Book Review
By Default Admin User, February 18, 2009
“The Shack!”
William P Young
A very powerful and gripping story, that in the first instance gets you wondering if it’s based on true facts or not. I’m pretty sure it’s actually fiction, but that doesn’t really matter, as the many powerful messages are there and real just the same.
Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book.”
Mack is a husband and a father, who broods on what faith and tough realities look like hand-in-hand. He’s had a challenged background and has already overcome many severe trials in life, when he is faced with the abduction of his youngest and cherished 6 year old daughter Missy.
The first half of this book sets the scene and paints a terrifying and unresolved picture… then it appears God steps in.
The second half of the book is based around a long weekend, with God ‘the parent’ (a voluptuous black lady), Jesus and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit). Together they illustrate the power of a trusting loving relationship and between them they unravel the pain and confusion that threatens to suffocate Mack.
This book deals with so many tough issues: trust, judging God, believing in family, eternity, forgiveness and on and on. It’s beautifully descriptive and brings many smiles to your face. It didn’t present all the answers, but it did give me a new perspective and left me hungry to trust God and wanting more than anything to be in this close communication… and the wonder of real relationship with Him.
Many people around me that have read this book and each have different aspects that deeply impacted them. I cried for Mack’s pain, but I cried more from the amazing insights into my own situations. I recognized wrong mindsets in myself and slightly warped thinking. I fell deeply in love with God all over again and I determined to deal with some family issues as a result of seeing what happened when Mack never.
With a willing heart and an open mind, God will take you on a spiritual health check with this book!
Give it some time, you won’t regret it. I have a couple to give away if anyone wants one.
Comments (1)
Loved the book but was sad when I realised it was fiction as I have conversations with God like this all the time….it made me feel like I was not alone for just that short space of time.