The Stranger in the Lifeboat
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- Create Date：2021-11-04 02:19:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mitch Albom
- ISBN：B08VV46TYL
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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。
“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
Kurt Anderson
，
After yawning my way through two past books by Albom I had pretty low expectations and yet this somehow failed to even meet low bar。
Linda Scroggy
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Mitch Albom only gets better with each book he writes。 I read this in one evening because I literally could not stop reading it。 It pulls you in and the prose is beautiful。 One of my favorite parts of the book is when God explains worry。 He said that worry is something we create to fill a void and that void is faith。 How inspiring ！！！ I also liked how he brought the story together in the end。 There are some wonderful characters and some horrible characters in this one amazing book。 I feel that Mitch Albom only gets better with each book he writes。 I read this in one evening because I literally could not stop reading it。 It pulls you in and the prose is beautiful。 One of my favorite parts of the book is when God explains worry。 He said that worry is something we create to fill a void and that void is faith。 How inspiring ！！！ I also liked how he brought the story together in the end。 There are some wonderful characters and some horrible characters in this one amazing book。 I feel that I am a better person for reading it。 。。。more
Sherri Anderson
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Another great book！ I loved it！ I could not put it down。
Melissa Levens
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The Stranger in the LifeboatAuthor， Mitch AlbomPub date: 11。2。21Thank you @harpercollins for my #gifted copy！What an uplifting and beautiful story！ Packed with wisdom and profound conversations， this novel left me inspired and wanting to share and talk about it with someone！ ~ "Beginnings and endings are earthly ideas。。 And because I go on， you go on with me。 Feeling loss is part of why you are on Earth。 Through it， you appreciate the brief gift of human existence， and you learn to cherish the w The Stranger in the LifeboatAuthor， Mitch AlbomPub date: 11。2。21Thank you @harpercollins for my #gifted copy！What an uplifting and beautiful story！ Packed with wisdom and profound conversations， this novel left me inspired and wanting to share and talk about it with someone！ ~ "Beginnings and endings are earthly ideas。。 And because I go on， you go on with me。 Feeling loss is part of why you are on Earth。 Through it， you appreciate the brief gift of human existence， and you learn to cherish the world I created for you。 But the human form is not permanent。 It was never meant to be。 That gift belongs to the soul。" ~ 。。。more
Cris
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There is a saying， There’s no atheist in a foxhole。 Well Mitch Albom puts that to a test but on a lifeboat。 What happens may confound some， shock others and make others question。 The moral of his story is always fantastic！！
Nomadic Musings
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Every day， I juggle my choices。 I am confused about what to make out of many things。 Having to take so many decisions destroys the decision-making capacity of a person。 And then you come across some books that make that fog disappear。 Everything looks crystal clear。 I cannot tell you how many of my decisions get a form only and only based on the books I read。 It is crazy and serene at the same time。 It is not the influence， but I get the right signs。 Sometimes that accords with my guts， and it b Every day， I juggle my choices。 I am confused about what to make out of many things。 Having to take so many decisions destroys the decision-making capacity of a person。 And then you come across some books that make that fog disappear。 Everything looks crystal clear。 I cannot tell you how many of my decisions get a form only and only based on the books I read。 It is crazy and serene at the same time。 It is not the influence， but I get the right signs。 Sometimes that accords with my guts， and it becomes easy。 That is how it works。 The Stranger in The Lifeboat was one such book。 "Sometimes you have to shed who you were to live who you are"A big ship named Galaxy explodes， and so many people die。 But nine from the ship somehow get on the floating raft， a lifeboat。 With almost no water and food， they manage to survive a few days。 It gets difficult as they start facing scarcity of food and water。 After 3-4 days， they save a man who they see floating in the waves。 To their surprise， the man claims to be the Lord。 He says that he has come there because everyone called him for help。Imagine calling the Lord for help， and he appears there。 Too unbelievable， right？ Nobody on the raft believes the stranger。 Everyone is confused， annoyed and they do not want to look like a fool now。 But a few unusual things happen， and that is how it begins。 To believe the stranger or not。 To hope for life or not。 The story shifts between three sections: Sea， Land and News。 Sea portion talks about the survivors' time on the lifeboat。 It is seen through one of the travellers， Benjamin， who writes to his dead wife every day， telling her about the events happening。 The land section is set on an island， and the timeline is after one year of the ship explosion。 It highlights the inspector LeFleur who finds the diary。 