The Stranger in the Lifeboat

By Mitch Albom

HarperCollins, 2021. 271 pages. $29 (e-book $16, audio $24)

In a sea of uncertainty it’s natural to feel adrift. Yet even there faith can uplift us, as this stirring American novel shows.

The story follows a shipwreck on the open ocean. On a raft with limited supplies, the survivors struggle to cope with their fears, learning to use what time they have to make amends.

Just when things seem most desperate, a man swims to the raft, curiously unscarred, unlike the weathered, wounded crewmembers. To their astonishment he says he is the Lord, arriving to personally answer their prayers.

Miracles occur, but the crew must contend with their doubts.

The story is emotionally raw and gripping, reaching a new level beyond author Mitch Albom’s previous inspirational works, blurring the line between the earthly and mystical. It is comparable to William Paul Young’s

The Shack in its treatment of Christ’s humanity, fleshing out God’s love for His children in fresh ways.

Albom’s characterization of the crew captures the complexity of humanity. Through their interwoven stories he tackles crucial questions. What does it mean to live versus to survive? What do we salvage from the debris of the present when the future is bleakly indiscernible? How do we respond when God appears silent?

There are important lessons offered here. This parable addresses human suffering as vast as the sea while also showing the transcendent breadth of God’s love can heal such pain. Each character reacts differently, but they come to see they are interlinked, finding common identity in Christ, finding muchneeded hope.