The Stranger in the Lifeboat
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- Create Date：2021-10-21 02:19:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mitch Albom
- ISBN：B099WY4JTW
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Summary
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， nine 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 and inspiring 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？ What might the Lord look， sound and act like？
In The Stranger in the Lifeboat， Albom keeps us guessing until the end: Is this strange and quiet man really who he claims to be？ What actually happened to cause the explosion？ Are the survivors already 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 later 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。
Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion， nine 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 and inspiring 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？ What might the Lord look， sound and act like？
In The Stranger in the Lifeboat， Albom keeps us guessing until the end: Is this strange and quiet man really who he claims to be？ What actually happened to cause the explosion？ Are the survivors already 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 later 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。
Reviews
Pam
，
I received an electronic ARC from Harper through NetGalley。This is a story of coming to terms with grief and healing。 It's about seeing where your faith rests and what you believe about God in times of death and chaos。 Albom's writing style is relaxed and makes readers feel they are also sitting in the lifeboat and the island as the story unfolds。 Albom's books stay with a reader and offer further thoughts to ponder after you read them。 This one is no different。 It's broken into three storylines I received an electronic ARC from Harper through NetGalley。This is a story of coming to terms with grief and healing。 It's about seeing where your faith rests and what you believe about God in times of death and chaos。 Albom's writing style is relaxed and makes readers feel they are also sitting in the lifeboat and the island as the story unfolds。 Albom's books stay with a reader and offer further thoughts to ponder after you read them。 This one is no different。 It's broken into three storylines - Sea， Land， News - so readers can follow what is happening in each。 No spoilers， but the actual timelines and real events when the ship sank are revealed as the reader moves through the story。 Love the twist when the Lord reveals who He is。 No spoiler but when readers reflect， it's been obvious all through the book。 They may also suspect who found the raft on Monserrat， but again， it's not confirmed until the final pages。 Definitely one I will revisit again。 。。。more
Eileen Mathys
，
Another winner from Mitch Albom！ Lots of gentle plot twists to keep you turning page after page until the very end。 Rich characters and a well paced plot to keep the reader very engaged through this entire story。
Udisha Jain （bookstacks_literature）
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What do you do， when as a young teenager you've lost all hope and life just seems to be going like a clock with no boundary of 24 hours， a day which seems to be never ending。 Just then came an early copy of the stranger in the lifeboat from @harperbooks Book- The stranger in the lifeboatAuthor- Mitch AlbomSuggested reading age- 16+ so that the person can understand the depth and philosophy of the writing， though young people can read this too。My review- In one line， the stranger in the lifeboat What do you do， when as a young teenager you've lost all hope and life just seems to be going like a clock with no boundary of 24 hours， a day which seems to be never ending。 Just then came an early copy of the stranger in the lifeboat from @harperbooks Book- The stranger in the lifeboatAuthor- Mitch AlbomSuggested reading age- 16+ so that the person can understand the depth and philosophy of the writing， though young people can read this too。My review- In one line， the stranger in the lifeboat sucked the soul out of my body and returned it with a new born's spirit。 This book is my "changed my life" capacity book。 Mitch Albom weaves a tale In which he already gives us part of the ending in the begining。 This sweet orange （fruit） of a book heals your soul from within， it brings you the twist that pains you， hurts you， might as well kill you but then the writing begins to heal you。 The book will make you question your faith， relationships， emotions like grief， happiness。It will make you question your daily life incidents such as death， promotion， birth。 It will make you wonder， is money actually worth the negative work and trouble。 The book won't give you an answer， my dear。 Your own repaired soul at the end of this book will。The book is set mostly on a ship， with strangers that you will think about till months after you finish reading this。 The quotes， the philosophical element of this book may just keep you glued to the pages。Whether you do or do not believe in God， this book paints an image and wraps up a story that ends with a full circle of hope。Thank you for sending an early copy of this glorious and majestic book @harpercollins @harperbooks 🥳🥰 。。。more
Atul_reads
，
[Let me just put the rating first。 Review to come。]
AtomicBooks
，
This is a another beautiful book from Mitch Albom that can be enjoyed on so many levels。 The story itself is very good and it is quick and easy to read。 It is a very life affirming and positive read， it t will make you feel a little bit emotional but ultimately it will make you smile。
