páginas conmovedoras se alzan como una alegoría sobre el poder de la fe.

The story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out.

"Spróbujcie wyobrazić sobie życie bez odmierzania czasu. Pewnie nie potraficie. Zawsze wiecie, jaki jest miesiąc, rok, dzień tygodnia. A jednak przyroda nigdy nie zwraca uwagi na czas. Ptaki się nie spóźniają. Pies nie patrzy na zegarek. Sarny nie martwią się kolejnymi urodzinami. Tylko człowiek odmierza czas. Tylko człowiek odlicza godziny. I właśnie dlatego jedynie człowiek doświadcza paraliżującego strachu, którego nie zniosłoby żadne inne stworzenie. Strachu przed tym, że zabraknie mu czasu. Zaklinacz czasu to piękna opowieść na miarę Alchemika – książka, która dla wielu czytelników na całym świecie stała się inspiracją i impulsem do życiowych zmian. Mitch Albom – bestsellerowy autor, którego powieści rozeszły się na całym świecie w nakładzie ponad 35 milionów egzemplarzy! Trzy z jego książek zostały zekranizowane. "

Tony Bennett: Life Is A Gift - The Zen Of Bennett is a collection of soulful reflections and philosophies from Tony’s life and career. He shares stories of friends and family and the essential lessons they have taught him. Tony pays tribute to all the remarkable talents he has worked with including Pavarotti, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Willie Nelson, Lady Gaga and many others.

En Las cinco personas que encontrarás en el cielo , Mitch Albom nos eleva a un nuevo nivel. Su libro se convierte en la mejor de las compañías. Es la conmovedora historia de Eddie, un nombre que, tras fallecer en un accidente, se despierta en el Cielo. Este sitio no es el paraíso que él imaginaba, sino el lugar de encuentro con cinco personas que, de una u otra manera, determinaron el curso de su existencia. El encuentro con estos individuos obliga a Eddie a reflexionar sobre su existencia y a comprender el verdadero sentido de su tránsito vital. Albom es licenciado en sociología y posee un master en periodismo y dirección de empresas por la Universidad de Columbia. Se ha desempeñado como periodista deportivo y locutor de radio. Ha escrito: Martes con mi viejo profesor, Un día más y Ten un poco de fe.

A collection of soulful reflections and philosophies from Tony''s life and career. He shares stories of friends and family and the essential lessons they have taught him. He pays tribute to all the remarkable talents he has worked with including Pavarotti, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Willie Nelson, Lady Gaga and many others.

From the author who''s inspired millions worldwide with books like Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven comes his most imaginative novel yet, The Time Keeper--a compelling fable about the first man on Earth to count the hours. The man who became Father Time. In Mitch Albom''s exceptional work of fiction, the inventor of the world''s first clock is punished for trying to measure God''s greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time. He returns to our world--now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began--and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so. Told in Albom''s signature spare, evocative prose, this remarkably original tale will inspire readers everywhere to reconsider their own notions of time, how they spend it, and how precious it truly is.

Viele Wege führen zu Gott! Mitch Albom ist überrascht, als Albert Lewis, der betagte Rabbi seiner Heimatgemeinde in New Jersey, ihn darum bittet, bei seinem Tod die Trauerrede für ihn zu halten. Er versteht nicht, weshalb der Rabbi ihn dafür ausgewählt hat, denn den Bezug zum Glauben hat er schon lange verloren. Schliesslich willigt er unter der Bedingung ein, den Rabbi besser kennenlernen zu dürfen. Und so erfährt er Albert Lewis während der kommenden acht Jahre bei ihren Treffen nicht nur als einen engagierten Mann der Kirche, sondern auch als einen ebenso klugen wie humorvollen Menschen. In dieser Zeit begegnet Mitch Albom in Detroit jedoch auch Henry Covington, einem Pastor mit krimineller Vergangenheit, dessen Schicksal eine fast unmöglich scheinende Wandlung erfahren hat. Die beiden Männer lehren Mitch Albom, die Welt und den Glauben mit neuen Augen zu sehen - und er nimmt aus den Gesprächen mit ihnen kostbare Anstösse und Erkenntnisse mit, die sein Leben verändern.

What if our beliefs were not what divided us, but what pulled us together? In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds -- two men, two faiths, two communities -- that will inspire readers everywhere. Albom''s first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom''s old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he''d left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor -- a reformed drug dealer and convict -- who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat. As America struggles with hard times and people turn more to their beliefs, Albom and the two men of God explore issues that perplex modern man: how to endure when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Although the texts, prayers, and histories are different, Albom begins to recognize a striking unity between the two worlds -- and indeed, between beliefs everywhere. In the end, as the rabbi nears death and a harsh winter threatens the pastor''s wobbly church, Albom sadly fulfills the rabbi''s last request and writes the eulogy. And he finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself. Have a Little Faith is a book about a life''s purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man''s journey, but it is everyone''s story. Ten percent of the profits from this book will go to charity, including The Hole In The Roof Foundation, which helps refurbish places of worship that aid the homeless.

A Detroit Free Press journalist and best-selling author recounts his weekly visits with a dying teacher, his college professor, who years before had set him straight. This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. And finally we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live. Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.

Recounts the remarkable story of University of Michigan basketball players Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, and chronicles their success in the NCAA tournaments of 1992 and 1993.

THE STORY: TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie''s appear

Now including a new chapter for the paperback edition. "A masterpiece." --Publishers Weekly "In the beginning there was a question. ''Will you do my eulogy'' As is often the case with faith, I thought I was being asked a favor. In truth, I was being given one..." "An absolute wonder--tender, transporting, and deeply moving." --Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent "The nonfiction equivalent to Paulo Coelho''s The Alchemist." --Sydney Morning Herald "A faith journey that could become a classic." --Jim Wallis, author of The Great Awakening "Albom helps show the true definition of ''Church.'' It is not the building, it is the people and their faith." --Bishop T.D. Jakes, Chief Pastor, The Potter''s House "Everybody should read it." --Hoda Kotb in People, Best Book of 2009

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.