I.

THE FIRST PHONE CALL FROM HEAVEN

II. INTRODUCTION OF THE AUTHOR

Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom (born May 23, 1958) is an American best-selling author,
journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster, and musician. His books
have sold over 35 million copies worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports
writing in the earlier part of his career, he is perhaps best known for the inspirational stories
and themes that weave through his books, plays and films.

III. VOCABULARY

1. Columbarium – a structure of vaults lined with recesses for cinerary urns

2. Colossal – an exceptional or astonishing degree
3. Eerie – affected with fright
4. Clairvoyant – able to see beyond the range of ordinary perception
5. Scarce – very small in amount
6. Ravine – a small deep narrow valley
7. Skeptical – having or expressing doubt about something
8. Taut – very firm and strong
9. Clandestine – a structure
10. Niche – a job that is very suitable for someone

IV. ELEMENTS OF THE STORY

A. Characters

 Tess Rafferty – She used to be a teacher. She is the first one to receive a phone call
from heaven. The call she received is from her deceased mother, Ruth Rafferty who
died because of Alzheimer disease.
 Jack Sellers – He is the police chief of Coldwater, Michigan. He was divorced to his
wife, Doreen Franklin. They both receive calls from their son, Robbie Sellers who was
an army and died during a war.
 Katherine Yellin – She is a single mother. She is also a receiver of a phone call from
heaven and the calls were from sister, Diane Yellin who died from the illness
aneurysm. She’s the first one to spread the news about the phone calls from heaven.
 Sullivan Harding – He is also known as Sully. He is the husband of Giselle and the
father of Jules. He was imprisoned because of an aircraft accident. His wife, Giselle
Harding died because of a catastrophic accident.
 Elias Rowe – A congregant who owned a construction business. He received phone
calls from Nick Joseph, a roofer who’d been with Elias for ten years.
 Horace Belfin – He is Elliot Gray Sr., he is the director of Davidson & Sons funeral
home. He is the mastermind of the hoax phone calls from heaven.
 Elliot Gray Jr. – He is the aircraft traffic controller. He is the reason why Sully got
imprisoned.
 Pastor Warren – He is the pastor from the Harvest of Hope Baptist Church.
 Father William Carroll– He is the priest from Saint Vincent’s Catholic Church.
 Amy Penn – She is a news reporter from the Nine Action News. She interviewed
Katherine about the phone calls she had been receiving from Diane.
 Ron Jennings – He is an editor-in-chief. He hired Sully as salesman in his production
office.
  Elwood Jupes – He helped Sully I investigating the phone calls from heaven. A
reporter at the Gazette newspaper. He also received a phone call from his lifeless
daughter.
 Jason Turk- An employee of the Dial-Tek Phone Center in Coldwater, Michigan.
 Liz – She is the librarian from the Public Library of Michigan.
 Maria Nicolini– She is the staff of Davidson & Sons funeral home.

B. Setting

The story took place at Coldwater Michigan, present time.

C. Conflict

 Man vs. Self

When Sully was imprisoned, he kept on battling with himself. He was angry with
himself because he wasn’t able to say good bye to Giselle on the phone call before
she died. He wasn’t able to come to his her funeral. Horace Belfin also fought himself
because he blames himself for the death of his son, Elliot Gray Jr. and Giselle Harding.
He regrets having a fight with his son before the plane crash.

 Man vs. Reality

The characters who received phone calls from heaven, when they got the phone calls
from their deceased loved ones, they are having a hard time if they should believe if
it’s true, if the phone calls were real. And others just stuck to their belief that the dead
is dead, which is the reality.

 Man vs. Technology

The phone calls came maybe from heaven or by a device like a machine. The phone
calls were maybe controlled by technology and were not true. And a regular phone
call can lasts for a minute or lasts for an hour but the phone calls from heaven only
last within seconds.

 Man vs. Society

The society kept on questioning the people who claimed were getting phone calls if
they’re saying the truth or just making it up. There were protestants in the story saying
that those who hear things are crazy.

D. Plot

Chapter 1: The Week It Happened (Pages: 1-5)

Tess Rafferty was unwrapping a box of tea bags when she received her first phone call
from heaven. She ignored the ringing phone and her outgoing message automatically
played. When she played the message back, it was her mother’s voice. Tess startled. Her
mother died four years ago.
 Three officers were debating at the police station when the second phone call from
heaven rang. Jack Sellers, the police chief reached for the phone. The call was from his
son, Robbie. No. It was impossible to hear his dead son’s voice. Robbie died in a battle,
during his last tour of duty.

Katherine Yellin went to the Harvest of Hope Baptist Church to talk to Pastor Warren.
When Pastor Warren opened the door, Katherine went past him and sat on the couch.
She immediately told Pastor Warren to know that she’s not crazy because Diane, her
deceased sister called her. Pastor Warren doesn’t want to believe. He thought Katherine
just dreamt it and she only said that because she still doesn’t get over of her sister’s
death. But it wasn’t a dream.

A security bell sounded. Sullivan Harding walked slowly at the prison. His parents and his
son, Jules were waiting for him outside. He felt miserable when he noticed that his wife,
Giselle wasn’t there. But instead of expressing his sadness, he just whispered: “Let’s go.”

Chapter 2: The Second Week (Pages: 6-12)

Despite the cool, misting rain, Sullivan Harding walked to the Davidson & Sons funeral
home wearing a ski cap and a suede jacket. The director, Horace Belfin asked how he
can help him. Sully introduced himself and told Horace that Giselle was his wife. Sully
asked for Giselle’s remains. Then he left the building with Giselle’s ashes in an angel urn.
As he was walking he imagined his wife whispering to him “protect me.” But he failed. He
hadn’t protected her.

Tess sat on her kitchen floor, waiting for a phone call. She listened and listened to the
latest conversation she shared with her mom. Ruth told Tess to stop crying because she’s
safe and sound. She told her daughter that everything is possible because she is with the
Lord. And the line suddenly goes dead.

