Book Review -- The Shack by William P Young

The Shack, by William P. Young, is that rare book that challenges, questions, entertains, saddens, and delights ... all at the same time. The second dedication (after the author's wife) reads, to ...

" ... all us stumblers who believe Love rules. Stand up and let it shine."

It is a book that explores secrets, pain, loss and anger and how they can be redeemed with love and forgiveness.

Mack's youngest daughter, Missy, is abducted on a camping trip where Mack is the parent-in-charge. This happens as he is actively saving the lives of another child in a boating mishap. Evidence suggesting her murder is found in an abandoned shack.

Four years later, mired in The Great Sadness, Mack receives a note ...

Mackenzie,

It's been a while. I've missed you.
I'll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together.

-- Papa

Mack goes to the cabin, meets and interacts with Elousia (Papa), Sarayu, and Jesus. Together they explore his life (back to childhood relationships and abuse), joys and sorrows (his friends, work and family), the impact of Missy and her life on his, and what comes next. It follows pain and regret, through forgiveness to freedom ... for all his relationships.

You may be surprised by the personifications of the Godhead ... and, yes, some might be put off. This book confronts many of our conventions ... especially those so entrenched that we have forgotten why we hold them. One of the most interesting challenges, to me, was boundaries often set between (and separating) us from God.

Eugene Peterson, in a cover comments, says, " This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good! "

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Title: The Shack
Author: William P. Young
ISBN: 978-0-9647292-3-0
Publisher: Windblown Media: Los Angeles, CA/2007
Pages: 248
Genre: Religious Fiction

Links to the paperback --

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Borders

Also available in hardcover and on CD.

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And while you are ordering the book, in preparation for that good read ...

One joy of reading (anything but a textbook) is savouring the words. To me, this is often enhanced by a great cup of coffee or tea ... which made including this book in the CoffeeMate challenge a perfect fit.

In The Shack, one of the gifts Papa shares often during the weekend together is food ... sometimes comfort food, sometimes exotic, always aromatic and enticing.

CoffeeMate Fat Free Cinnamon Vanilla Creme fit perfectly with the descriptions of breakfasts and pies. We have a local book group that is going to discuss this in about two weeks, and you can be sure we'll include several smooth flavours to complement the evening.