News is to connect the stories， the events and some character briefing。 The book keeps you on the edge， quite literally。 Keeps us guessing whether the man is a God？ There is the mystery about characters， the events， the diary and everything in between。 But you get the amswers。"In the end， there is the sea and the land and the news that happens between them。 To spread that news， we tell each other stories。 Sometimes the stories are about survival。 And sometimes those stories， like the presence of the Lord， are hard to believe。 Unless believing is what makes them true。"I do not believe in God。 That's one thing。 The book makes you ponder on your beliefs。 Not that it changes your mind to believe in God…because it surely didn't change mine。 BUT， the book uses God as a medium to deliver the message。 That too， we don't know if the stranger is God？ He just claims to be one。 As humans， we are unaware of who we are - of our loved ones， of our beliefs， of our faith。 Initially， when I saw that the book talks of God， I was worried that the book would turn spiritual。 But nope。 It has all the elements。 It is fast-paced and like a thriller in the last few pages。 At some points， I was trembling and crying， and I don’t know why。 I freaking do not know。 Many things about the personal lives of these passengers， the notebook， the inspector and his past， all impacted me deeply。 So deeply that I reconsidered some of my latest decisions。 。。。more
Dhwani
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The Galaxy has exploded。 Nine people have escaped on a raft and they are trying to survive at the sea with minimum food and drinking water。 Survival seems difficult; some pray to the Lord for help。 They find a stranger floating in the sea three days later and hoist him up in their raft。 He claims he is The Lord and that he can save them all if they believe in him。 Benji， one of the nine people on the raft maintains a notebook and writes about what happened on that raft。 A year later， Jarty LeFle The Galaxy has exploded。 Nine people have escaped on a raft and they are trying to survive at the sea with minimum food and drinking water。 Survival seems difficult; some pray to the Lord for help。 They find a stranger floating in the sea three days later and hoist him up in their raft。 He claims he is The Lord and that he can save them all if they believe in him。 Benji， one of the nine people on the raft maintains a notebook and writes about what happened on that raft。 A year later， Jarty LeFleur find this notebook on the island of Montserrat where this raft was had washed up。 Nobody seems to have survived。 Who was the man who claimed himself to be the Lord？ Was he really the Lord？ What happens to the nine passengers of the raft？ Does any of them survive？ What caused the Galaxy to explode？ And who is this Anabelle Benji keeps writing to？ The Stranger In A Lifeboat by Mitch Albom is a book that will shake you to your very core。 Nine passengers in a raft see each other suffer and then die one by one。 Why does the Lord not help them？ Even when they pull in the stranger who claims to be the Lord， they aren't helped。 What is it about everyone not believing in him being the Lord？ Go ahead and read the book for more， I promise you don't want to miss it。 Albom writes beautifully about afterlife and death in his books。 I've always found it fascinating。 It's something that's to surely think over and Albom paints quote a good picture about those possibilities。 In this particular book， he has taken the readers through the journey of hope and faith via the fast paced and never-having-a-dull-moment storyline。 Simple writing accompanying a plot that won't let the readers guess anything correctly in the entire book adds the element of surprise。 There are multiple moments where in the story twists and turns， keeping the reader immersed in the book。 I don't know how he does it EVERYTIME。 Each book of his has stories weaved in stories which provides the reader an experience quite captivating。 I'm glad the author concluded the book the way he did and not via a high dose of spirituality。 This book taught me to live life each day fully and that the Universe is always watching us。 Most importantly， it teaches one to keep faith。 What a book， seriously， what a stellar book！Go for it！ 。。。more
Ron Charles
，
Best-selling author Mitch Albom is back from heaven and ready to consider the mystery of divine intervention on earth。God help us。Albom’s latest inspirational melodrama is called “The Stranger in the Lifeboat。” It’s a survivor story about 10 people trapped on a raft with a young man who announces， “I am the Lord。”Think of it as Tuesdays with Yahweh。 If nothing else， this book has made me understand that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years。We meet these imperiled castaways drifting at se Best-selling author Mitch Albom is back from heaven and ready to consider the mystery of divine intervention on earth。God help us。Albom’s latest inspirational melodrama is called “The Stranger in the Lifeboat。” It’s a survivor story about 10 people trapped on a raft with a young man who announces， “I am the Lord。”Think of it as Tuesdays with Yahweh。 If nothing else， this book has made me understand that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years。We meet these imperiled castaways drifting at sea。 They were all guests or workers on a massive yacht owned by billionaire Jason Lambert。 He had gathered technology pioneers， corporate leaders， glitzy celebrities and even former presidents for a week-long adventure to “spur each other to change the world” — a cruise version of Davos。In the opening pages， we learn that the yacht exploded and sank in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa。 All are presumed lost because somehow this massive gathering of the world’s richest and most powerful people was unaccompanied by any attendant ships。 If that little implausibility troubles you， you haven’t got a prayer here。 。 。 。To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/entert。。。 。。。more