Jack Sellers sat by his desk at the Coldwater, Police Department and he, too, was waiting
for a call. He received two calls from his dead son. Two phone conversations he never
thought he would have. On a Friday afternoon the phone rang and he quickly grabbed
the phone. Robbie said that it’s awesome where he was and there were no bad days
there. Then the phone rang again, it was still Robbie saying “tell Mom not to cry…”

Katherine Yellin lay back on the bed. Remembering the things Diane said in their call, “It’s
better than we dreamed, Kath.” She suddenly remembers the special bond she had with
her sister.

She knows that Diane called for a reason, and it is because Katherine has been chosen
by the Lord to show that eternity waits for the faithful. And she would not be silent about
it.

Chapter 3: The Third Week (Pages: 13-21)

Giselle was gone. She died after a long coma. Sully was still in prison when the hospital
informed him that she slipped away during a thunderstorm. Sully placed the angel urn on
a shelf near the couch where Jules lay sleeping. He was still adjusting to freedom. His
job and home were gone. Then someone knocked at his door. It was Mark Ashton, Sully’s
navy squadron mate he was holding grocery bags. And Mark offered Sully a job of a
 salesman for newspaper. He had hated the news ever since. But he’ll need money, so he
still grabbed for the number of Mark’s college friend to apply for the job.

An hour earlier, Tess and Ruth shared another inexplicable phone call. Ruth told Tess
that there was no pain at where she was. That the pain you go through in life doesn’t
touch you. Tess asked her Mom how long will she speak to her. “It won’t,” her mother
answered.

Tess Rafferty and Jack Sellers might have kept their calls a secret, but Katherine Yellin
would not. Proclaim the good news is what the gospel said. And so, on the Harvest of
Hope congregation, Katherine Yellin shouted that she had witnessed a miracle. She said
that she got a call from her dead sister. The sanctuary became quiet. Katherine stated
the days and the times her sister called her, she told everyone that her sister, Diane said
that she’s waiting for Kath to come and tell everyone about heaven. Not only Diane, but
all of them are waiting. Pastor Warren tries to tell everyone that it is not confirmed if that’s
true but a voice came from the back confirmed it. The voice of Elias Rowe saying that he
got a call too.

Chapter 4: The Fourth Week (Pages: 22-30)

No one is sure who invented telephone. Some believes that it was Alexander Graham
Bell. Others believe it was Elisha Gray. Others think Manzeth or Bourseul or Reis or
Meucci deserves the credit. But the very first telephone conversation contained the words:
Come here I want to see you.

Sully had said those words the last time he spoke to his wife. Sully thought about his last
conversation with Giselle. The last time he’d flown a plane. The last time he’d seen an
airport. And the last time he’d heard his wife’s voice.

Amy Penn was hoping for something better. She was thirty one. She needed bigger
stories in the business of the TV station; but big stories were hard to find. The station’s
news director, Phil Boyd told Amy that there was a woman in Coldwater who says that
she receives phone calls from her dead sister. Phil told Amy that she should cover the
story. Although Amy thinks the story is a joke, she still accepted it for her career.

Elias Rowe was talking to his customer about construction. The homeowner asked Elias
if he really gets calls, then Elias’ phone vibrated. “Hello… why are you calling me? Stop.
Whoever this is don’t ever call me again!” The phone squirted from his grip and slid to the
floor and his big hands were shaking.

The churches of the Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Protestant and nondenominational had
never had a meeting until Katherine Yellin stood up that Sunday morning. Pastor Warren
explained what happened that Sunday service. They shared their different thoughts about
it but there is only one question in their mind: What are we going to do about it?

Chapter 5: The Fifth Week (Pages: 31-40)

A fire truck comes on the Cuthbert Road to attack the flames coming from the Rafferty
home. Jack had everything under control except the screaming women saying that she
have to get back in. Jack Sellers asked if it’s worth risking her life. Tess said that she
really needs her phone because she gets calls.
 Once they’d gone to get Tess’ phone, Jack’s last conversation with Robbie explaining his
new surrounding suddenly flashes back to his mind. “Love. Everything around me… love-
“

While Sully is bathing Jules, his son asked if he misses his plane. “You don’t miss
things, you miss people.” He answered to his son. Sully watched the bubbles settle.
Husband loses wife, son loses mother. Joy and sorrow shared the water, he thought.

Amy Penn drove to the village of Coldwater. And as she observed the surroundings she
wondered if souls in heaven really make contact with the living, why it would happen here.
She was searching for the home of Katherine Yellin whom she called on phone and
sounded excited as she offered her address.

Elias Rowe was not happy about his calls. They didn’t come from a departed loved one
but from Nick Joseph, a roofer. He’d been with Elias for years. He was the reason why
his workers’ lost their compensation benefits. One day while Nick was on the roof, he fell
off breaking an arm and injuring his back. But when Elias noticed it he became angry. A
year after that, Nick died. Now suddenly, Elias was getting phone calls. At the first phone
call, Nick asked him why he did it, that he needed help but he didn’t help him. Elias
dropped the call. He wanted no more of this miracle.

Chapter 6: The Sixth Week (Pages: 41-45)

Two years before Bell invented the telephone, he yelled into a dead man’s ear. The ear,
eardrum and related bones had been carved off a cadaver by Bell so he could study how
the eardrum carried sound. He attached a straw to it, put a piece of smoked glass on the
other end, and placed a funnel on the outside. When Bell yelled down the funnel, the
eardrum vibrated, moving the straw. If sound could vibrate an electrical current the way it
did straw, then words could travel as far as electricity.

Jack Sellers stood inside Tess Rafferty’s charred kitchen. Jack notice Tess’s telephone.
Jack asked Tess if she too, has the calls during Fridays. He asked what her mother said
during the calls. Tess smiled. She said that her mother keeps on telling her that it’s
beautiful at where she was and that the pain we suffer is a way to make us appreciate
what comes next. Her mother also said that this wouldn’t last.

