The Shack

by William P. Young

To even have the possibility of enjoying The Shack, you need to be equipped with two things. One, a belief or interest in Christianity; and, two, the patience to continue reading through a dark and emotionally exhausting experience in order to find a redeeming purpose.

It is a book about a man who is broken by a terrible event in his life and must return to the scene of this devastating hurt. In The Shack, the man enters into a weekend-long conversation with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. William P. Young, the author, is incredibly descriptive in his writing and draws you into some of the strongest imagery I've read in a long time. The story is poignant and beautiful, though folks who are not Christian may be turned off by the obvious religious base of the story.

Although the novel may not be for everyone, the underlying theme is. Everyone has a "shack", a place of darkness and hurt that begins to overshadow the good in life. Everyone has a moment, day, month, or year, where doubt erases hope and fear overcomes faith. Some people experience it briefly and some for lengthy periods of time. Some events are widely recognized as tragedies while others may be something that only those affected see as significant. But no matter the circumstance and no matter the grief, The Shack reminds you that even hurt can cause us to grow back stronger and fuller and lovelier.

Read it or Leave it: Read it