“Emotions are the colors of the soul…and tears can be the best words the heart can speak.”
26 met at the home of Suzy Penner to toast the holiday season with our wonderful group of Bookers’ friends and astute readers. Many thanks to Rebecca Robinson for coordinating our food and beverages and to all who provided an array of tasty dishes and festive spirits ensuring we did not leave hungry or thirsty as we embraced a new Bookers’ tradition – lunch instead of brunch – for our December meeting.
Business:
Our next meeting will be January 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m. at the home of Debbie Yarger, 149 St. Andrews Drive, East, Pinnacle Golf Club. We will be discussing Sugar Birds, by Cheryl Grey Bostrom, a coming-of-age novel set in the 1980s, Washington State, that follows the story of a ten-year-old girl who loves the outdoors but after accidentally starting a fire she flees to the woods fearing her parents are dead. A desperate search ensues in this engrossing tale of survival and redemption.
I did make a $100.00 donation to Friends of the Animals in memory of Pat Faherty as we discussed last month. I know it would make her smile knowing the animals are benefitting from our generosity. We received a nice thank you note from her daughter acknowledging the donation.
Bettie Abio announced an event to be led by her friend, Ann Marie Dell who holds a PhD on the subject, at the Holocaust & Human Rights Museum on Monday, January 12th, 2:00 p.m. The tickets are $17.00 apiece and can be purchased at the door or online. The facility is located at 300 North Houston Street, Dallas, Texas, 75202. Husbands and friends are welcome, and Bettie thinks there is a Corner Bakery within walking distance for those interested in eating nearby. Please contact Bettie with any questions and if possible, let her know if you plan to attend. 214-868-8277.
Disclaimer:
Bookers chose this novel in 2008, and we decided to revisit this poignant story for our December read. “The Shack” is a work of fiction, and such should not be held to the scrutiny of theological standards and was not intended as a seminary lecture or platform. Young is a storyteller, and he used his creative writing skills to show readers how he dug himself out of his shack serving as a catalyst to get people talking about who God is and how he makes himself known in the world. The underlying tone is of course spiritual, but it is not intended to teach the word of God…only to offer the author’s vision for anyone to see. As a group, we will strive to be respectful of each other’s opinions as we discuss this emotional journey through healing, forgiveness, relationships, and finding a path out of pain.
About the author:
Wm. Paul Young was emotionally distant from his missionary parents; sexually abused by the tribe they lived among in New Guinea; was grief stricken after losing his eighteen-year-old brother and five-year-old niece to tragic accidents, and his mother-in-law died suddenly all the while he was cheating on his wife…he clearly was a mess. After counseling and with the encouragement of his wife, he wrote a book to “open his heart and his thinking to his children.” He hoped his life would unfold like the picture on top of a jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces fit. The book was never intended for publication…although Windblown Media disagreed with him. So, is the book true…yes, but not in a literal way…it’s based on his experiences but is a fictional accounting of his life…he admittedly had numerous conversations with God demanding answers and not getting the right ones until he found a way to “re-turn” to his beliefs and lift the “Great Sadness” from his shoulders…he wants us to see his story in the pages of the book…then see our own.
Synopsis:
We have a man in the depths of “The Great Sadness” … a broken believer struggling to find a way out of his darkness. Three years ago, “on his watch,” his youngest daughter Missy was kidnapped and presumed murdered in a secluded shack in northeastern Oregon, the burden of guilt and despair overwhelming his existence. Out of nowhere, he receives a note in the mailbox: “Mackenzie, it’s been a while. I’ve missed you. I’ll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together. Papa.” (His wife’s pet name for God.) After much deliberation he spends a few days at the shack in the presence of God, the Father who was a large African American woman with a Southern accent; God, the Son who was a large-nosed Middle Eastern Arab in carpenter’s clothes; and God, the Holy Spirit who was a petite Asian woman called Sarayu of Indian origin meaning the essence of life. And even God’s wisdom was a character named Sophia, a beautiful olive-skinned woman with chiseled Hispanic features. Young effectively used humor to alleviate the gravity of the situation and provide a soothing balm for open wounds, but just as we think Mack’s broken life had healed, the author throws us a curve ball when he wrecks his car and was transported to the hospital in critical condition. As he regains consciousness, he begins to recall the details of meeting Papa and readers are charged with determining the accuracy of his meeting God at the shack…or was it a dream…or a result of a near-death experience…or was he hallucinating…or what?