Amy had an interview with Katherine. There, Katherine said that her sister told her that
heaven awaits us, that it is glorious. She asked Amy if she was a believer, Amy said yes,
but she doesn’t. She had gotten the interview and she wasn’t coming back.

Chapter 7: Four Days Later (Pages: 46-62)

Amy’s interview with Katherine aired at Channel Nine, Alpena.

Sully was on the coach in his apartment, having fallen asleep after two vodka and
cranberry juices. The TV was on, Channel Nine, Alpena station. He blinked at the image
of a female reporter standing in front of Harvest of Hope, reporting about the phone calls
from heaven. Then his son leaned against the side of the couch. Jules asked his father
when will his Mommy going to call them.

Tess’s friends visited her at her house. And they were worried to see how Tess looked
thinner and paler than the last time they had seen her. Tess explained the fire. She told
 them about Jack Sellers saving the phone and answering machine from fire. She
confessed how she’s feared she’d lost her mother again, how she’d prayed and how a
call came three days later and she heard the words – Tess, it’s me.

Two days after the TV report, Katherine Yellin was awakened by a noise on her porch.
She slipped on her robe and walked nervously downstairs. She pulled the curtain from
her living room window. And then she saw five people on their knees and holding hands,
with their eyes closed. And Katherine knew that it was the sound of people praying that
had woken her.

Sully had a dinner with his parents. He still hadn’t found a job. His parents talked about
the news about dead people making phone calls. While talking about it, Sully confessed
that he thinks that they’re only making it up. And his father thinks that people believe what
they want to believe. Then Jules asked his Grandma if she can provide him a phone
because he wanted his mother to call him in heaven.

Jack asked Robbie where he was, Robbie answered that his father knows where he was.
He said not to keep it as a secret; he said that he can tell others the truth now. That the
end is not the end.

Sully went to find Elias Rowe and when he saw him, he quickly approached Elias. He
tried if Elias can help him to make the phone calls stop because his son thinks his
mother is going to call him now because of his story. But Elias said that he couldn’t help
him.

Chapter 8: The Seventh Week (Pages: 63-64)

Since the day Channel Nine aired Amy and Katherine’s interview, Katherine noticed
people staring at her. One day when she was on the supermarket, she lined up behind a
man at the checkout counter. The man asked her if the spirits from heaven let them talk
to anyone else because his father died a year ago and he was wondering if he can get a
call too. But Katherine didn’t know what to answer so the man just left the supermarket.

Chapter 9: Three Days Later (Pages: 65-82)

Nine Action News aired Amy’s interview with Katherine, there Katherine said that Diane
told her to tell everyone about heaven. Since the first report of the strange calls, dozens
of people have flocked into Coldwater to meet Katherine and was hoping to find a miracle
of their own, to talk to their departed loved ones too. Coldwater was changing. Strangers
were flocking in and people were even praying on a woman’s lawn. Everybody carried a
cell phone. Every ring made people anxious.

Tess couldn’t not forget her most recent conversation with her mother. Where she asked
for forgiveness for fighting with her and for doubting her. But her mother said that all those
things are all forgiven there.

Jack made up his mind to tell Doreen about the calls. He didn’t care if her new husband,
Mel, was there. Robbie is also her son; she had the right to know. He walked to the porch
and let himself in. Then he found Doreen sitting on the coach with tears on her cheeks.
She just spoke to their son.
 Sully Harding decided to go to the Northern Michigan Gazette to inquire about the sales
job Mark offered him. He spoke with the publisher; Ron Jennings hired him as an account
position.

Amy Penn from Nine Action News followed Katherine wherever she went. One day in
front of Amy, her phone rang. It was Diane. Amy asked her what Diane said to her. She
said that her sister told her that the time has come to tell everyone and the good will is
welcome in heaven.

Chapter 10: The Eighth Week (Pages: 82- 96)

Alexander Bell’s telephone was simply astonishing. Speaking to someone you could not
see. Had it not been for a man’s love for a woman.

Sully went to the Dial-Tek Phone Center where Jason Turk is working. Then they heard
a bump sound. Jason and Sully turned. A crowd was outside the store even though it was
still close. Jason unlocked the door and asked the crowd what they want. The people
showed Jason a picture of Katherine’s phone. The phone, the one that calls heaven.

The video of Katherine talking to Diane goes viral on the internet. Phil congratulated Amy
and told her to keep up the good work. Within a week, Coldwater, Michigan, was the most-
searched location on the internet.

Pastor Warren and the other clergymen had a meeting and decided to invite a bishop to
investigate the people who claim of phone calls from heaven.

Sully picked up Jules at school. He met him as he came out of the door. They walked to
the car. Sully looked down and saw something light blue from his son’s jacket pocket. He
asked his son what’s in his pocket. Jules doesn’t want his father to know what his teacher
gave him. Sully grabbed the thing on his son’s pocket. It was a plastic phone receiver.
Jules said that his teacher told him that he could talk to his Mommy if he wanted to. Sully
became angry to the teacher who is giving his grieving son false hope. Why would a
teacher do that? He told his son that he doesn’t want him to keep the toy because it won’t
work the way he wanted it to. He dropped Jules in his parents’ house.

When Sully was on the way to work he saw a large crowd of people gathered in a field
because the people wanting to receive phone calls from heaven. He’d had enough. He
vowed to prove that the phone calls are only hoax.

Chapter 11: The Ninth Week (Pages: 97-103)

Terry Ulrich, a regional vice president for Samsung, still can’t believe the insane number
of orders for a single model phone, Samsung 5GH. It was not a special unit.

Alexander Bell’s mother was deaf. He sensed that she would understand him better if he
put his mouth near her forehead and spoke in low, sonorous tones.

