I must admit I did struggle a little to get through this book. I found myself constantly have to go back and remember what I thought were insignificant events in the previous chapters. I also found the situation rather heavy and had to put the book down simply to reflect the gravity I had just read.The book opens a lot of debatable questions in both heart and mind. It also challenges religion and many religious issues which under some churches would not be accepted. Thus when reading I tried to keep an open mind.
Young initially wrote The Shack as a Christmas gift for his 6 children with no obvious aim of publishing it. Some friends also read the book and encouraged him to publish it for the general public. Young and his two partners (former pastors from Los Angeles) had no success, so they formed Wind Blown Media for the sole purpose of publishing The Shack. The Shack has achieved its number 1 best selling achievement via word-of-mouth and with the help of a $300.00 web site; nothing else has been spent on marketing up to September 2007.
The Shack revolves around Mack (Mackenzie) Philips. Four years before this story begins, Mack’s daughter, Missy, was kidnapped during a family holiday. Although her body was never found, the police did find proof in an abandoned shack to confirm that she had been viciously murdered by a infamous serial killer who preyed on little girls. As the story starts, Mack, who has been living in the darkness of his Great Sadness, receives a bizarre letter that is apparently from God. God requests Mack to revisit the shack for a get together. Though unsure, Mack visits the scene of the crime and there has a weekend-long encounter with God, or, more properly, with the godhead.
The Shack made me reflect, made me laugh, made me curious and in some places brought me to tears. It is incredibly moving and is definitely a book that helps you to appreciate what you have, and who you have in your life. Weather you choose to believe in the possibility of the events ever happening is up to you. However I do advise it to be read with the utmost attention to detail and to imagine it as a true story. Once the book is finished a lot of the puzzle comes together and I personally am grateful to have read it.
PS. This book is not for the faint hearted!
xoxo
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