This memoir that reached best-seller status tells of a person’s experience with a spiritual mentor. Written by a young professional who had lost the ideals his mentor had demonstrated in college, the narrative describes the journey back to that relationship. The book, inspirational and thought provoking, praises a wonderful man, illustrates death as the next step in life, and honors friendship.
Because the book is nonfiction, students will see that good, even great, people still live in our time. This revision expands activities and research opportunities. It incorporates tools to examine significant moments in the text and relate academic life to daily life.
Literary terms addressed in this unit include nonfiction, conflict, character, plot, point of view, tone, theme, setting, mood, and nostalgia. This unit calls for students to engage in creative reading, participate in small group and large group discussions, chart fiction to show the plot progression, analyze characters, illustrate ideas in cartoon fashion, create dialogues for presentation, and appreciate nonfiction.
Students also have the opportunity to compare the movie, produced as a result of the book’s popularity, with the book.
The unit includes an objective test, answer key, and essay questions.