Katie
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Following the sinking of a yacht a group of survivors must fight for survival and with a question， "Has God really come to save their souls？" "It takes so much to make you feel big in this world。 It only takes an ocean to make you feel tiny。" This is a story of survival against all odds and the hunt for faith even when you reasonably may have none。 I enjoyed the main character， Benji's， perspective and the method of his story telling as days passed on the raft。 He gave good insight to the events Following the sinking of a yacht a group of survivors must fight for survival and with a question， "Has God really come to save their souls？" "It takes so much to make you feel big in this world。 It only takes an ocean to make you feel tiny。" This is a story of survival against all odds and the hunt for faith even when you reasonably may have none。 I enjoyed the main character， Benji's， perspective and the method of his story telling as days passed on the raft。 He gave good insight to the events that occurred and how each person seemed to be dealing with this disaster。 I also really enjoyed the switching narrative， as this book is written from three perspectives: Benji's in the past， a detective in the present， and news reports over the period of time。 The mystery of the events and what actually occurred on fateful night as well as who， if anyone， survives made me want to read through to the end。 As the main character says pretty early on， "I have struggled with faith much of my life。" As an adult adhering to a religion has not been a thing for me， though I do take the time to learn and appreciate each religion for what it is and what their beliefs are。 I think the writing and discussion of faith and beliefs in this book is great and is one I will be forwarding on to my Mom for her collection。 。。。more
Becky disneyallthe_way
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I have loved every single book that Mitch Albom has written & this one didn’t disappoint。 He has a way with words and his style of writing draws you in。 Even though I’m not a huge believer reading some of Mitch’s books makes me want to believe and makes me seriously think about life， death & what comes after。 Wonderful as always。
Steph
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I really enjoyed this book！ It is broken down into small chapters with the POV changing between Land， Sea and the News and I thought they all worked together perfectly。 I was sucked in to the story right away， it’s definitely an odd plot but in a quirky good way that I loved。 I was able to predict some of the plot outcomes but that in no way took away from my enjoyment seeing it all unfold。 While there is a religious aspect to the story， I don’t think you have to be religious to enjoy it。 It is I really enjoyed this book！ It is broken down into small chapters with the POV changing between Land， Sea and the News and I thought they all worked together perfectly。 I was sucked in to the story right away， it’s definitely an odd plot but in a quirky good way that I loved。 I was able to predict some of the plot outcomes but that in no way took away from my enjoyment seeing it all unfold。 While there is a religious aspect to the story， I don’t think you have to be religious to enjoy it。 It is beautifully written quick read with an uplifting and powerful message that I really enjoyed。 4/5⭐️ 。。。more
Linda Schurmann
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Ten survivors on the lifeboat and than there was one more。 When the man finally spoke he whispered， “I am the Lord。” I have read all of the author’s novels and each has reminded me we sometimes find answers when we least expect。 Mitch Albom has written another heartwarming， remarkable read。 He never disappoints me。
Karen Brown
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Having read and enjoyed Mitch Albom’s The Five People you Meet in Heaven I was looking forward to this and was not disappointed。 The Stranger in the Lifeboat is a beautiful story of love and loss。 I would describe myself as non-religious and this book， although features some religious aspects it did not put me off at all。 The story is told from 3 points of view and each chapter is titled from whose perspective so you always know where you are。 Mitch Albom has a really lovely method of telling a Having read and enjoyed Mitch Albom’s The Five People you Meet in Heaven I was looking forward to this and was not disappointed。 The Stranger in the Lifeboat is a beautiful story of love and loss。 I would describe myself as non-religious and this book， although features some religious aspects it did not put me off at all。 The story is told from 3 points of view and each chapter is titled from whose perspective so you always know where you are。 Mitch Albom has a really lovely method of telling a story。 I could picture the scene without being weighed down with details and felt emotional for some of the characters as we move through their journey with them。 Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher #LittleBrownBookGroup for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 #MitchAlbom #TheStrangerInTheLifeboat 。。。more
