Throwback Thursday is my weekly feature which I created to post a review that I've written from the past. Every week I will post a review that I've written prior to my blogs existence. I'll be sharing both the books that I think you'd enjoy and the books that I should warn you against wasting your time on! ;-)
Recently I've been feeling that I want to really keep myself in a positive frame of mind. I thought to share this book because it will motivate you and you'll feel great after reading it. My regular readers know that this is not the type of book that I usually read, but I really felt this had a great story, delivered in a non-preachy way. I especially recommend it in the audio format. Check it out!
Publisher: Windblown Media
Release Date: July 1. 2007
Format: Audio CDs
Pages: 248
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: Christian Fiction
Original Review Date: March 8, 2011
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.
Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.
Recently I've been feeling that I want to really keep myself in a positive frame of mind. I thought to share this book because it will motivate you and you'll feel great after reading it. My regular readers know that this is not the type of book that I usually read, but I really felt this had a great story, delivered in a non-preachy way. I especially recommend it in the audio format. Check it out!
Publisher: Windblown Media
Release Date: July 1. 2007
Format: Audio CDs
Pages: 248
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: Christian Fiction
Original Review Date: March 8, 2011
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.
Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.
Honestly, this book really surprised me. When this book was chosen as a book club read, I almost set myself up not to like it. I really dislike the feel of being “preached “ to, for lack of a better word. In addition, in general, I’m not a huge fan of Christian fiction. I really didn't want to read it, so I ended up borrowing the audio version from the Library. I thought, I can at least listen on my drive to and from work. I ended up listening on my lunch hour too!
Surprisingly, while listening to this book, I found myself wondering if the story was true…almost wanting it to be true! The author tells you himself at the end of the book that he made up the story. He made up one amazing story which keeps you yearning to get to the end to see what happens. This book is about a man who is a husband and father who suffers with a great sadness after the terrible loss of a child. After getting a note in his mail box leading him back to the Shack, Mac gets to spend a weekend with God. This Shack has special meaning, it’s where Mac and the FBI found the bloody dress of his young daughter who was kidnapped by a serial killer.
There were moments in the book where the long conversations between Mac and God (aka Papa), Jesus and the Holy Spirit are a bit too long. At those points, I would have liked to see some of the dialog cut down. Sometimes Mac is repetitive with the questions that he ask God and the others through out the chapters. Some of the same issues are revisited more than once. It’s like he’s really was having a very difficult time grasping what God was trying to teach and show him. Mac had a lot of preconceived notions on who God is, how he or she acts and what God expects of us. A lot of that was incorrect (according to Papa in the book). But, on the other hand, if I met God, I would be confused too. Especially if everything I learned about God in church and from society at large was a basically wrong. Even though we all know this is a work of fiction, you can definitely imagine this to be a real account from someone who’s experienced it.
I found it very entertaining to see that the author put God in the body of an large black woman who wants to be called “Papa”, who is very sarcastic at times. It’s comical. Jesus was is a middle eastern man and The Holy Spirit was a little Asian woman! I believe Mr.Young did this with clear purpose to his story, but it also provided a little comic relief for the readers.
I really adored the end of the book. It really leaves you with a “wow” feeling. The author ties all of the loose ends up in a nice little package. It was satisfying and uplifting.
Happy Reading,
~Tamara