yilin
，
On a lifeboat， nine people struggle for survival at sea adrift in a raft after a mysterious ship explosion。 After three days， short on water， food and hope， they spot someone floating and pull him on board。 This man claims to be “The Lord” and says he can only save them if everyone on board believes in him。 Who is this mysterious man？ Are these survivors already in heaven？ Or are they in hell？ Narrated by Benji， one of the passengers， he recounts and writes down events in a notebook - this is la On a lifeboat， nine people struggle for survival at sea adrift in a raft after a mysterious ship explosion。 After three days， short on water， food and hope， they spot someone floating and pull him on board。 This man claims to be “The Lord” and says he can only save them if everyone on board believes in him。 Who is this mysterious man？ Are these survivors already in heaven？ Or are they in hell？ Narrated by Benji， one of the passengers， he recounts and writes down events in a notebook - this is later discovered on the island of Montserrat by a chief Inspector， trying to solve the mystery around this shipwreck and at the same time battle against his own demons。 Mitch Albom has written a number of bestsellers on heaven， death， and faith。 My favorites being Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven。 This one is no exception and has touched my heart。 Beautifully written， thought-provoking， Mitch Albom never fails to make me ponder and reflect deeply。 I also loved the simplicity of his writing and navigating through the three parallel storylines - the Sea， the Land， and the News。Thank you Harper Books for the gifted copy。 。。。more
Carrie
，
I just finished my ARC （thank you HarperCollins） of The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom。 This is the story of nine survivors of a terrible shipwreck。 They are floating helplessly on a raft in the ocean with no rescue in sight。 When all hope starts to seem lost， they come upon a stranger floating in the ocean， who claims to be the Lord。 According to this gentleman， they can and will be saved if they all believe in him。 The story is told in three parts， The Land （investigation）， The Sea （t I just finished my ARC （thank you HarperCollins） of The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom。 This is the story of nine survivors of a terrible shipwreck。 They are floating helplessly on a raft in the ocean with no rescue in sight。 When all hope starts to seem lost， they come upon a stranger floating in the ocean， who claims to be the Lord。 According to this gentleman， they can and will be saved if they all believe in him。 The story is told in three parts， The Land （investigation）， The Sea （the Raft） and The News （publicity）。 A raft and diary is washed ashore and found by a detective that is investigating the explosion of the yacht。 The diary is written by a man named Benji that was a deckhand on the yacht and is now one of the survivors adrift in the sea。 Each character in this novel is very different from the next， however I feel that the reader can see himself in all of them， which made this novel very unique to me。 I am an avid fan of Mr。Albom。 I have loved his books since Tuesdays With Morrie ， and I can never quite decide which I love more， his fiction or his nonfiction works 。 It’s a tie （haha）。 That being said， I really LOVED this book！ It allowed me to go deep within myself and reflect on my own faith ， as I truly believe anyone who reads this book will have done the same。 This is a profound story of faith， hope and survival， and a definite recommended read。 。。。more
Lisa
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On a super luxury yacht， the rich and powerful of the world gather to solve the problems of the world。 The last night of the cruise sounds of explosions rip the night as the opulent vessel sinks。 As the morning dawns there are ten survivors in a lifeboat and one claims to be God。 The story of the survivors in the boat is told by Benji， a deckhand who writes in a journal to his love， Annabelle。 As with other Mitch Albom's books， this one haunts me as questions of faith， grief and the will to surv On a super luxury yacht， the rich and powerful of the world gather to solve the problems of the world。 The last night of the cruise sounds of explosions rip the night as the opulent vessel sinks。 As the morning dawns there are ten survivors in a lifeboat and one claims to be God。 The story of the survivors in the boat is told by Benji， a deckhand who writes in a journal to his love， Annabelle。 As with other Mitch Albom's books， this one haunts me as questions of faith， grief and the will to survive run through my head。 A compelling， thoughtful novel that will make you question your deepest beliefs。 I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Amanda Hixson
，
🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒕𝑩𝒚: @mitchalbom𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓: @harperbooks𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑶𝒏: Nov。 2nd 2021@goodreads 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆: 𝑴𝒚 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆:🚣🚣🚣🚣🚣 / 5 𝑩𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒔 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， nine people 🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒕𝑩𝒚: @mitchalbom𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓: @harperbooks𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑶𝒏: Nov。 2nd 2021@goodreads 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆: 𝑴𝒚 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆:🚣🚣🚣🚣🚣 / 5 𝑩𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒔 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， nine 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。 In The Stranger in the Lifeboat， Albom keeps us guessing until the end: Is this strange and quiet man really who he claims to be？ What actually happened to cause the explosion？ Are the survivors already 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 later 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。 🅼🆈 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Everyone knows that I carry a soft spot for @mitchalbom books。 So， when a package from @harperbooks came acrossed my doormat yesterday afternoon and Mitch's book was in it， I was beyond amazed and ecstatic！ Thank you @harperbooks for this ARC of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒕 for an unbiased review。 Upon receiving this just yesterday I wanted to start it right away。 Dropping everything else， I've been trying to read the pass few days。 If you haven't heard yet I've been pretty sick since the previous Sunday。 So it's been slow going over here。 But in receiving Mitch's book yesterday in my sickly 😷 time of need， I felt it was kismet。 Meant to be。 And so I dove right in。 I am proud to say I finished this in one day & of course it was an unbelievable experience and incredible story。 So many uniquely created characters and unimaginable situations。 Many questions and uncertainty throughout this adventure。 With only needing one thing to do which was believe。 Two shattered men hanging on for what exactly？ The truth is left between the pages of a notebook left in a Lifeboat。 Will you believe？ 。。。more
Rebecca
，
"Still， I never considered what I would do if I called for the Lord and He actually appeared before me" As the story begins， the chapters are divided into 3 parts， the land， the sea and the news。 This allowed the story to bounce between past and present as you follow the story of the survivors and the investigation a year later。It is a mystery thriller filled with lots of plot twists， secrets， deaths and the fight for survival。 It's a religious story that called for them to have faith and believ "Still， I never considered what I would do if I called for the Lord and He actually appeared before me" As the story begins， the chapters are divided into 3 parts， the land， the sea and the news。 This allowed the story to bounce between past and present as you follow the story of the survivors and the investigation a year later。It is a mystery thriller filled with lots of plot twists， secrets， deaths and the fight for survival。 It's a religious story that called for them to have faith and believe in God but it wasn't as overpowering as I predicted， it was quite subtle and tasteful， I enjoyed this。My first impressions were of how beautiful the cover looked， I wasn't sure what to expect as it was a religious story and quite a thriller which isn't my normal genre but I found the plot quite interesting。 The book I received had serrated and uneven page edges which I found very odd but unique， however， while reading I spotted a quote "the edges were frayed" - is this why the book is crafted this way？ I liked the creativity of this。I was hooked， it was easy to read and it flowed really well。 I couldn't stop reading and finished it in a day！ A tragic and suspenseful story of a unique group of individuals who must bond to survive。 I believe it would make a really good film or TV series。 I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it。*ON SALE NOVEMBER 2 2021*I'm so grateful to Harper and Mitch Albom who sent me a beautiful hardcover copy of this book to review， thank you so much！！ 。。。more
Kimmy
，
pretty good i liked ita little mysterious
Michelle
，
I have not read any books by Mitch Albom before but， I was intrigued by the blurb， so I requested it on NetGalley。Billionaire James Lambert decides to set sail on his luxury yacht called the Galaxy with some of the richest and famous and influential people in the world。 But something goes wrong， and the yacht explodes。 The stranger in the lifeboat is story of the 9 of the survivors on a life raft when they see a person in a water。 They bring if onto the raft and they find out that this person is I have not read any books by Mitch Albom before but， I was intrigued by the blurb， so I requested it on NetGalley。Billionaire James Lambert decides to set sail on his luxury yacht called the Galaxy with some of the richest and famous and influential people in the world。 But something goes wrong， and the yacht explodes。 The stranger in the lifeboat is story of the 9 of the survivors on a life raft when they see a person in a water。 They bring if onto the raft and they find out that this person is GOD。The story set in three stages The sea， The Land and The news。 The land tells of Inspector Fleur leading an investigation when the life raft appears off a beach a year later in Montserrat。This is a beautifully written， life affirming story of love and loss。 It is also thought-provoking。 What would you do if the lord appeared in front of you and you wanted answers to his actions and your own。 The regrets that you have and what you could have done differently。 I do believe in God so it will keep me thinking about this book for a while。 I really enjoyed this tale， and I was engrossed through out and will make sure that I will check out the other books that he has written。 。。。more
