Book Review - Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

New Non-Fiction Book by Author of Tuesdays with Morrie

Nov 1, 2009

Bestselling author Mitch Albom shares the story of his friendship with two very different men of faith in this touching and insightful story..

Have a Little Faith (Sphere, 2009) journals Mitch Albom’s response to a request by his childhood rabbi to give the eulogy at his funeral. Initially startled by the request, Albom’s decision to spend time with his rabbi and get to know him better before preparing the eulogy results in a thoughtful series of conversations about the nature of faith, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Have a Little Faith

A bestselling author and Detroit-based newspaper columnist, Mitch Albom had relegated his Jewish faith and heritage to memories of his childhood and an annual visit to the synagogue in his hometown.

He was therefore taken by surprise when Albert Lewis, the charismatic and imposing rabbi of the Beth Shalom Synagogue his family had always attended, requested that he deliver the eulogy at his funeral.

Have a Little Faith presents an account of the eight years following this request, as Mitch and the rabbi, whom he affectionately refers to as the Reb, discuss life, hope, grief, anger, pain, joy, health, family and death as Mitch seeks to gain insight into the man behind the larger than life “Man of God” image Albert Lewis holds in his mind.

Albom’s discussions with Albert Lewis are balanced with an account of growing friendship with a very different minister. Henry Covington is the pastor of I Am My Brother's Keeper church, a rundown Detroit church that offers refuge to homeless men and women. Covington’s past includes drug addiction and jail time for dealing drugs.

As Albom contrasts Lewis and Covington, and his response to both men and their message of faith and hope, he conveys to his readers a true journey of faith that reaches beyond the boundaries of a particular denomination or belief system.

Discovering the Significance of Belief in a Higher Power

Despite Albom’s Jewish background and the very dominant role Albert Lewis plays throughout the book, Have a Little Faith never specifically promotes the Jewish faith nor does it attempt to convert readers to a Jewish or even a Christian worldview.

Through reflections on the lives and ministries of Albert Lewis and Henry Covington, occasional excerpts from Lewis’ sermons and Albom’s own account of his journey of faith, Have a Little Faith focuses on a universal need for individuals to seek a greater meaning to their existence and find a sense of purpose in their life.

Not surprisingly, the issues raised are primarily discussed with reference to Judaism and Christianity, however Albom makes regular reference to other faiths and belief systems, drawing parallels and highligthing the similarities that underlie human experience.

Best-Selling Author Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom’s memoir Tuesday’s With Morrie (Doubleday, 1997) is the most successful memoir ever published, available in 56 countries, in over 30 languages. Albom’s novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Hyperion Books, 2003) has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.

Fans of Albom’s writing can join in discussion forums, find reading group guides, read archived articles and more at Mitch Albom’s website.

Inspired by the I Am My Brother’s Keeper church, Albom has established A Hole in the Roof Foundation, a charity that aims to provide financial support to faith groups that provide shelter to the homeless.

Faith as a Journey

Discussing the personal significance of Have a Little Faith, Albom states “Here is why the book is, to me, important. We live at a time when many things feel threatened – our jobs, our security, our future. We also live at a time when science and technology can do so much, you wonder why we need religion at all.”

“Yet we turn to faith more and more. Why? That journey is the soul of the book, one I hope will be embraced by many readers with the same questions.”

Have a Little Faith does raise questions in the mind of the reader. It leads readers to reflect on their own beliefs and how they have changed and progressed throughout their lives. In particular, it invites readers to consider how their faith, whatever it may be, influences their outlook on the events of their everyday lives, their hopes for the future and the way they interact with those around them.

Mitch Albom has produced a novel that is at once challenging and encouraging, inviting readers to think deeply about their own faith journey and how their faith reflects in their everyday actions and relationships.

The copyright of the article Book Review - Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom in Biographies/Memoirs is owned by Susan Whelan. Permission to republish Book Review - Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.