When Giselle was in the hospital, Sully spoke to her like that, his lips close to her
forehead, his lowered voice vibrating with every memory he could think of. All he wanted
was to hear her voice.
 Giselle was still in coma when Sully got imprisoned. From the day of the crash until the
day she died, all he really wanted was to hear her voice. But it never happened. What
these people were claiming, he had already tried. He had called out for Giselle. Nothing
came back. There was no heaven. Dead was dead. It was time everyone accepted that.

Mayor Jeff Jacoby decides to hold a town hall meeting. The meeting was limited to
Coldwater residents only. A public roll call for miracles happened. Katherine Yellin, sitting
in the front row, stood up and declared that her sister called her. There were also others
who declared their phone calls from heaven. Tess Rafferty from her mother Ruth Rafferty,
Doreen Sellers from her son, Robbie Sellers. And more and more. There were seven of
them, seven Coldwater residents claiming to have spoken to heaven.

Chapter 12: Four Days Later (Pages: 104-106)

Alan Jeremy, a reporter from the ABC News, does a report on the phone calls from
heaven. He talked about the lucky residents who receive calls, how the town has
changed, and how the town has been affected. Some people believed the miracle some
think that it was all made up.

Chapter 13: The Tenth Week (Pages: 107-133)

Sully headed to the Coldwater Public Library to do a research in hopes of disproving the
phone calls from heaven. There, he met Liz, the librarian.

Katherine is crying she was upset by what happened at the town hall meeting. She
thought that the others who came forward are just jealous of her contact with her sister
and are acting out of depression. She felt violated, betrayed. Her private blessing was
now a circus. She closed her eyes and her chest rose and fell. And her phone rang.

Father Carroll brings Bishop Bernard Hibbing to Tess Rafferty’s house to interview her
about the phone calls. The bishop is there to determine if a miracle has happened.

Police Chief Jack Sellers continues to receive calls from his dead son but whenever
someone asks him if he got calls like his ex-wife, he denies it. But Robbie told his father
to not be afraid because fear is how you lose your life. Don’t be afraid because the end
is not the end.

Sully continues to do the research at the library. He was amazed at what he’d found just
researching “contact with the afterlife.” While researching, Ron Jennings calls and asks
him to talk to Horace at the Davidson & Sons funeral home. The librarian kept on asking
Sully what happened to him having to go to jail. But it makes him think about what really
happened that day.

Elliot Gray, the traffic controller was on duty hat day. He gave Sully a clearance to land
on air strip. But because of Elliot’s given clearance, two planes collided in the midair.
Sully’s plane was too damaged. Sully got the chance to eject from the plane before it
crashed in an empty field. He didn’t know that it was a mistake by the air traffic controller
that caused the crash. Elliot fled the scene after realizing his mistake. While waiting for
Sully at the airport, Giselle noticed the rising black smoke in the distance, And worst
thoughts flashing through her mind. She prayed that Sully is safe.
 When Sully reached the funeral home, he talked to Horace; he asked if he wants to renew
his advertising contract. Horace introduced Maria to Sully. Maria is the one who gathers
all their information and puts it together for an obituary.

There had been a competition with the news stations. They were competing to stay one
step ahead of the others. And Amy Penn stays as close as she can to Katherine. She
acts like a friend and made herself indispensable. At the hospital, Katherine visited a
retired autoworker, Ben Wilkes. He was delighted that Katherine comes to see and show
him her great story. They talked about what Diane told Katherine about heaven. And she
said that there is life after life. Ben smiled. The next day, Ben passed away. The doctors
were puzzled. They conclude that Ben’s system had “voluntarily” shut down. That Ben
had given up.

Chapter 14: The Eleventh Week (Pages: 134-138)

According to the archdiocese, Tess Rafferty was the first one to receive the first phone
call from heaven. Two hours earlier than Katherine Yellin. Then one afternoon, when
Tess pulled back the curtains, she saw the difference being the first receiver made. Her
front lawn was covered with worshippers.

Sully had confronted Jules’s teacher and principal. The teacher said that Jules seemed
to be sad and he said in class that his Mommy was in heaven. During recess, Jules found
a toy phone.

Sully tried to explain to his son that it is impossible to talk to her mother. He said that
when someone dies, they go away. Then he had another flash back of the day of the
lane crash. He radioed the control tower after parachuting down but there was no
response.

Chapter 15: One Day Later (Pages: 139-150)

The footage of Katherine’s talk with Ben was aired in the Channel Nine. And because of
what Katherine said to Ben, some people are planning to protest in Coldwater. They
believe that Katherine is responsible for Ben’s death because she gave him hoe on
afterlife. And Phil asked Amy to cover the protests.

Even though it’s cold, Tess still saw people camped out on her backyard. Then she
realized that Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Whenever Tess thought about
Thanksgiving, she remembers the kindness of her mother. Kindness that her mother had
offered to people at a vulnerable time. So she offered the people on her lawn some coffee.

Jack went to Doreen’s house to talk to his son’s friends, Henry and Zeke. The boys asked
what does Robbie tells them when he calls. Doreen answered that Robbie usually says
that ‘the end is not the end.’ Henry and Zeke smiled. The End Is Not the End is Robbie’s
favorite CD of a Christian band.

Sully went to Dial-Tek and asked a favor to Jason. He wanted to know where the phones
of the seven people who claimed are in contact in heaven were bought. They discovered
that four of seven bought their phones there. But six of seven have the same phone
provider and service. Sully had another flash back on the day of the plane crash. He was
taken to the hospital after he parachuted. Giselle, when she saw the smoke from the
crashed plane, she sped up to the airport. And at that same time, Elliot Gray fled the
 facility and jumped into a blue Toyota Camry. Giselle’s car sped around and crashed
Elliot’s car. Giselle was unconscious by the time she arrived at the hospital. She went to
a coma and never recovered. And Elliot Gray was dead.

Chapter 16: The Twelfth Week (Pages: 151-166)

There were protesters on Katherine’s lawn as the news of Ben Wilkes’s death spreads.
Katherine is upset; she doesn’t understand why they are saying that she is responsible
for Ben’s death.

