How to Read Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith as a Memoirist

Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith is an ode to humanity. It incites transformation, walks someone back home, and tells two tales as compelling as his portrait of Morrie Schwartz.

In the beginning was a request: a rabbi you’ve known your whole life is asking you to do his eulogy when he’s gone.

In another beginning was a plea: a man, clinging for his dear life, is pleading with Jesus to save him.

The two beginnings collide; their tales weave together halfway through your story. And between the pages of these two lives, you pen a pious tapestry in a memoir that people may learn yet another lesson on how to decode life itself. 

Such is the journey of Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith.

Mitch has a way of approaching a memoir that goes beyond expectations. His first one, Tuesdays with Morrie, was such a success despite rejections. Yet after millions of books sold worldwide, Mitch has established an authority in creative nonfiction.

What makes Mitch’s nonfiction stand out is the way he uses authenticity. He doesn’t force an idea; he only presents emotional truth with factual events. His Have a Little Faith, for example, talks about beliefs without shoving them down the reader’s throat. It invites rather than compels. It tells a story rather than preaches. This provides readers with an avenue to explore concepts for themselves.

When a slice of life manifests in writing, it becomes a powerful tool for exploration; a breathing philosophy of ages from real lives with real stories. And like life itself, the pages from a memoir continue beyond the book’s ending. Who knows what lies beyond the closing folios? That makes a memoir more interesting—it doesn’t only mirror; it also suggests another angle and opens doors to another adventure. The book may have ended, but the real denouement has yet to come—for you’ll continue the story with your own.

The two respected religious figures in Have a Little Faith led lives worth learning from. And Mitch, in his prowess, powerfully blends the two faiths (Christianity and Judaism), offering unity rather than spiritual competition.

What you can glean from this book will continue to weave with the fabric of your life—as a lesson, a source of inspiration, a seed of hope. Whether a Jew or Christian or any other religion, I believe Mitch’s Have a Little Faith can be a good resource for meaning.

After reading it, you may find more questions than answers. But it invites you to cast your own plea to rewrite your life—as if it’s only just beginning.

Want to write a memoir as effective as this? Let’s help you craft your story that not only narrates but also changes lives. Send your draft to The Manuscript Editor, and receive an 800-word sample edit.