The Shack by William P. Young, Reviewed by Nancy Devlin

  (After surviving an incident that could be called a family's worst nightmare,) Mack, the book's main character, lived more and more in the world of 'The Great Sadness' until one day he gets a handwritten note in his mailbox from 'Papa'. The note invites him back to the place of the tragedy and like being pulled by a force greater than himself, he proceeds to go back to the shack.  What Mack finds there and what he experiences while being there is a story that must be read by all. It will touch you in ways that you never dreamed of, especially for those that may be struggling with a loss or uncertainty in their lives. It will open your eyes, your mind, your heart and your soul to the most powerful message there is. Whether you are Catholic, Unity, Hindu, Agnostic or spiritual in nature, the messages and Truth that unfold are lessons and Truths for all of us to learn.What I feel now from reading this book is that I have received grace and everytime the wind blows, I am reminded of who I am and how God works in my life.

 

I got a call from my brother, who is gay and lives in Atlanta with his partner. They are both Catholic and very active in their church. I find that a bit unusal but he seems to find the most progressive Catholic churches whereever he goes. He and is partner are so involved and accepted at his church that they are the leaders of the RCIA program which is the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults - the program that works with adults who want to convert to Catholicism. They are also Eucharist Ministers. So suffice it to say, they are very much enmeshed in being Catholic.  I ask myself many times why I have never found this kind of Catholic church but, I am very happy with my Catholic upbringing and experience and have now found a family and home in Unity. For me, they are compliments of each other and I feel blessed that this is so. In fact, I don't feel like I have to give up the beauty of one to have the other and vice versa.

Ok so why all this background when writing a review for this book? Well, typically when a spiritual book like this captures a Catholic's attention many times it doesn't capture a Unity person's attention because the differences emphasized in the books many times are fairly vast. However, when my brother called me in such an excited state to tell me about this book, I was curious to see what had gotten his attention so feverishly.

So, as all little sisters do (lol!) , I took his advice and I bought the book.  When I started to read it I found my self also engrossed in it and had a tough time putting it down. The book is fiction but there are some elements of truth in it according to the author. The story evolves around a man, MacKenzie Allen Phillips, his wife, Nancy and their children, specifically their daugher Missy.  Mack (nickname for MacKenzie) has some skeletons in his closet which he has carried with him all his life. However, he does manage to excel and create a comfortable and loving life with his family even though he has what he calls 'The Great Sadness' as a constant companion. His daughter Missy was very smart and always had tough questions for her dad like 'why did the princess have to die'? after he read her a story where the princess choose to die to save her people. She would then ask why Jesus died and wondered why Jesus's father was 'so mean'? Mack was a spiritual man and always provided answers that soothed and satisfied her. It did however, give Mack many opportunities for examining his own growth and belief in God.

Then one day, as Mack and the children were camping, a terrible tragedy occurs which leaves Mack angry, bitter and devastated. He struggles to make sense of the tragedy and begins to ask some of the same questions Missy so often asked him, although, he had no none providing the answers to him to soothe and comfort him. Mack lived more and more in the world of 'The Great Sadness' until one day he gets a handwritten note in his mailbox from 'Papa'. The note invites him back to the place of the tragedy and like being pulled by a force greater than himself, he proceeds to go back to the shack.  What Mack finds there and what he experiences while being there is a story that must be read by all. It will touch you in ways that you never dreamed of, especially for those that may be struggling with a loss or uncertainty in their lives. It will open your eyes, your mind, your heart and your soul to the most powerful message there is. Whether you are Catholic, Unity, Hindu, Agnostic or spiritual in nature, the messages and Truth that unfold are lessons and Truths for all of us to learn.What I feel now from reading this book is that I have received grace and everytime the wind blows, I am reminded of who I am and how God works in my life.

Oh and back to my brother - I called him and told him I read the book and we discussed it intensely. I found a connection with him that had never been there before as it relates to God and what life is all about.  After all, we are all God's children, no matter what you call him or what path you take. As the book says, God will find you in any path you are on.  Namaste`