Amy felt torn. She knew Phil wanted a story on these protesters- but how could she talk
to them and not lose Katherine’s trust, the one thing that kept her ahead of the reporters?
Katherine really felt comfortable with Amy already. In fact, she told Amy about her kids.
Katherine told Amy that her kids are being embarrassed by what she did.

Pastor Warren is troubled by the events in Coldwater. All churches in Coldwater were
filled, and Sunday services were standing room only. St. Vincent’s, Father’s Carroll’s
congregation, had grown the most, quadrupling since Tess Rafferty and her visit from the
bishop. Mrs. Pulte, the church secretary, tells him she’ll quit her job because she can’t
handle the crowds and the constantly ringing phone.

Sully and his mother had a different relationship. She asked. He answered. She deduced.
He denied. She asked why he was doing this investigation. He said that he doesn’t like it.
Jules carries a phone. Living in a fantasy. But maybe some of this was for him to make
him feel like he was doing something with his life; maybe some of it was to make the rest
of the world feel the pain that he was feeling, that dead is dead. So he goes to Davidson
& Sons funeral home and while waiting for Horace, he chatted with Maria Nicolini, the
woman who writes obituaries. He found out where her files are. He discovered that she
has tape recordings of her interviews with the family members of the deceased.

A national daytime talk show plans to do a special broadcast from the people who
received phone calls from heaven from Coldwater. Tess, Doreen, Eddie Doukens who
had contact with his deceased ex-wife, Jay James with his former business partner,
Anesh Barua with his departed daughter, and Kelly Podesto with her teenage best friend,
killed last year by a drunk. All but Katherine had agreed to participate in the talk show.
She was planning something of her own.

Chapter 17: Two Days Later (Pages: 167-172)

On Nine Action News, Amy had an interview with Katherine Yellin.

“I didn’t kill anyone. I spread the words given to me from heaven. I didn’t ask for any of
this blessing. The people protesting, they’re the ones missing out. They’re not hearing
God’s message- that heaven is real and none of us should be afraid anymore. I am not
afraid. And I will ask my sister to speak to these people, to tell the truth.’ Katherine said,
crying.

Sully watched his son reading books in the local library. He also asked Liz for newspaper.
He wants to have more details about his investigation. But he cannot figure out how the
voices seem to be real. It couldn’t be an impersonator. No one could pull that off.

Sully thinks back again of the bad news that happened to him. His plane had been
destroyed, his wife had been in a catastrophic accident and two naval officers came to
see him when Giselle was in the hospital. The blood report on Sully showed traces of
alcohol. Sully asked for a lawyer as he was arrested by the naval officers.
Chapter 18: The Thirteenth Week (Pages: 173-182)

On Thanksgiving morning, Tess still saw people on her lawn despite the very cold and
snowy weather. She thought about her mother and she invites the people to come inside
her house and get warm.

A Thanksgiving meal is to be served at the Harvest of Hope Baptist Church. Katherine

calls Pastor Warren if she could still help with the meal. But Pastor Warren hesitated
because if Katherine comes to the church, her presence will cause a commotion.
Katherine then, realizes he does not want her to come and takes back her offer.

Doreen is depressed by the phone calls from Robbie. She believes that the phone calls
were prolonging her grief. So she decided to disconnect her phone.

Sully had Thanksgiving dinner with his son and family. Sully would no longer drink in front
of his father. He remembered how his father was furious that the blood tests after the
plane crash showed Sully had alcohol in his blood. When Sully went to court, no one
believed that the error had been Elliot Gray’s not Sully’s and he was sentenced to ten
months jail.

Thanksgiving night, Sully drove home with Jules already asleep in the backseat. When
they got home, Sully watched a football game on TV when he heard a knock.

When he got up to the keyhole, his heart start to race.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Elias Rowe said.

Chapter 19: The Fourteenth Week (Pages: 183-195)

On Nine Action News’s report, Kelly Podesto admitted that she only made up that she
had contacted her deceased best friend from heaven. But the six others, who claimed
have received phone calls from heaven, have not changed their stories. After Kelly’s
news, the producers of the national daytime talk were thinking to cancel the show they
have planned. They want proof that the calls are real. And they Mayor, Jeff Jacoby doesn’t
want it to be cancel because he is loving the publicity of his city; he wants the publicity to
continue.

Opposing groups were squaring off by the church because of Kelly Podesto’s confession.
Believers kept on saying that heaven is real. But the protestants are saying crazy are
those who hear voices. When Jack Sellers arrives to break the confrontation, a
commotion happened. And then, people are already mobbing each other. Jack felt
something hard clomp him on the head. He stumbled to the ground with his vision blurry,
his scalp bleeding. He was hit on the head.

At Thanksgiving, Tess had been inviting the worshippers in the lawn outside to come
inside her house and had breakfast. They came in shifts. Tess also shared what her
mother told her that in Heaven, there is no fear, no dark and you are loved. A Spanish
woman approached Tess and said that her mother is a saint but Tess disagreed, her
mother was just a caterer.
 Sully drove towards the Dial-Tek store, where he’ll meet Elias Rowe. He thought back to
the night when Elias showed up at his door. Elias had been staying at his cabin in the
Upper Peninsula. He’d only come home for Thanksgiving. Elias told Sully about Nick
Joseph, their history, Nick’s troubled death, his phone calls and about the throwing the
phone in Lake Michigan. Sully told him that he believes that this was all a hoax. Elias and
Sully learned that Elias had the same phone plan as the others who claimed to receive
calls from heaven. Sully asks if Elias can get a new phone to see if the phone calls from
heaven are true or only a hoax.

Amy talked to her fiancée through the phone. They had a fight because he is upset
because Amy spends all of her time in Coldwater and makes no time for him even if
they’re supposed to be married.