Larissa
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What if God came to you in one of your darkest hours， even if you didn't believe。 What would you ask of him？ Would you believe that it was him？ When the Galaxy goes down and only 10 people are able to survive in a life boat "God" appears amongst them and tells them that if they believe in him they will be saved。 Can those who don't already have a relationship with God be able to find and believe in him during some of the worst struggles they have ever faced？ Will the journal of one of the surviv What if God came to you in one of your darkest hours， even if you didn't believe。 What would you ask of him？ Would you believe that it was him？ When the Galaxy goes down and only 10 people are able to survive in a life boat "God" appears amongst them and tells them that if they believe in him they will be saved。 Can those who don't already have a relationship with God be able to find and believe in him during some of the worst struggles they have ever faced？ Will the journal of one of the survivors help others find peace and a path to God？Overall a very good book， not one of my favorite Mitch Albom books。 However the story and the message was very clear。 As always his writing sucks you in and enchants。 I am so excited to share this title once it comes out。 Thank you so much Harper and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy。 。。。more
Kerri-Ann Betty （was Briggs）
，
That grabbed me and didn't let go， in fact it still hasn't。 Ok， wow。 I think I'm still in shock。 I'm not a religious person， not in the traditional sense。 I don't know what I believe， I have faith but I'm not sure what in。 So when I realised this would be a religious story I was unsure if I would like it， I don't like being preached too。 I had nothing to fear， there was no religious preaching at all。 This story was just pure beauty。 The story itself is wonderful， the way it is structured using p That grabbed me and didn't let go， in fact it still hasn't。 Ok， wow。 I think I'm still in shock。 I'm not a religious person， not in the traditional sense。 I don't know what I believe， I have faith but I'm not sure what in。 So when I realised this would be a religious story I was unsure if I would like it， I don't like being preached too。 I had nothing to fear， there was no religious preaching at all。 This story was just pure beauty。 The story itself is wonderful， the way it is structured using points of view on land， at sea & news broadcasts is very clever。 It got me with the twists and turns， where I can normally predict them in the thrillers and crime novels I read， I didn't with this story。 The elements of faith and religion were handled in a very beautiful way。 I think that this is the sort of book that anyone with or without religious beliefs can read， enjoy and appreciate。 I will admit to getting tearful， it was just so beautifully written and filled my heart with love and appreciation for family and for life。 This book was amazing， magical and will honestly stay with me for a very long time。 Thank you Mitch Albom for writing such a wonderful novel， it was not just enjoyable as a fictional story it has also filled my heart with appreciation for life， it's a gift and though it may be a challenge it is something I needed reminding to be thankful for。 Wow， I can't believe a novel just did this to me。 I'm properly shook。 Thank you Sphere / Little Brown Books for the proof copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Russell Roth
，
A compelling story that casts an unlikely ensemble in a lifeboat somewhere in the middle of the ocean， and begins with the group of survivors pulling in a man claiming to be 'The Lord'。 The story follows both their journey of survival and the attempts of those on land to uncover the truth of what happened at sea。 A short， impactful novel about the power of belief。 Poetic in its simplicity， complex in its message， and rich with underlying symbolism， The Stranger in the Lifeboat shows the healing A compelling story that casts an unlikely ensemble in a lifeboat somewhere in the middle of the ocean， and begins with the group of survivors pulling in a man claiming to be 'The Lord'。 The story follows both their journey of survival and the attempts of those on land to uncover the truth of what happened at sea。 A short， impactful novel about the power of belief。 Poetic in its simplicity， complex in its message， and rich with underlying symbolism， The Stranger in the Lifeboat shows the healing powers and harmful effects of believing。 。。。more
Elainedav
，
Mitch Albom writes really different， unique books。 I saw this one listed on NetGalley and requested it on the strength of previous books I had read by this author rather than the blurb about this particular novel。 Had I read the blurb， I would have realised there is a strong theme of faith and as a non religious person this may have put me off。This short novel is about nine survivors of a sunken， luxury yacht， who are adrift in a life raft。 One of the people in the raft claims to be God。This is Mitch Albom writes really different， unique books。 I saw this one listed on NetGalley and requested it on the strength of previous books I had read by this author rather than the blurb about this particular novel。 Had I read the blurb， I would have realised there is a strong theme of faith and as a non religious person this may have put me off。