The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

250 pages

"Mackenzie Allen Phillip's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

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." -Back Cover

"Papa" (God) appears to Mack in the form of a woman, claiming that the form of a woman is most relatable to Mack since he has a dark history with his own father. Jesus Christ appears as a man and explains that he is completely human, leaving godliness behind by choice to more fully experience humanity. The Holy Spirit also appears in the form of a woman (translucent) who dresses like a hippie. So, it was a stretch for me, to say the least. The Savior was written much too casually for me, but the love they felt for Mack and for each other was real and palpable. About halfway through I had to finally decide that if I was going to finish the book, I was going to have to set aside my own beliefs and instead focus on the messages and themes that I could relate to.

Ultimately, this is a story of forgiveness and redemption, of re-turning to God. Mack walks away from the shack a changed person, having let God into his life and heart, and having let go of the "Great Sadness" which has weighed him down and caused him so much sorrow. There is some beautiful imagery in this book, like the part where Mack and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) work in a garden which represents Mack's soul. There is a great chapter on judgment. There is a very touching moment when Papa and the Savior explain that Missy was never alone during her final moments and then Mack sees Missy, happy, playing with the Savior.

I'd recommend this book with an asterisk attached. This book did not change anything that I believe about God, the Savior, or the Holy Ghost. Parts of it even reinforced my own beliefs because of the differences. There are some wonderful messages in this book that all of us can relate to, regardless of religion, and perhaps the world would be a better place if we did. There are also some ideas that at times made the story harder to read and relate to because of my beliefs. What I take away from this story is the desire to live better the things that I believe in and strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior, to be a little softer, less judgmental, and more loving. I think that any book that does that is worth reading.