Chapter 20: The Fifteenth Week (Pages: 196-209)

Doreen visited Jack at the police station how badly Jack is hurt. Doreen said that she got
rid of the phones. She said it wasn’t making her happy; it just made her miss Robbie
more.

Sully reviewed the names on his list: Tess Rafferty, Katherine Yellin, Doreen Franklin,
Anesh Barua, Eddie Doukens, Jay James, and Elias Rowe. He told Liz that his figuring
out how to have details on those people. Liz asked if it was the dead people he was
saying, and Jules heard the word dead and announced that he knows what dead is, that
it is what happened to his Mommy, but he believes that his Mommy can still talk and she
will call him. Liz suggested that maybe the obituaries have the details he wants. She said
that maybe Maria’s backup copies of files may be at the newspaper.

Mayor Jeff Jacoby called the TV producers, Katherine, Amy, Phil and Jack for a meeting.
He asks Katherine to allow her next phone call from heaven to be broadcast on the
national show. But the woman who started the whole thing, Amy Penn, objects.

Elias Rowe bought a cellphone for his and Sully’s experiment. He’d given no one the
number. One Friday morning, he felt his phone vibrating. And when he read the display,
it showed UNKNOWN. Three minutes later, after he answered the call, his hands were
shaking. He dialed Sully’s number. He told Sully that Nick just called him.

At the Bible study of Pastor Warren, the people who attended the study talked about
Katherine, Tess and others who received phone calls from heaven. Pastor Warren, when
he heard mayor’s plan of a televised broadcast of Katherine Yellin speaking with her dead
sister, he was upset. He told himself that this was wrong. Scripture reminded him to be
humble, but a heat burned inside him; he felt as if he’d been slapped in the face. He warns
the people that what is happening in Coldwater is wrong. Because we can’t demand
miracles. We cannot expect them. When he asked the congregation what the word
manna means, no one answered. He was asking what is happening to Coldwater. Then
he collapsed.

Chapter 21: The Sixteenth Week (Pages: 210-250)

Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone, but Thomas Edison created “Hello.”
Edison told a magazine that he was working on a “spirit phone,” a device that might let
people one day speak to the dead.
“I believe that life, like matter, is indestructible,” he said. “If there are personalities in
another existence . . . who wish to get in touch with us in this existence . . . this apparatus
would at least give them a better opportunity.”

The event was set for Friday, three days before Christmas. The location was the high
school football field. Police chief, Jack Sellers, who is against the idea, wouldn’t ensure
the safety of an indoor filming. Amy Penn would not cover the event. Phil Boyd sent her
home and assigned his top news anchor to take her place.

Friday morning, a week before the event, the Katherine’s phone rang. It was Diane. Diane
asked how Katherine was and Katherine poured it all out, she expressed her frustration,
the protesters, the doubters and the nonbelievers. Katherine asked Diane if she will speak
with her in front of everyone and let them know that the phone calls are real. Diane
agreed. And Katherine smiled through her tears.

In two months he’d been working for the Gazette, Sully never met anyone on the editorial
side. He didn’t want to. But now, he had a reason, because of Liz’s suggestion that
someone at the newspaper might have Maria’s obituary interviews. Ron Jennings
gathered the entire staff and had a meeting.

After the meeting, Sully talked to Elwood Jupes. He tried to get some information for his
investigation but he didn’t get much.

Jack visited Tess and helped hr to cook pancakes to give the people in her lawn. Since
Thanksgiving, her house is always filled with visitors, the worshippers. Jack liked being
around Tess. And her genuine humility captured him the most. Jack tried to talk her about
the Friday event. She asked her why he was so worried about the show and Jack said
that he was afraid that he will not be able to protect her.

Elias and Sully meet at the library and reviewed the conversation Elias had with Nick
Joseph. Nick told him that he should take care of him. Elias asked he was calling but Nick
didn’t mention heaven but he always say that Elias should do what’s right. While talking
Liz screamed. There were two hands on the glass. Sully went out to the door and saw a
blue car pulling away.

Amy Penn had gone home to her rented duplex in Alpena. There, she noticed that Rick,
her fiancé was gone. She picked up her cell to call him but she never dialed. Instead she
got back in her car and drove all the way to Coldwater to be with Katherine and see how
things turn out with the TV show. When she got back to Katherine’s house they talked
about men and how they get away. They talked to each other sincerely and they realized
they found a true friend.

Sully visited the Davidson & Sons again and talked to Maria again. When she steps out
of the room for a few minutes, Sully took her obituary files on the deceased who have
supposedly made the phone calls from heaven. On his way out, he met a couple whose
father is very sick. They asked Sully if his wife ever called her from heaven. Sully was
irritated he said that apparently it doesn’t happen to everybody.
In the parking lot, Sully unleashed his anger. It reminds him of her dead wife. Another
little rip in his heart. As he yanked open the driver’s door, he saw a blue Ford Fiesta in
the funeral home parking lot. Someone was in it, watching him.

Pastor Warren had a mild heart incident. He should be fine. While lying in the hospital
bed, Elias Rowe visited him. His mouth fell slightly open. Warren hadn’t seen him since
 his confirmation of Katherine’s miracle. Elias asked for forgiveness. Then he brought Sully
to Warren. They talked about Nick. They didn’t know that he had a child and neither
anyone on his crew. They realized that Nick Joseph calls Elias to take care of Nick’s son.
Pastor Warren suggested that Elias could help Nick’s son now to make up for what
happened before.

The stage for the show is now set. The chosen ones will be interviewed and will take
questions from the audience. All this would happen while Katherine waits for Diane’s call.
A camera would be on her all time. And the producers already tested her flip phone
through loudspeakers. Experts on communicating with the dead will be interviewed too.

Coldwater was immeasurable; people would watch and they would keep watching as long
as they thought a blessed voice was coming. Whether heaven truly existed never entered
the equation.

