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For One More Day is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

As a child, Charley 'Chick' Benetto was told by his father, 'You can be a mamas boy or a daddys boy, but you cant be both.' So he chooses his father, only to see the man disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence.

Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been crumbled by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits bottom after discovering his only daughter has shut him out of her wedding. And he decides to take his own life.

He makes a midnight ride to his small hometown, with plans to do himself in. But upon failing even to do that, he staggers back to his old house, only to make an astonishing discovery. His mother - who died eight years earlier - is still living there, and welcomes him home as if nothing ever happened.

What follows is the one 'ordinary' day so many of us yearn for, a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain the family secrets, and to seek forgiveness. Somewhere between this life and the next, Charley learns the astonishing things he never knew about his mother and her sacrifices. And he tries, with her tender guidance, to put the crumbled pieces of his life back together.

Through Alboms inspiring characters and masterful storytelling, readers will newly appreciate those whom they love - and may have thought theyd lost - in their own lives. For One More Day is a book for anyone in a family, and will be cherished by Alboms millions of fans worldwide.

For One More Day
Now, when I say I saw my dead mother, I mean just that. I saw her. She was standing by the dugout, wearing a lavender jacket, holding her pocketbook. She didn’t say a word. She just looked at me.

I tried to lift myself in her direction then fell back, a bolt of pain shooting through my muscles. My brain wanted to shout her name, but there was no sound from my throat.

I lowered my head and put my palms together. I pushed hard again, and this time I lifted myself halfway off the ground. I looked up.

She was gone.

I don’t expect you to go with me here. It’s crazy, I know. You don’t see dead people. You don’t get visits. You don’t fall off of a water tower, miraculously alive despite your best attempt to kill yourself, and see your dearly departed mother holding her pocketbook on the third-base line. ...view entire excerpt...

From the Publisher:

1. In the first paragraph of the novel, and repeated several times throughout the book, is the line “every family is a ghost story.” What do you think that means? Who is the real ghost in the Benetto family?

2. Which scene resonated with you the most, and why?

3. Re-read the “Beginning” section. Now that you know the identity of the narrator, how does your understanding of the section change? Did the narrator’s identity surprise you? Why, or why not?

4. Discuss the last paragraph of the “Beginning” section, on page 4: “Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go through your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back. What if you got it back?” What did you imagine this meant when you first read it? What does it mean to you now? Is there someone in your own life with whom you’d like to spend one more day?

5. Why do you think Chick tried to commit suicide? Was it for the reasons he stated, or was there something else behind it?

6. On page 7, Chick says “Mothers support certain illusions about their children.” What did he mean by that statement? What about fathers?

7. Consider the passage on page 10 in which Chick talks about missing his daughter’s wedding. Given the identity of the book’s narrator, what do you think is happening here? Is it manipulation, guilt, hubris, or something else entirely?

8. Several times in the novel, Chick says that you can either be a mama’s boy or a daddy’s boy, but not both. Which was Chick? Which did he believe himself to be? Do you agree that you can only be one or the other?

9. On page 36, Chick says, “kids chase the love that eludes them.” How does this play out over the course of the novel? Whose love does he chase, ultimately, and why?

10. Chick believes strongly in the power of words: “divorcee” (page 70), “Mom” (page 160), “She died” (page 187). What makes these words so powerful? Is it the context of the story, or are they freighted in real life, too?

11. Throughout the novel, Chick outlines various times when he failed to stand up for his mother, and was often quite cold to her. Is there a special cruelty that children inflict on their parents? Is Chick cruel to other characters?

12. Novels about mother-son relationships are relatively rare. Can you think of any others you’ve read and enjoyed? How did their portrayals compare to For One More Day?

13. On page 151, a mountain climber tells Chick that descending is much more difficult than ascending: “The backside of a mountain is a fight against human nature. You have to care as much about yourself on the way down as you did on the way up.” Do you agree with this statement? Where were Chick’s ascents and descents? How did he deal with them?

14. Discuss the significance of the Old Timers’ Game—its timing, Chick’s deception, his father’s involvement. How is it a turning point?