This short novel is about nine survivors of a sunken， luxury yacht， who are adrift in a life raft。 One of the people in the raft claims to be God。This is one of those books that make you consider what it would be like to be in the position of the characters in the book。 How would you cope adrift at sea？ What would you do when food and water started to run out？ And how would you react if the person sat with you says he is God and that the situation will not be resolved until everyone in the boat believes in him。This is a great story。 There is plenty of tension。 the book moves at a great pace and alternates between the story at sea， the story from the land and the news。 It wasn't predictable， it isn't religious， but does make you think about faith and I absolutely loved the ending。 Highly recommended。 I will definitely continue to pick up other books by Mitch Albom。Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Theediscerning
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On the third day， he rose – or something like that。 Yes， three whole days after an explosion on a megayacht hosting the world's finest （and its owner） for a huge drunken pow-wow of ideas， the ten survivors on the life raft have taken on board someone who claims to be "the Lord" - and only needs to be believed by all of the diverse， random-seeming occupants in order to make sure they're rescued。 As this is being narrated in confessional， notebook form by a staunch atheist， you have to doubt that On the third day， he rose – or something like that。 Yes， three whole days after an explosion on a megayacht hosting the world's finest （and its owner） for a huge drunken pow-wow of ideas， the ten survivors on the life raft have taken on board someone who claims to be "the Lord" - and only needs to be believed by all of the diverse， random-seeming occupants in order to make sure they're rescued。 As this is being narrated in confessional， notebook form by a staunch atheist， you have to doubt that plan's success。 Oh， and thousands of miles away， on Montserrat， a policeman will have the dubious pleasure of investigating the empty boat， wafted up ashore a whole year after the incident。。。I dare say many readers of Mitch Albom have a Thomas Kinkade painting somewhere in the house， for both creators have the skill of doing the same thing time and time again， with just enough variety for fans to love and want them all， and I can see many similarities in their cosy， conservative products， and the beam of positivity both are famous for。 But here， while Albom's palette has been switched most suitably， and all the landscape elements are in a slightly different place， I don't think the perspective offered is as great as usual。I think this book is too close to being a sermon， in ways that Albom's output of past years never was。 You can blame that， of course， on the fact someone comes along and on page three declares they're Jesus/God/JHVH/the Lord/whoever。 Once more it has a distinctive way of portraying grief， faith， the tomorrow we all want for ourselves when we've begun to doubt life's worth， and it does that through the diaries from the life-raft and from the policeman's lot （not a happy one， happy one）。 This raises a further issue with events here – while it's great to see Albom leave small town America entirely behind for the Caribbean （courtesy his charitable work in Haiti） and for a survivalist story from the mid-Atlantic， too much here smacked of being by someone who has watched "Life of Pi" too many times。 Tempers flaring on a lifeboat？ Phosphorescence giving a magical glow under sparkling skies？ A messenger in unexpected form？ Yup， all create another cross-over。All told then this is a lesser Albom work， in my mind， for I've stated in the past how wonderfully readable I think his fables have been。 This loses the fable， and is too overtly preachy。 The readability is certainly still there – while the first twist is one that should not surprise， there are others closely following behind。 But the lack of complexity， of subtlety and of a puzzle with multiple solutions make this more forgettable than I ever suspected。 Three and a half stars。 。。。more
Sinead
，
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 In the author’s typical style the book inspires us to consider the nature of humanity。 Thought provoking and with a true heart it’s a very nice read。
Jennifer Ferguson
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Nine survivors from a Yacht sinking are stranded on a raft in the ocean， and pull a man on board who claims to be the Lord。 I will leave it at that， so as not to reveal too much。 The book is formatted into three parallel storylines （one told from the perspective of one of the survivors， another from the point of view of the inspector who is investigating what happened， and lastly from the perspective of the news media that is reporting about the Yacht before and after the incident。） The way thes Nine survivors from a Yacht sinking are stranded on a raft in the ocean， and pull a man on board who claims to be the Lord。 I will leave it at that， so as not to reveal too much。 The book is formatted into three parallel storylines （one told from the perspective of one of the survivors， another from the point of view of the inspector who is investigating what happened， and lastly from the perspective of the news media that is reporting about the Yacht before and after the incident。） The way these storylines connect to one another is incredible， especially considering that this book isn’t very long in the first place。 It is a fast and simple read， but with so much depth！ This book touches on spirituality and faith， but is in no way religious。 It is uplifting， captivating and left me thinking about it and it’s message long after finishing it。Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy！ 。。。more