Sully suspects Elwood Jupes as the master of the phone calls. He’d learned that the blue
Ford Fiesta parked at the funeral home and the car of the man who looked at the library
window was Elwood’s. He’d gone by the Gazette parking lot and peeked inside the car
and saw boxes on the backseat, including several from Radio Shack. Sully followed
Elwood when he left the building. Elwood went to the home of Tess Rafferty. And he went
inside the house. An hour later, Elwood emerged and drove to the high school field, the
site of the broadcast. Sully saw Elwood examining the staging, the lights, and the control
center- flashing his press credentials if anyone approached him. Then he drove back to
gazette. Sully went to the library and told Liz that he suspects Elwood Jupes. Liz told him
about Elwood’s daughter, she killed herself year ago. He went to Gazette and got the
story of Elwood’s daughter’s death. He also found out from Jason that Elwood was on the
same phone plan as the others.

While Elias and Sully figure out with the clues they have, Police Jack Sellers comes by
and asks Sully to come with him. They went to the Coldwater Police Department. Jack
interrogates Sully about the phone calls. Elwood has told Jack that Sully is behind the
calls but Sully said that he thinks that Elwood was the one behind the calls.

Chapter 22: The Day of the Broadcast (Pages: 251-302)

Sully thought how fool he was for suspecting the wrong person. He regrets the time he
wasted. He keeps on disapproving a miracle while his son kept on loving him, a small
miracle in it. While Sully and Jules was eating breakfast, Jules told his father to not feel
sad because Giselle will call her. When Sully went to his father and mother’s house, he
learned that Horace Belfin in not the owner of Davidson & Sons funeral home. He just
bought a share of the place so the real owner could retire. Horace isn’t from Coldwater
and he has only been working a little over a year.

Sully went to the funeral home and found Maria alone. He learned that Horace wasn’t
working during Fridays. Fridays. All those calls on Fridays. He learned that Horace started
working one month after his plane crash. Horace was in the military service, he was
stationed at Fort Belvoir. Sully knows that Fort Belvoir specializes in wiretaps and phone
intercepts. Sully realizes that Horace is likely the one behind the phone calls from heaven
hoax. Sully remembered that Horace knew about everyone who had a funeral in
Coldwater- Nick Joseph, Ruth Rafferty, Robbie Sellers and Giselle. Sully had reached Liz
and met her at the library he asked for Horace’s address. Liz doesn’t have the address of
Horace so they went to the Coldwater Collection real estate agency.
By noon, every seat in the stands was occupied. Generators cranked up heat blowers.
Amy Penn told Katherine she can back out anytime but Katherine doesn’t want. She
believes that she needs to do this. Jack escorted Tess through the high school doors.
Jack also said that she doesn’t have to do this but, Tess isn’t afraid of any questions. As
Jack neared the stage steps, his cellphone rang. It was Robbie. He said that Jack should
tell the people where he was.

The show started and the doctor who specializes in paranormal communications is being
interviewed. While the host is asking questions phones rang. Each phone of the chosen
ones except for Katherine’s was ringing and was going off. They looked to each other.
Even Jack’s phone was ringing. The voices all said the same thing, “We are here.” Jack
Sellers was also interviewed. He admitted that he also receives calls from his son. The
voice Jack received said “The end is not the end.”

But there are nonbelievers screaming that they won’t believe because they don’t hear
anything that the chosen ones could be lying. Elwood was one of those who shouted. And
the host asked him if he thinks that those people only made it up and he said yes. The
host asked if why he wasn’t with the rest of the media if he’s a reporter for the local paper.
Elwood answered that before had a job, he was a resident there, he went to school there,
he got married there, raised his daughter there and his daughter died there. He confessed
that he received a phone call from her daughter he told the voice not to play around and
that if she calls again, he’ll tape it and go to police. And she never called again.

Sully arrives at Horace’s house and finds a camouflaged telephone tower there. He
entered a barn and calls out Horace’s name but he got no response. He turned on the
light and saw copies of Maria’s obituary reports. He saw familiar names Barua, Rafferty,
Sellers, Yellin and Harding, Giselle. Sully hears Horace calling his name outside. He
followed the sound then peered out from behind the door.

After the interruption of Elwood, Katherine’s phone rang. All eyes went on her as she
answers the phone.

Sully goes outside and sees Horace at the door of the farmhouse. He waves Sully in his
direction. As Sully walked he thought that this might be a trap but he goes in the house
anyway. He finds Horace sitting in the basement in a room full of TV screens, computer
monitors, keyboards and racks of sophisticated electronic equipment. Horace pressed a
key then on the screen; Katherine Yellin could be seen looking at her phone. It rang.
When Katherine answered to the phone call, her voice boomed over the basement
speakers. Sully saw Horace reading from a list on a screen then tapped several keys.
Then Diane’s voice answered. Sully heard it in the basement. Katherine heard it in her
ear. The crowd heard it in the stands. And people worldwide heard it on their TV sets or
computers.

Alexander Bell’s dream of humans speaking from far away had come to a full and bizarre
circle. A dead woman’s voice re-created was now having a conversation with the living.

While Katherine was talking to Diane, Horace continued to type quickly. He was using an
equipment that help him answers Katherine’s questions about heaven. Sully became
furious and attacks the equipment around him; he pulled the cords from the walls and
swept the machines off of the shelves and carts onto the floor. Sully saw Horace watching
him as he destroys his equipments, not angry, not scolding, and not even surprised. Sully
asked Horace why he does these terrible things to the people. Horace showed him the
TV that shows the people’s reaction after Diane’s call. So many people are crying and
 hugging each other. Sully told him that he’ll tell everyone. Sully demands for an
explanation. Horace told him about how far technology changed. He detailed how he used
voice recognition and editing software and the recordings of the dead people’s voices to
recreate the voices for the phone calls. But Sully wanted more explanation. More
explanation of what’s the reason for doing this. Horace said he wanted people to believe
in heaven. To do penance. Sully asked why Coldwater and Horace said because of Sully.

