This novel tells the fascinating but sad story of one man's tragic past. While suffering a gruesome death, he learns life lessons from his past that lead him to understand his life's purpose. The book begins at Ruby Pier on the protagonist's birthday; His name is Eddie. While he is going about his usual routine at work, something bad happens. One of the rides stops. As this incident continues, Eddie gives his co-worker, a man named Dominquez, instructions on how to repair the ride. Unfortunately, one of the carts breaks and falls out of the way and crashes to the ground. The protagonist then jumps out of the way where the cart will fall, and in doing so, he tries to save this little girl by pushing her out of the way. Unfortunately, Eddie is unable to escape the cart in time and is killed by the impact of its fall on him. After this, Eddie wakes up and finds himself in paradise. Immediately afterwards, his first assigned individuals arrive, the Blue Man. This person begins to tell Eddie that he is going to meet five people in heaven who he has deeply impacted throughout his life. He also tells Eddie that because of what he did in his life, he is the indirect cause of his death. This being because when Eddie was a child; he and his friend Joe were playing a game with a bouncing ball in the street. As Eddie ran down the middle of the road to get the ball, the Blue Man almost ran him over. He moved out of the way, trying to avoid hitting Eddie. The saddest part was that Eddie was fine and safe, but the Blue Man had a panic attack because he almost ran over Eddie. His nervousness caused him to leave the road and crash into another car, which killed him. At the end of his story, this man teaches...... middle of paper ......ted after his death. The fourth lesson that Marguerite teaches Eddie is essentially the power of love. She states that even if people pass away, their love does not die. Marguerite tells Eddie that her love remained faithful and true even after his death and that whatever her love was, it was eternal. The last person Eddie meets in Paradise is a young Asian girl named Tala. While talking to him, she explains that he killed her in a fire. Eddie, surprised, quickly realizes that it was her, the little girl he saw burning in the camp during the war. Tala then changes her skin revealing all the burns and scars left by the fire. Eddie symbolically cleanses her of all her burns and renews her spirit. For this reason, she then shows him the final lesson. Eddie's basic purpose in this world was to be at Ruby Pier to protect the children from danger..