Kenna
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This is my first Mitch Albom book and as such I was launching into the unknown with an author I was unfamiliar with。 Some of the worlds most wealthy and influential figures have congregated on the luxury yacht Galaxy for a party， there is an inexplicable explosion and the yacht sinks leaving on nine survivors in a rescue raft in the Atlantic。 It took me a little while to settle into the rhythm of the book。 It moved across three strands - ‘news’ （the media coverage of the Galaxy’s party and after This is my first Mitch Albom book and as such I was launching into the unknown with an author I was unfamiliar with。 Some of the worlds most wealthy and influential figures have congregated on the luxury yacht Galaxy for a party， there is an inexplicable explosion and the yacht sinks leaving on nine survivors in a rescue raft in the Atlantic。 It took me a little while to settle into the rhythm of the book。 It moved across three strands - ‘news’ （the media coverage of the Galaxy’s party and aftermath ）， ‘sea’- stories of the survivors， and ‘land’ （the investigation into the Galaxy after the raft is found one year later in Monteserrat）。 I eventually settled into the book， the very simple style of writing， and found it quite absorbing and unlike anything I’d read before。 Without wanting to give away any spoilers， the book left me asking myself questions about survival， faith and humanity。 Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers， Little Brown Book Group， for making this advanced reading copy available to me and introducing me to the worlds of Mitch Albom。 。。。more
Erinpad
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As Benji looked out across the sea， all he saw was blue with no end in sight。 He knew the odds were against them， he and the others had been drifting aimlessly for three days。 The likelihood of any rescue happening was slim and yet， he prayed。 He prayed even when he knew he hadn’t spoken to God in many years， and hoped his plea would be heard。 His one solace is a daily journal， in which he writes to his wife and records their efforts of survival。 As he and the others slowly slip into despair， a As Benji looked out across the sea， all he saw was blue with no end in sight。 He knew the odds were against them， he and the others had been drifting aimlessly for three days。 The likelihood of any rescue happening was slim and yet， he prayed。 He prayed even when he knew he hadn’t spoken to God in many years， and hoped his plea would be heard。 His one solace is a daily journal， in which he writes to his wife and records their efforts of survival。 As he and the others slowly slip into despair， a body appears floating nearby， not a fellow passenger from the damaged ship， but a man claiming to be the answer to all their prayers。 What would you do if God appeared before your very eyes， spoke to you and told you your prayers have been answered？ It’s normal to be skeptical， I know I would have my doubts but I would also be amazed and hopeful。 This book was simply wonderful and I loved every minute of it。 Mitch Albom can always be depended on to not only write a book that is written well and entertaining， but compel the reader to look within themselves and feel something new。 。。。more
Darla
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How do we answer those who question God's existence in the midst of suffering？ In this new release from Mitch Albom， the Lord is a fellow passenger on a drifting lifeboat。 One passenger named Benji is chronicling their days at sea in a small notebook。 A second thread gives us a reporter's view of the original luxury craft and the aftermath of the accident。 In a third thread the notebook is found when the boat washes up on a beach。 The officer on the scene is also a grieving father who has lost f How do we answer those who question God's existence in the midst of suffering？ In this new release from Mitch Albom， the Lord is a fellow passenger on a drifting lifeboat。 One passenger named Benji is chronicling their days at sea in a small notebook。 A second thread gives us a reporter's view of the original luxury craft and the aftermath of the accident。 In a third thread the notebook is found when the boat washes up on a beach。 The officer on the scene is also a grieving father who has lost faith in the existence of God。 So， we are back to my original question。 All of us have stories of suffering in our lives。 We live in a fallen world and if we are still here our stories are a part of us -- a part of our survival。 What this book reminds me is to reach out to others and help them with their sorrows。 In Galatians 6:2， Paul reminds us to Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ。 So let's tell each other our stories; sharing our sorrows and burdens。 When we minister to each other we are sharing the love of Jesus。Thank you to Harper and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Minna
，