Sully doesn’t understand. Horace told him to check the name on the deed to his house.
Horace said he knows how Sully feels when he never got to say good-bye. And Horace
left the room killing the power to the entire property. Sully returns to his car and starts
driving back to town. Sully checked the name on the deed to Horace’s house and learns
it is Elliot Gray, the name of the air traffic controller whose instructions caused him to
crash. And while checking the deed, his phone rang. It was a friend of Elwood Jupes, he
called him because Sully wanted to say something about the hoax phone calls. Then the
line ended. He waaited for another call and it rang again. He asked if he lose him but a
woman’s voice answered, Giselle’s voice said ‘never.’ Sully thought that it was Horace
doing the call. And then before the line went dead, Giselle said that if he loves her, don’t
tell him. Sully made a U-turn and headed the other way. Elliot Gray, I will kill you, he
thought.

Katherine had only wanted to honor her sister. Amy Penn had only wanted a big career.
Elias Rowe only wanted to run his business. Pastor Warren only wanted to serve God.
And Sully Harding had one desire: to kill a man named Elliot Gray, or Horace Belfin, or
whoever he was, to make him pay for the ways he haunted Sully’s life. When he reached
Horace’s house, he learned that he would kill no one tonight.

Chapter 23: After Midnight (Pages: 303-308)

Sully turned around again to go back to town. He saw police cars in Horace’s home. While
driving, he thought that the police might be looking for him next. Because Horace said
that he was the reason why he did the hoax phone calls. While stuck behind traffic, he
loses his patience, he passed the line of traffic going faster and faster but he loses control
of his car and it crashed onto the frozen lake. Sully became unconscious.

While being unconscious, Giselle talked to him. He asked for forgiveness for his absence
during her funeral, forgiveness for not saying good-bye. Giselle looked at Jules and said
that she didn’t suffer once she knew that he was alive. Then Giselle said “Don’t tell him
please, don’t tell him there’s no heaven. He needs to believe. He needs to believe you
do, too.” Sully revives enough to get out of the car safely before the ice crashes.

Chapter 24: The Next Day (Pages: 309-310)

ABC news reports that Horace Belfin may have been involved in creating phone calls. He
was found dead in his home. And the “Miracle at Coldwater” may be in doubt.

Chapter 25: Two Days Later (Pages: 311- 320)

A midmorning holiday service was held at Harvest of Hope Baptist Church, which also
served as the memorial service for Pastor Warren. Elias Rowe was there and he stood
again to declare that no matter what anyone says he knows that Pastor Warren is in
heaven. Katherine was also there at the service she’s with Amy Penn whom she
 introduces as her friend. Jack Sellers helped Tess Rafferty as she hosted a houseful of
visitors.

Jack handed Sully an envelope while Sully’s in the hospital. It was a letter from Horace.
Horace asks for forgiveness through. He admitted at the letter that he was the father of
Elliot Gray Jr. He stated that he was the one who destroyed the flight recordings. He had
an argument with his son before the plane crash. And he believes that that argument
distracted his son causing him to err when giving instructions to Sully. Elliot Gray Sr., felt
guilty for his son’s death and Giselle’s death. He came to Coldwater to settle his debts for
his child and for Sully. The hoax phone calls were an attempt to make up for his son and
Sully’s wife death. He wanted the people to believe that heaven is real.

Sully grabbed his phone and checked the time Giselle called her. It was at 7:44 p.m. He
called Jack Sellers to ask for Horace’s time of death it was 6:52 p.m. Giselle’s call wasn’t
manipulated. He ran fast to the living room and hugged Jules in his arms.

Chapter 26: Two Months Later (Pages: 321- 323)

Coldwater do not receive phone calls from heaven anymore. It was as if the miracle had
blown away. Horace’s equipments had been seized. It is proven that Horace Belfin was
the man behind the hoax phone calls. Life gets back to normal in Coldwater. But because
of these hoax phone calls, the people had steered to just what they needed. Katherine
Yellin had made a sisterly friend with Amy Penn who left the TV station and rented a small
house in town. Tess Rafferty and Jack Sellers found comfort in one another. Elias Rowe
making amends with Nick Joseph’s family.

Late at night, at Coldwater, a seven-year-old boy hears noise from his blue toy. He lifts
the toy to his ear and smiled. Proving that heaven is always and forever around us, and
no soul remembered is really gone.

E. Theme/ Moral Lessons

The story taught the readers the acceptance of death. On the story, the chosen
ones found it hard to get over from their loved ones’ lost. The hoax phone calls helped
them to cope up and get over with it because they’re in a place safe and sound. I learned
many lessons in this book. I learned to strengthen my faith. I learned that while it is still
possible, we should tell and express our feelings to our loved ones before it’s too late.
This story gave hope for forgiveness. And the lesson that I will remember the most is to
give thanks for the miracles God continuously give us. This story made me realize that
having a new day is a miracle, that having someone, our family and our friends, who
unconditionally love us is a miracle. These miracles maybe small but it is still something
we should thank for.

V. CONCLUSION

I find Mitch Albom as Horace Belfin in the story. Horace created the hoax phone calls
because he wanted the people in Coldwater, Michigan to believe in God and to believe in
God’s ability. I conclude that Albom wants to tell the readers that we should also believe in
God too because it will bring us to something better and to do penance. As what he
mentioned in the story, “if it believes, it behaves better.” And to make people believe in
heaven and those miracles could happen. He also wants to inform people that people may
have different religion or races, still, God will give us what we deserve.
VI. EVALUATION

The generation today, especially the youth are not that religious than the generation
before. Majority of the people no longer have time to go to Church that becomes a result of
having lack of faith to God. People who also lost some loved ones and those who didn’t get
what they prayed for also lost their hope. I recommend this book because this can help
people realize that they need to strengthen their faith and they can also learn other lessons
in this book that will help them to change their lifestyle into something better. The story is
best for those who lost hope, depressed and grieving. This story will surely inspire them.