A Book Review

Now I am not one for fad books. You know the ones I mean - everyone is reading them because Everyone. Is. Reading. Them! That's how I felt about The Shack by William P. Young at first. "It's one of 'those' books," I thought. Then I took a good look at the people recommending it to me - close, Catholic friends who are not "everyone." After receiving a copy for Christmas, I dove right in & for once, I was glad I went for a fad!

Description: Mack is a father of five. His youngest daughter was kidnapped & murdered while they were on a family camping trip. He struggles w/ a range of emotions - guilt, frustration, anger, sadness. Several years later, he receives a note from God, asking him to come to the shack - the place where evidence to his daughter's murder was found. After much deliberation, he decides to go, hoping he'll finally get some answers to her death. What he gets & finds is a whole lot more & goes much deeper! He encounters the Holy Trinity & discovers that God the Father, God the Son, & God the Holy Spirit are not quite how he's pictured them his whole life.

From the back cover: "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 & perhaps transform you as much as it did him."

This is a deep, thought-provoking book. No matter where you are in your walk w/ God, the book will meet you along that path & carry you to a deeper level. My Small Church Community is reading it together, now that we've each read it on our own. It's interesting to share various parts which speak to us & see how we've been helped on our individual journeys.

Side Note: It is not a Catholic book & I know some of the thoughts &/or descriptions are not the Catholic view of things. However, I feel strong enough in my faith & the Holy Spirit has guided me through it & my faith journey. Also, other than one couple I know, everyone I've talked to who's read the book is Catholic.