Thank you to NetGalley， Harper Books， and Mr。 Albom for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title。 An honest review was requested but not required。I read this in a single night， absolutely riveted to the story and unwilling to wait until the following day to find out what happened。 Honestly， I'm very hesitant to recap the plot in any way， other than to say "read the blurb，" because the unfolding of the story was such a powerful experience for me。 I was reminded in part of The Life Thank you to NetGalley， Harper Books， and Mr。 Albom for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title。 An honest review was requested but not required。I read this in a single night， absolutely riveted to the story and unwilling to wait until the following day to find out what happened。 Honestly， I'm very hesitant to recap the plot in any way， other than to say "read the blurb，" because the unfolding of the story was such a powerful experience for me。 I was reminded in part of The Life of Pi， with its metaphysical aspects and shipwreck survival narrative， but the Stranger in the Lifeboat had much stronger religious-based themes of faith， belief， and surrender to God's purpose。 I am a Christian but the book was written in such a way that any monotheistic faith could find a lot of meaning。 I felt profoundly moved upon finishing the book， and immediately suggested it （post-publication， of course） to several friends。 This one will stick with me for a long time， I think。 。。。more
Kath
，
I have read and loved every book I've read by this author。 Ever since my ex-ma-in-law introduced me to his writing when she recommended I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven。 This is a delightful book with a profound message that actually is quite pertinent in the dark days in which we live at the moment。 I know that personally I've been thinking more of this side of things since March last year hit。。。So， there's a shipwreck and a bunch of survivors have managed to all get to a life raft。 Th I have read and loved every book I've read by this author。 Ever since my ex-ma-in-law introduced me to his writing when she recommended I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven。 This is a delightful book with a profound message that actually is quite pertinent in the dark days in which we live at the moment。 I know that personally I've been thinking more of this side of things since March last year hit。。。So， there's a shipwreck and a bunch of survivors have managed to all get to a life raft。 They are kinda ticking along， albeit with scan long term hope， when they come across a man in the water。 The pull him into the boat and start to interrogate him as to how he has managed to survive for so long on his own in the water。 He then proceeds to tell them that he is the Lord。。。And I'll leave the rest for you to discover as the author intended。 Told in the recent past of the life raft - the main time line - with flashbacks to the long past， and the present when the life raft is discovered and reported to Monserrat's chief inspector Jarty LeFleur， we follow Benji， our main narrator， as he spins what turns out to be a very exciting， thrilling and poignant tale of trying to survive against the odds， hope and， of course， faith。This book can be read on many levels。 From the light where you only really consider the main story and don't veer too much from following what happens to the characters， all the way through to questioning every incident along the way and what that actually means in terms of faith。 And all levels in between。 It's a book you can read and take what matches， what works for you， discard what doesn't and， if you want， think about the middle ground a bit along the way。 That's definitely what I did as I was reading。 Don't worry， I'm not going to spill my stuff here， it was a personal read， one that touched me and one I will talk about with like minded people in my real life， but it was a personal journey and I think that everyone's experience with what is written herein will be just as personal and unique。 Suffice to say， if you go in with an open mind and accept what is given to you， you will not be disappointed。 My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book 。。。more
Jaclyn Brande
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Thank you to Harper Books for my gifted finished copy！After the luxurious Galaxy exploded on its maiden voyage， a small group of shipwrecked passengers manages to clamber aboard a life raft。 Now， however， they are faced with a different problem: they are adrift in the ocean with little to no hope of rescue。 Then， they pull another man aboard who claims to be God， and no one is quite sure what to think。 I’ll be so honest: I wasn’t really sure whether or not I wanted to read this one。 I loved Albo Thank you to Harper Books for my gifted finished copy！After the luxurious Galaxy exploded on its maiden voyage， a small group of shipwrecked passengers manages to clamber aboard a life raft。 Now， however， they are faced with a different problem: they are adrift in the ocean with little to no hope of rescue。 Then， they pull another man aboard who claims to be God， and no one is quite sure what to think。 I’ll be so honest: I wasn’t really sure whether or not I wanted to read this one。 I loved Albom’s books in high school， however my relationship with my faith and religion is complicated to say the least。 I was nervous this would feel like the faith/religion aspect was being shoved down my throat， but I was so so wrong。 This was such a beautiful exploration of belief， faith， perception， and humanity。 The story alternates among the events on the life raft （Sea）， the investigation into why the ship sunk （Land）， and what is being reported in the media （News）。 The non linear timeline was really easy to story and moved the plot along at a great pace。 Read this one！ It’s beautiful and thought provoking and relatable， even if you aren’t a religious person。 THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT is available NOVEMBER 2， 2021 from Harper Books。 。。。more
