Book #3: The Stranger in the Lifeboat, Mitch Albom
ABOUT THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT
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.
Discussion Questions:
What if God was one of us? Would you believe?
What if you called out to God and he appeared? How would you react?
Have you ever had something happen in life that made you question your faith?
Do we recognize when our prayers are being answered if it doesn't come in the form that we wanted?
This book is hailed as a “profound novel of hope and faith.” What did it make you feel as you were reading it?
The book is structured along three threads: Sea, News an Land. Throughout the novel these three threads are interwoven and we read the perspectives of the people on the boat, the news reporters, an the investigators on land. What do you think each thread covers?
How do the threads work separately and together?
The first part of the book takes place at sea, where 9 strangers are stranded in a lifeboat together after their yacht, the galaxy, sinks. Why do you think Albom called the yacht “the Galaxy”
Do you think what happened to the galaxy has as symbolic meaning to the story?
The yacht belonged to a billionaire by the name of Jason Lambert. Everyone on the boat is either a guest of Jason or a crew member. The 9 people on the lifeboat are all from different backgrounds, some are absurdly wealthy while others are just working to make a living. What kind of dynamic does the author create by brining these people together?
Everything that takes place in the lifeboat is chronicled by a deckhand named Benji. He scribbles everything down in his notebook. Why do you think Albom chose Benji to be the one who keeps track of the events that have taken place? Is he being a deckhand relevant?
At the start, the passengers aboard the lifeboat try to figure out why their yacht sank and who may have been responsible. For three days, they float on the sea with no sign of being rescued. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the passengers on the lifeboat?
One day, they find a man floating in the ocean. He becomes the 10th person in the lifeboat. He claims that he is God himself. What do you think were the other’s passenger reactions to the claim that he is god? How would you have reacted?
The 10th passenger is described as being strange and his appearance is unkempt. Why do you think Albom chose to have him appear that way rather than well-groomed and likeable? What do you think the intention was behind the details we know of “God”?
The 10th passenger agrees to save them but on the condition that all of the passengers on the boat must believe that he is god. The 10th passenger is asking for blind faith from the people of the lifeboat. Can faith simply be willed in times of great need?
What were your over all thoughts on the book?
What did you like best about the book? What did you like least?
Which characters did you like best and least?
Share a favorite quote from the book. Why did this quote stand out?
What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this book? What ideas was he trying to get across?
We'll leave you with this song as our final thought... What if God was one of us? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USR3bX_PtU4
Comments
Post a Comment
Drop us a line and let us know what you thought about the book...