Kevin Howe
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For me， one of things that makes a book great is how long it lingers。 There have been many books of the hundreds I have read over the past few years that I look back on now and can't really remember how it went or how it finished。This is something you can never say about Mitch Albom。 His books are burned into your mind as soon as you put them down， never to be forgotten and this latest effort is no different。Here， a luxury yacht is destroyed on its voyage leaving survivors clinging to life on a For me， one of things that makes a book great is how long it lingers。 There have been many books of the hundreds I have read over the past few years that I look back on now and can't really remember how it went or how it finished。This is something you can never say about Mitch Albom。 His books are burned into your mind as soon as you put them down， never to be forgotten and this latest effort is no different。Here， a luxury yacht is destroyed on its voyage leaving survivors clinging to life on a raft。 The story is told from three different perspectives， one on the boat， one from the police officer investigating the incident and one from the news coverage of the incident。Trying to survive on the raft is difficult however someone washes aboard to help。。。。。the Lord himself。。。。。surely there can be no problem now。。。。。Please don't avoid this book if you are not religious， it doesn't hit you over the head with religion but instead a heartbreaking novel that will make you smile and cry。Thanks to Little， Brown Book Group UK， Sphere， and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Daniel
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Welp， Albom is back at it again writing things that shouldn't be as good and thought provoking as they are。 I have loved everything he's written and I'm sure I'll continue gobbling up his new releases。 While I typically don't love parallel storylines， Albom gets a pass from me and executes the storytelling device expertly。 For the religious， the atheistic， the agnostic， or the unsure， this book has something to offer everyone。 I'll definitely be adding a copy to my bookshelf。 Welp， Albom is back at it again writing things that shouldn't be as good and thought provoking as they are。 I have loved everything he's written and I'm sure I'll continue gobbling up his new releases。 While I typically don't love parallel storylines， Albom gets a pass from me and executes the storytelling device expertly。 For the religious， the atheistic， the agnostic， or the unsure， this book has something to offer everyone。 I'll definitely be adding a copy to my bookshelf。 。。。more
Michelle Davis
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I loved this book。 It grabs your attention from the start。 I did not want to put it down。 I wanted to know what happened next。 I highly recommend this book to Everyone！ There are twists and turns you never see coming。
Lesli
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Amazing story of mystery， survival， human connection and finding meaning in life！ The book begins on a luxury yacht which explodes suddenly during a celebrity party at sea。 9 of the people aboard make it to a rescue raft and try to work together to survive。 3 days later， they find a man floating in the water， pull him aboard， and the first thing he says is that he is the Lord。 The story is narrated by Benji， one of the castaways and Jarty LeFleur， a police inspector on the island of Montserrat， Amazing story of mystery， survival， human connection and finding meaning in life！ The book begins on a luxury yacht which explodes suddenly during a celebrity party at sea。 9 of the people aboard make it to a rescue raft and try to work together to survive。 3 days later， they find a man floating in the water， pull him aboard， and the first thing he says is that he is the Lord。 The story is narrated by Benji， one of the castaways and Jarty LeFleur， a police inspector on the island of Montserrat， who finds their raft washed up on shore a year later。 This book surprised me， it has a lot more mystery and intrigue than I was expecting， but still delivered an emotional punch that I've come to expect from Mitch Albom。 His writing has a beautiful simplicity to it and the story is short but leaves you with a lot to think about， it really made me wonder about different aspects of faith and loss。 The ending was a complete surprise but I absolutely loved it！ 。。。more
Kathi Rauscher
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I have read several books by this author。 As with all of them this one will stay in my mind for a long time。 The story of 9 individuals trying to survive on a life raft。 Their struggles are discussed in a journal found when the life raft is discovered。 The writing is easy to follow and to me was a quick read。 Readers may be inspired into doing some self reflection。 This will definitely be one I would recommend。
Josianne