Karen Kennan
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I love Mitch Albom - such wonderful stories！ I find them to be very comforting in their simplicity。 The Stranger in the Lifeboat features a group of people who are stranded in a life raft after an explosion sank the yacht they were on。 One of these people claims to be 'The Lord'， which brings up many different feelings and conversations between the survivors。 Surely this means they must be rescued？ Surely He will help everyone on the raft？ Surely He will bring comfort to them？ Will he？ What's he I love Mitch Albom - such wonderful stories！ I find them to be very comforting in their simplicity。 The Stranger in the Lifeboat features a group of people who are stranded in a life raft after an explosion sank the yacht they were on。 One of these people claims to be 'The Lord'， which brings up many different feelings and conversations between the survivors。 Surely this means they must be rescued？ Surely He will help everyone on the raft？ Surely He will bring comfort to them？ Will he？ What's he there for？ Is he just a random guy making it up？ However， we do find out everything that happened out at sea when the raft containing only a diary is washed up on Montserrat。I love the way the book is written。 The chapters are either 'Land'， 'Sea'， or 'News' so there's no confusion when swapping chapters and time or place。 The way The Lord is featured has really made me think。 I'm not religious so it's not that， but it's made me think about the faith and beliefs of others， which I find interesting anyway。 I don't want to give anything away about the ending but I'd just say read it for sure！ 。。。more
The Sub Librarian
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Sometimes I need a book that makes me look inside myself， remind me whose child I am and renews my faith。 And this book always comes along at the perfect moment。 Set with the tone of The Shack and The Five People You Meet in Heaven， The Stranger in the Lifeboat will have you asking yourself poignant questions about your own beliefs。 Nine passengers are adrift on the ocean after the yacht they were traveling in， sinks。 They pull a man from the water claiming to be the Lord with the promise that h Sometimes I need a book that makes me look inside myself， remind me whose child I am and renews my faith。 And this book always comes along at the perfect moment。 Set with the tone of The Shack and The Five People You Meet in Heaven， The Stranger in the Lifeboat will have you asking yourself poignant questions about your own beliefs。 Nine passengers are adrift on the ocean after the yacht they were traveling in， sinks。 They pull a man from the water claiming to be the Lord with the promise that he can save them all。 However， in order to be saved they must all believe that he is who he says he is。 And so begins the questions that are drove to the core of our deepest beliefs。 The story is told in chapters but separated by titles: Sea ~ which is told by the survivors while they are drifting; Land ~ Tells of the Inspector who finds the lifeboat drifted ashore; and News ~ reporters speaking before the ship sets sail and after the ship sinks。 Within all three of these titles we will learn about each character， their beliefs and the tragedies that shaped them。 I think regardless of what you believe， this book will spell out questions we have all pondered。 It will make us take a deeper look at our purpose with the time we have here on earth。 This book gave me comfort I wasn’t even aware that I needed。 My thanks to Mitch Albom for another spell-binding， soul searching novel and a huge thanks to Harper Publishing for an advanced copy of this book！ 。。。more
Caroline D'cruz
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Do you believe in the existence of God and how often do you question his very existence？What can I say， I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 I was gripped onto it from the very beginning。 Though， when I start off， I found the book to be quite funny and was laughing， but as I progressed further into the chapters， it turned into this emotional rollercoaster， which got me pounding over a lot of things。As for the plot， An Yacht named Galaxy owned by Jason Lambert has sunk。 10 stranger trying to survive a Do you believe in the existence of God and how often do you question his very existence？What can I say， I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 I was gripped onto it from the very beginning。 Though， when I start off， I found the book to be quite funny and was laughing， but as I progressed further into the chapters， it turned into this emotional rollercoaster， which got me pounding over a lot of things。As for the plot， An Yacht named Galaxy owned by Jason Lambert has sunk。 10 stranger trying to survive are adrift on a raft， short on food， water and hope。 When they spot a man floating in the water and pull him on board。 This man claims he can save them but how？ And who is he？ Should they trust him？ And how did the Yacht really sink？ （Ok， I know I sound like the jacket of the book） but trust me， the more blind you go into this book， the more you are going to enjoy it。 The book is not a mystery or thriller， but it kept me guessing till the very end。 I also liked the way the author has classified the book into Sea， Land and News， where most of the story is told to us by Benji， one of the survivors on the raft。 Apart from this， the book also focuses on hope， faith， love， death and spirituality which I guess is very much a part of every Mitch Albom books。 The book also got me reflecting on minor things like the mere existence of fresh drinking water， which， when we have in abundance we tend to waste but when in shortage， a mere thought can get us craving or for that matter， the thought of death， which we try are best not to acknowledge and always brush aside。Overall this book was an easy and quick one to read。 If you are in a mood for some thought provoking and some soul searching or even if you are not and just looking for your next read， I highly recommend this one because like me you too will enjoy reading it。A big Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and the author for providing this ARC。 。。。more