15. Chick learns a shocking secret about his father’s life on page 192. How does it change his understanding of his parents’ relationship? How does it change your understanding of Posey, Leonard, and Chick as characters?

16. Consider the other characters’ secrets: Chick’s lies about the Old Timers’ Game, Posey’s hiding her work as a housecleaner. What motivated them? Are some lies more damaging than others?

17. On page 201, Chick says, “I ran away. In that manner, I suppose, my father and I were sadly parallel.” Were they similar in other ways? Did Chick take after his father more than his mother?

18. Have you read any of Mitch Albom’s other books? What thematic links do you see?

19. Does this story have a moral? If so, what is it?

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Publisher's Reading Guide
»	FOR ONE MORE DAY official web site
»	Author Tour Dates
»	Reviews "'For One More Day' is a quick, slick read, full of literary jewels and lines that go down like a sip of water. The mythical, magical world that lives behind Mitch Albom's eyes, where you can go back and fix what was wrong, where it doesn't hurt to dole out forgiveness, where a mother walks the earth like an angel paying homage to our one true treasure -- our families -- is a place I wish I lived. If you had the chance, just one chance, to go back and fix what you did wrong in life, would you take it? And if you did, would you be big enough to stand it? Mitch Albom, in this new book, once again demonstrates why he is one of my favorite writers: a fearless explorer of the wishful and magical, he is also a devout believer in the power of love. For One More Day will make you smile. It will make you wistful. It will make you blink back tears of nostalgia. But most of all, it will make you believe in the eternal power of a mother's love." --James McBride, author of The Color of Water

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"Book about taking one more day to speak to an important in your life"
by greenwave (see profile) 01/21/07
We had a great discussion with this book. It definitely made us all think who would be that one person that we would like to talk to if we could have one more day to spend together. Most felt that it... (read more)

"A book to make you think"
by beachbum (see profile) 04/18/07
This was truly a small but very powerful book. It afforded great discussion for our bookclub, as well as many different angles that the topic raised of spending one more day. We would highly recommend... (read more)

"A good starting point for "if I could" discussions"
by ssiadrichter (see profile) 11/15/06
Mitch Albom's new novel asks the question, "If you could spend the day with one person you've lost, what would you say?" As in his other novels, Albom gets the reader to stop and reevaluate our relationships... (read more)

"Many topics to discuss, a book that causes you to think about your life!"
by marriednoel (see profile) 12/12/06
I thought this book was wonderful! It gave me a lot to think about and many great discussion questions! My book club loved it. It was a very quick read which was also a plus and I didn't want to put... (read more)

"A short easy read."
by doodlebugsmom (see profile) 02/06/07
This poignant book has many topics that will inspire your book club to discuss different issues on many levels. Everyone will have something to add to the discussion.

"Fast, easy read"
by Stephanie2913 (see profile) 03/18/07

"Great book"
by joleen (see profile) 04/20/07
Our book club read this book in conjuction with an at work book club we have. We had a group of about 18 people at the first lunch/discussion event, but the second time slot was full with 32 people who... (read more)

"Probably my favorite of Mitch Albom's"
by ladyjane7 (see profile) 05/08/07
As with his other books, Mitch Albom gives you something to think about. We all probably have someone we would like to see "for one more day." We would probably give anything to have the opportunity... (read more)

"Quick & easy read for a short discussion"
by JennyHud (see profile) 08/07/07
We found it was alittle hard to discuss the people in this story as it was very short & we had to guess as what we thought about most of the characters. This was an easy read but didn't get as in depth... (read more)

"If you had one more day with a person who had died, this is the day."
by kathydibadj (see profile) 09/29/07
Well written and thought provoking. I enjoyed this book, but liked Tuesday's with Maury better.

"Fantastic in more ways than one!"
by Chessa9 (see profile) 10/23/07
Chick plays the victum really well. So many relationships are uncovered and discussed in detail...... Everyone can relate in some way or another. The book was fun and easy to read.

"This book should be read by all men, who sometimes don't appreciate their mother's as much as they should do...."
by Finnfatale (see profile) 10/25/07