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I was so excited to hear that Mitch Albom wrote a new book！ I have read ALL of his books and they are always so beautifully written。 The Stranger in the Lifeboat is another beautifully written book by Mitch Albom。 This one follows nine survivors from a ship explosion as they struggle to survive and keep their hope when a strange man who claims to be "The Lord" appears。 This part of the story is paralleled by an inspector searching for what happened to the survivors after an empty life raft washe I was so excited to hear that Mitch Albom wrote a new book！ I have read ALL of his books and they are always so beautifully written。 The Stranger in the Lifeboat is another beautifully written book by Mitch Albom。 This one follows nine survivors from a ship explosion as they struggle to survive and keep their hope when a strange man who claims to be "The Lord" appears。 This part of the story is paralleled by an inspector searching for what happened to the survivors after an empty life raft washes up the shore。 I felt like the different parts of the book really came together well。 Mitch Albom always makes me reflect on larger philosophical ideas。 Thanks Harper Collins Canada for an e-galley of this book through Edelweiss+ 。。。more
Kim McGee
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Benji is working aboard a luxury yacht hosting a floating think tank for billionaires and scientists。 After the explosion he finds himself among the fortunate few survivors on a life raft。 A few days into their plight a man is pulled aboard seemingly out of nowhere claiming to be the Lord。 As the days pass and the chance for rescue slips further away their willingness to believe the man's story and their faith will be tested。 Mitch Albom asks us to examine our own beliefs and take our spot along Benji is working aboard a luxury yacht hosting a floating think tank for billionaires and scientists。 After the explosion he finds himself among the fortunate few survivors on a life raft。 A few days into their plight a man is pulled aboard seemingly out of nowhere claiming to be the Lord。 As the days pass and the chance for rescue slips further away their willingness to believe the man's story and their faith will be tested。 Mitch Albom asks us to examine our own beliefs and take our spot alongside those on the raft。 Would we trust this stranger？ Thought provoking up to the final page -this will be a great choice for book clubs as well as his many fans。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Becca
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2。5-3。 I think this book misses the mark。 Some of it doesn’t fit and some just doesn’t make sense。
ywanderingreads
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I always have mixed feelings when I read Mitch Albom’s books and this one was no exception。 I find his books thought provoking， much like Murakami and Coelho but I do enjoy the simplicity of his books。This book is broken into three different sections:The Sea which focuses on ten survivors trying to stay alive on a lifeboat with little water and food。 They were on a fancy yacht named Galaxy which suspiciously sank and left these survivors stranded at sea。 This is narrated by one of the survivors， I always have mixed feelings when I read Mitch Albom’s books and this one was no exception。 I find his books thought provoking， much like Murakami and Coelho but I do enjoy the simplicity of his books。This book is broken into three different sections:The Sea which focuses on ten survivors trying to stay alive on a lifeboat with little water and food。 They were on a fancy yacht named Galaxy which suspiciously sank and left these survivors stranded at sea。 This is narrated by one of the survivors， Benji， as he shares his thoughts in journal entries。The Land is narrated by Inspector LeFleur who is investigating a life raft that has washed ashore in Montserrat。 He found a journal which opens up a whole new perspective for this skeptical inspector。The News feature reports from the yacht before and after it sank。I felt that the three different parts come together really well。 This story also reminds me of Life of Pi minus the tiger。 This does not touch on religion， instead it touches on a person’s faith。 How strong is your faith when you are in a peril or come face to face with death？ How strong is your will to survive and live？ When pushed beyond desperation， will you think of your humanity？ I did enjoy reading this but it has given me alot to ponder on。Thank you netgalley for the arc。 。。。more
Tony S
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This is another thought provoking read from Mitch Albom dealing with faith and loss in many different ways （it is in many ways a very philosophical book）。 I finished the book a few days ago and waited to review it as I needed to time to think about it and process its concepts - it was that kind of book。 Do not be put of by this as it is a very easy and short read and I was totally drawn in and captivated by the characters and the storytelling。This is a hard book to review without giving much awa This is another thought provoking read from Mitch Albom dealing with faith and loss in many different ways （it is in many ways a very philosophical book）。 I finished the book a few days ago and waited to review it as I needed to time to think about it and process its concepts - it was that kind of book。 Do not be put of by this as it is a very easy and short read and I was totally drawn in and captivated by the characters and the storytelling。This is a hard book to review without giving much away but it can be read on so many levels and I would， like all the other books， highly recommend it。 。。。more
Liz Barnsley
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