Kevin Woolard
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‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat’ is a beautifully constructed novel from @mitchalbom dealing with faith and loss and the many adversities faced in life。Benji is one of nine survivors of a sunken luxury yacht – all now fighting for their lives on the open sea in a lifeboat with very little food and barely no water。 Then one more survivor is pulled from the water - a stranger who claims he is。。。 God。 Through a series of entries in a notebook （found in the lifeboat one year later and 2，000 miles from ‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat’ is a beautifully constructed novel from @mitchalbom dealing with faith and loss and the many adversities faced in life。Benji is one of nine survivors of a sunken luxury yacht – all now fighting for their lives on the open sea in a lifeboat with very little food and barely no water。 Then one more survivor is pulled from the water - a stranger who claims he is。。。 God。 Through a series of entries in a notebook （found in the lifeboat one year later and 2，000 miles from the site of the sinking） the story of the survivors unfolds through three points of view （Sea， Land and News） building their story and their fate piece by piece。It's another heartwarming and poignant story from Mitch Albom whose novel ‘The Five People You Meet in Heaven’ remains firmly in my list of favourite books。Mitch Albom’s words and narratives always have me invested from the very first page and ‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat’ is no different – It's an emotional read which covers themes such as childhood loss （both as parent and child）， life-long friendships， hate， love and humanity in general。My thanks to Net Galley and the publishers， Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC。 。。。more
Jo
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REVIEW: The Stranger In The Lifeboat （★★★★）𝗔 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 （𝗡𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀）。。。 𝘈 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵， 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴， 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴， 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥。 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩， 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦， 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘢。 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬， 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵。 𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥， 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮。 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦？Honestly， the premise worried me。 A stranger in a lifeboat claiming he is REVIEW: The Stranger In The Lifeboat （★★★★）𝗔 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 （𝗡𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀）。。。 𝘈 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵， 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴， 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴， 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥。 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩， 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦， 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘢。 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬， 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵。 𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥， 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮。 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦？Honestly， the premise worried me。 A stranger in a lifeboat claiming he is the Lord？ Whether the book affirmed or rejected the existence of God， it would be equally divisive。 I shouldn't have worried， because Albom's writing is tactful and honest， and I believe this book leaves all readers satisfied。 It was an uplifting and thought-provoking read。𝗝𝗼'𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻This is a book I can highly recommend。 Albom has a unique way with words that I am sure first-time readers will delight in。 As for long-term Albom fans， you will not be disappointed either！𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱。。。 The writing is simple， elegant， and honest。 The plot is highly immersive。𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱。。。 I didn't feel very connected to the characters because we're only told what we need to know （i。e。 very detail-light）。𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲。。。𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 // 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗺 - for another masterful book that I think better showcases Albom's signature style。𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗢𝗳 𝗣𝗶 // 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗹 - for another book about being stranded at sea， its psychological toil， as well as the power of faith in all its forms。𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁 // 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗵𝗼 - for another novel written with striking simplicity。 I recommend both for a life-affirming read。Thank you Harper Collins and Mitch Albom for my gifted copy！ The Stranger In The Lifeboat comes out 02/11/2021。 。。。more
