Book Synopsis:
The novel is set in the American Northwest. The main character is Mackenzie Philips, a father of five, called "Mack" by his family and friends.
Four years prior to the main events of the story, Mack takes his three children on a camping trip to Multnomah Falls and Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon. Two of his children are playing in a canoe when it flips and almost drowns Mack's son. Mack is able to save his son by leaving his youngest daughter Missy alone at their campsite. After Mack returns, he sees that Missy is missing. The police are called, and the family discovers that Missy has been abducted and murdered by a serial killer known as the "Little Ladykiller". The police find an abandoned shack in the woods where Missy was taken, but her body is never found. Mack's life sinks into what he calls The Great Sadness.
At the beginning of the book, Mack receives a note in his mailbox from "Papa", saying that he would like to meet with Mack on that coming weekend at the shack. Mack is puzzled by the note - he has no relationship with his abusive father, who left when Mack was young. He suspects that the note may be from God, who his wife Nan refers to as "Papa".
Mack leaves his family and goes alone to the shack, unsure of what he will see there. He arrives and finds nothing, but as he is leaving the shack and its surroundings are supernaturally transformed into a lush and inviting scene. He enters the shack and encounters manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father takes the form of an African American woman who calls herself Papa, Jesus Christ is a Mideastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit is personified as an Asian woman named Sarayu.
My Review:
I really....really....really wanted to LOVE this book. It's right up my alley and it's a subject matter that intrigues me. That said, there were many parts of this book that just didn't resonate with me. I like the idea of having "GOD" be both male and female. That worked well in my opinion. However, the 3 persons in one God thing....well, since we know that the church didn't come up with that idea until the council of Nicea....I kept struggling with that as being "FACT" in this book. On the other hand, I kept smacking myself and telling myself to read it as a story and not get caught up on specifics.
There is so very much to LOVE about the book - I like the idea of forgiveness - even for those that do HORRIBLE things. I like the idea of God always being around us.....I like the idea that heaven is really unimagineable to us......
I just wish I had loved this book more.....SIGH.
11 comments:
HOW RANDOM!
You told me your neighbors liked this book, so I ordered it from the library. It sat and sat and sat here as I could not get up any inclination to read it - then I saw an interview with the author. He was so nutty and so WEIRD about relationships with God that I just returned it to the library.....this mornin!!
I got the heebee geebies from the dude so bad, I didn't want to support anything of his. Major creepdar going off on him.
I was at work, yesterday, and a woman came up to me and asked me if I'd read that book and, if so, what I thought. Cheeky broad! Just because I work in a library doesn't mean I read. Anyway, I said I wasn't interested in reading that book and she went into a rhapsodic dissertation on why it was just a marvelous book and it would open up my eyes and blah, blah, blah. I did stop her when she said, "It will open your eyes that God is not the teeny, finite person we've made him out to be." With all the haughtiness for which I'm known, I replied,"Well, my God was never teeny nor finite; he's a capital letter 'G' god - not a lower case." She stood there for a minute then said, "well . . . uh . . . ok . . . I still think everyone should read it," as she wandered away. I'll repent, later . . .maybe . . . or maybe not. I have issues.
Jackie - Mama and I discussed this book this afternoon - I was fumbling around trying to explain to Mama why it didn't grab me and I suppose I massacred my way through it. She was kind and smiled and nodded.
If you want a good read - Read PERSIAN GIRLS ( I just sent it to your offspring - you can borrow it from her if interested ).
Gasp !!
MM, I couldn't read your whole post because I just purchased this book a few weeks ago and I didn't want to read too much about it before I start it. I am trying to finish Wally Lamb's "The hour I first believed" before I start this one.
I may have to set that one aside for now to stay in the loop with you gals.
Ohh another intersting one I finished a littel while ago ..
"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Just thought I would throw that one out to you all.
How funny, Drama "O" - I have "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" at work, in CD format; it's ready to listen to in the car, on my drive back and forth to work. I hope it's good - the review was. Oh yeah, that's right: "The Shack" is being raved over, too. Well, at least I can turn it off, in the car. Shallow . . . I'm just so darned shallow.
Ahhh finally someone else that is willing to take on the book with the really odd title!
I found it through a Barnes and Noble email and the title did pull me in, marketing at its best.
I love reading accounts of history that are told through those that have been there. Granted ... Guernsey is fiction but I decided to look past that ;)
Hope you enjoy it, I look forward to your review !
It'd be a lot easier on all of us if Jackie Oh would get a blog and review books for us.
Drama - I finally gave up on The Hour I first Believed. Are you finding it slow moving for a while - then it speeds up and you love it - then it is slow....? Or is that just me?
And Jackie - it torques me off to NO END when folks would ask if I liked a book, I tell them no, it's not my style or whatever, and then they basically chastise me for not loving it. grr grrr grrrrrrrr (FWIW - Mom - you would not love The Hour I First Believed. Trust me.)
Ok, here's how deep my reading really is . . I am reading and loving "Wedding Belles" by Haywood Smith. Yep, I'm shallow and flighty and destined to listen to my brain shrivel up and blow away but I'm all about light and fluffy reading, right now. Beach reads all year round!!! But here's one for Mama: in the teen reading collection, in my branch (sit down for this one), I found a graphic novel copy of (you ARE sitting down, right?): Boewulf! Yes I did! No joking! Hmmm Maybe it is time for for a literary blog. hehehe
Jackie - I would LOVE a literary blog by you!! It would be fun!
MM, yes. The hour I first beleived is slow moving. I figure at the rate I am reading it I will probably still be on it by the time summer vacation rolls around.
I start to get into it again but then I get distracted by another book and set it aside.
I had someone else tell me not to give up on Wally Lamb though .. just that I picked one of his toughest to read first.
I was told to get "Shes come undone" to really enjoy Lamb. Has anyone here read it ??
Jackie I would love a book blog by you too !
Every year I look for a few good beach books and your review may prevent Barnes and Noble from thinking I've moved in while trying to chose one 0_0
Drama - I read the other 2 and, based on what I know you've read in the past, I'd say you'd love them.
Mom - you would NOT love them, either.
The other two books are much better written and not slow at all, IMO. This one captured me at first, but then lost me.
My mom does not care about our wants and desires, gals. She doesn't want to give us the blog we'd love. (Mom - are you at least on Good Reads? Can we stalk you there?)
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