Book Review: The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom…

I was looking for a book to take with me on my recent holiday (something light and easy to read)—so when I saw the title of this book, my heart almost stopped. Huh? Another book using the name time keeper? Perish the thought! And not written by just any author, but by Mitch Albom who has rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, including being Oprah’s Book Club pick. I reached for the book and checked the publication date. To my surprise The Time Keeper was published in 2012, the same year as the first book in my young adult time travel series, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis came out through my former publisher. Coincidence? I think not.

Here’s the gist of this novel…

The Time Keeper is a compelling fable about the first man on earth to count the hours. The man who became Father Time.

In The Time Keeper, the inventor of the world’s first clock is punished for trying to measure God’s greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.

He returns to our world-now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began-and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so.

After reading The Time Keeper, I found Albom truly has a gift for words. He has a unique brand of storytelling, one I’ve never come across before, which made this book flow easily. The tale is original and inspirational. At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to read Albom’s prose, but soon I found that I couldn’t put it down. I’d get to the end of one chapter, then was hooked into the next one. Although Albom’s spiritual convictions shine through, he’s not preachy, and leaves room for his readers’ imagination to percolate throughout the story. I loved the way certain myths were introduced into the mix—the Tower of Babel and Father Time—to give the story an air of familiarity. All and all, this book is worth the investment of your time, whether on vacation or cozying up on the couch at home.

 

Having read this book made me stop and think about how I spend my time and what is truly important in my life. Trust me, when you’re on your death bed, you’re not going to wish you could have spent more hours at work. Life is all about relationships, how you treat others and how you treat them. Life is about what makes you happy, what fulfills you. Just to stop and be still in the moment—now that’s a gift you can’t count.

So what about you? Read any good books lately? Would love to hear your comments! Cheers and thank you for reading my blog!