Several people I know told me I must read "The Shack" by William Young. I had seen it in all the stores and knew it was a best-seller. I'm always up for the latest in book trends, so obliged them.
Mack is a father whose youngest daughter Missy is abducted and brutally murdered during a weekend camping trip. Four years after this tragedy, Mack is approached by God to return to the scene of the murder. While there, over a (seemingly endless) weekend, Mack becomes reconciled with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
It sounds like an interesting plot, but I was disappointed. I couldn't get past the cliched writing and the lack of depth to any of the characters. The ending was obvious from the start. Of course Mack was going to reconcile with God -- there wouldn't be a book if he didn't.
There might have been some good points to this tale -- I did enjoy God being portrayed as a large African-American woman -- but there was so much padding I didn't come away with anything but relief that I was finally finished with this book.
I can't resist. There's another story titled "The Shack" that's also inspirational, in a way, at least to some of us. I wrote an article with that title for the latest edition of the Greater Dover Historical Society's newsletter. It is about the demise of the Smitty's Pretzel's old pretzel shack that sat along rt. 74 north of the Dover borough for over 50 years. For anyone who ever stopped and bought some of Smittie's pretzels during those years, and we are in the thousands, the loss of "the shack" was hardly traumatic. Afterall, it is the pretzel that is worshipped!
Sunday Morning Secrets is a 260-page inspirational drama that will change your mind about inspirational reading.
It is the story of Pastor Jonathan Pierce, a prominent pastor who is caught between protecting the church he is rebuilding and ensuring that no one finds out about his wife's abominable secret -a secret that eventually leads to murder.
With drugs, blackmail, sex, and a surprise ending in the mix, you've got inspiration with a twist.