The Shack by William P. Young

The Shack

 by William P. Young
$14.95

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: Windblown Media; 1st edition (July 1, 2007)

ISBN-10: 0964729237

ISBN-13: 978-0964729230

Annotation/Flashtalk:

One icy day, Mack Philips finds a note in his mailbox.  “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”   Is this a cruel joke being played on him by his daughter’s killer? Or is it really God (Papa, as his wife Nan calls him) inviting Mack to chat? If it is really God, why would he want to make Mack go back to such a horrific place?

Summary:

Mack, his wife Nan and their children lived a happy existence out in the woods on the outskirts of town.  One day, Mack took the kids on a camping trip while Nan went to Seattle to take a continuing education course.  While camping, the unthinkable happened, their youngest daughter Missy was kidnapped and presumed murdered by a serial kidnapper/killer the “Little Ladykiller.” The only remains they found were Missy’s torn and blood-soaked dress in a rundown cabin about two hours away from where Missy was taken. 

Flash forward to the day Mack found a cryptic note in his mailbox. “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.” Papa was Nan’s name for God.  Unsure if it was a trap, a cruel joke, or a real invitation from God, Mack makes plans to head back out to the old shack. 

Once at the shack, Mack begins to have an amazing experience. The ramshackle shack is converted a new, and the barren cold and icy landscape is transformed into a beautiful garden paradise.  At the cabin Mack meets God first in the form of a matriarch African-American woman; Jesus in the form of an immigrant carpenter/handyman; and the holy spirit in the form of a graceful and ethereal gardener. Together they explore Mack’s loss, pain, and his questions about faith and God’s plan. 

Genre/Subgenre: Christian Fiction

Evaluation: 2-stars.