We Are Their Heaven

May 1, 2006
Dubois, a famous medium (the lead character in the TV show Medium is based on her), assures readers in the introduction to her second book that "there is a heaven, a flawless place where we exist after we die." The details that follow take up only one paragraph, but they constitute a rare occurrence in this book: specific information. For most of the volume, DuBois shirks the kind of careful recording of facts that would go a long way toward convincing skeptics of her talent for bridging the gap between the living and the dead. Full names, dates, and details are all missing in this work, loosely organized around a collection of conversations DuBois has had with the departed relatives of her clients (the consistently positive recollections of her clients are also included). However, their voice and DuBois' are strangely homogenous, revealing little about anyone involved. DuBois tends to repeat the same insights instead of providing specifics to build her case. While her advice to mourners could be useful and lead to genuine healing, there is not much more insight here than in any other well-meaning person's mediation on life and death.