My Rating: 4/5
What can I say about a book that leaves you moved beyond words.
What can I say about a book that is gut-wrenching without being melodramatic.
What can I say about a book that reinforces love and family, and doing whatever it takes to keep the unit together.
And finally, what can I say about Mitch Albom, who gave us Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven.
Finding Chika is a book that is straight from Mitch’s heart. I fell in love with the book long back when I watched a video of Mitch talking about Chika. I pre-ordered the book. Even the cover design is so lovely.
This is the story of a little spirited girl called Chika, who lived through the worst earthquake Haiti had ever seen, and waltzed into the life of Mitch and his wife, Janine. She lived all of seven years, but she filled the lives of everyone around her with joy during that time. Her’s was no ordinary life.
Mitch and Janine run an orphanage in Haiti, and that is where they met little Chika. It had to be destiny for someone all the way from Detroit, to be drawn to Haiti after the earthquake of 2010. For the childless couple, Chika was a precious gift. They cherished their time with her while doing everything they could to fight the thing that was destroying her within her brain. They knew it was a losing battle. Nevertheless, they never gave up hope. Because Chika never gave up her spirit.
Even after Chika is gone, it is she who goads Mitch to complete this book, in spirit.
The book is simple, warm, fuzzy, sad, sweet, and tear-jerking, all at the same time.
Mitch sums it up beautifully when he says: ‘We did not lose a child. We were given one.’
Thank you for such a beautiful, sensitive, and touching read Mitch Albom.
Anu Anniah Writes 