Nigel
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Yep - enjoyed that！ In fullIt's a while since I read any of Mitch Albom's books and I thought I'd give this one a try。 A very expensive "executive" craft has sunk。 Nine people are still afloat 3 days later on a lifeboat having seen no one else。 They see a man in the water and manage to get him onto the lifeboat。 He says that he can save them if they all believe in him as he is the Lord。 That gives you pause for thought doesn't it！ In part this story is told by one of the people on the lifeboat w Yep - enjoyed that！ In fullIt's a while since I read any of Mitch Albom's books and I thought I'd give this one a try。 A very expensive "executive" craft has sunk。 Nine people are still afloat 3 days later on a lifeboat having seen no one else。 They see a man in the water and manage to get him onto the lifeboat。 He says that he can save them if they all believe in him as he is the Lord。 That gives you pause for thought doesn't it！ In part this story is told by one of the people on the lifeboat who is writing a journal。 There are two threads in this story。 One is from a policeman on land who has been taken to see what might be the lifeboat concerned and the other is the media via their interest in the story。It didn't take me long to get into this book and after that I was caught up in the story however odd it may seem。 It is not a long read and is crisply written。 From time to time I found myself wondering just where this might be going。 Some of the threads seemed rather odd in the circumstances。 That said I had some thoughts quite early on about a possible outcome and wasn't far off the truth I guess。 It's one of those books where it would be a shame to reveal more。In some senses this， and other books from Albom， are probably rather odd to some believers and unbelievers。 Within that caveat I found this a convincing story I guess。 Was it an enjoyable read - yes。 Was it thought provoking - maybe。 I would certainly read another by this author in the future and fans of his will be very pleased by this story I think。Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review 。。。more
Madhuri Sridhara
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I've been a fan of Mitch Albom's for more than a decade now and was incredibly excited to receive an advanced copy of this book。 （Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group， UK）But unfortunately， whereas his previous works hinted at the concept of God and focused more on belief and hope， this book focuses more on God as a being/deity。The story also felt off as though it didn't matter what was being told as long as the message was clear。 It felt forced。But the book can be easily read in one I've been a fan of Mitch Albom's for more than a decade now and was incredibly excited to receive an advanced copy of this book。 （Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group， UK）But unfortunately， whereas his previous works hinted at the concept of God and focused more on belief and hope， this book focuses more on God as a being/deity。The story also felt off as though it didn't matter what was being told as long as the message was clear。 It felt forced。But the book can be easily read in one sitting and is uplifting and very quotable in certain places。 I'm pretty sure that a lot of people will find hope and solace in this book too。 2。5/5 。。。more
Louise Wilson
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Adrift n a raft after a deadly ship explosion， nine people struggle to survive 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。This is the story of nine survivors of an explosion on the luxury yacht they were on。 then they spot a man floating in the waves。 When they have pulled the man aboard the raft， he claims to be the Lord and they're faced with Adrift n a raft after a deadly ship explosion， nine people struggle to survive 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。This is the story of nine survivors of an explosion on the luxury yacht they were on。 then they spot a man floating in the waves。 When they have pulled the man aboard the raft， he claims to be the Lord and they're faced with a crises of belief。Mitch Albom books are always thought provoking。 The story follows the journey of nine people on the rafts battle for survival and the attempts of those on land to uncover what had happened at sea。 This is a short novel that's intriguing with so much depth。 The book is arranged into three parallel storylines: 1） from one of the survivors。 2） the inspector investigating what happened 3） from the media reporting about the yacht。 This is another fantastic read by the fabulous Mitch Albom who's books never disappoint。I would like to thank #NetGalley #LittleBrownBookGroupUK and the author #MitchAlbom for my ARC of #TheStrngerInTheLighthouse in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lovely Loveday
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