Homework Assignment:
Bookers’ books are selected to raise our minds to a higher level and have a “talkability” factor that challenges us to go past the obvious and respond. This novel is a simple tale that ask us to think beyond the storyline or simply accept the story on its merits alone…in the end it’s our choice.
The Bible states “God is love” in John 4:16. We asked members to use their imaginations, to be creative, honest and willing to share their vision of God on a blank white canvas using any medium…words, pictures, colors, sayings, quotes, anything that would add an image of their beliefs.
We had four “J’s” sharing our visions; me with a drawing of the tree of life where all life is connected – the roots are the past…the trunk, the present…and the branches, the future. The hearts are God’s love. Joellyn tapped into the author’s descriptions of color and light recounting a personal heartbreak when her stepson passed and how the patterns of color and light appeared to her before she knew of the tragedy. In Young’s words, “we’re able to see one another truly as their personalities and emotions are visible in color and light.” Jean’s perception is clear in every sunset and every ocean…how could their beauty and majesty be anything other than His work. Jane recounted the loss of her only son, Jason, in 2006 and the heart-wrenching emotions tied to this tragedy, finally coming full circle from rock-bottom anger to acceptance and peace as this novel came into her life at the right time.
Discussion:
The movie version ends with a song by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, “Keep Your Eyes on Me” encouraging us to find hope and guidance in the midst of grief…when it hurts too much to see…when the light in your heart is too burned out to see…when you can’t find your way home…when you’re lost in the dark…keep your eyes on me. We discussed how the novel deals with the most difficult question in theology. How can an all-powerful, all-loving God allow an innocent child to suffer and how can God ask a person to believe and have faith when they’ve lived through impossible pain and grief? Young tells us heaven is in our future hope, not in our present reality, and he did not intend to tell people how to get to heaven, just inspire them to want to go there. We discussed the weight of forgiveness and the role it plays in healing…it doesn’t mean forgetting, but it does turn the responsibility back to your God to deal with it…it’s all about a path to emerge from your “shack.” The author’s use of portraying God as a black woman stirred comments on both ends of the spectrum but the author’s purpose was to humanize Him asking readers to leave behind the stereotypes and focus on the message…and she was a comforting unassuming type character…and might reach a broader audience…not to mention he needed a cast of characters to keep us turning the pages.
Our rating system
We had none in the newly created “0” category which is interpreted as “what in the world was the selection committee smoking that day…” just kidding of course. We had one rating in the # “1” category – the put your money back in the bank” – as she had an issue with the author identifying with the “universalism movement” who believe all humanity will eventually be saved as Christ’s atonement did atone for everyone’s sins. The # “2” borrow, don’t buy had the majority of those casting a vote, the major issue – the middle section of the book didn’t keep their interest, leaving some ho-humming but that wasn’t the case in the audio version. Our one # “3” felt it was too far-fetched ala “Life of Pi” and our lone # “3.5” thought it was good, not great. One of our # “4’s,” loved it as it reminded her of “The Twilight Zone” a couple saying it challenged you to think about justice and judgments and another saying the words, “grace” and compassion came to mind as well as “Love is patient, love is kind” and reminded her of Randy Travis’ tear-jerker song, “Three Wooden Crosses.” Our three #5’s will have to rewrite our wills as this novel is described as a spiritual read focusing on forgiveness, looking at others without judgment, finding what’s in our hearts and having a relationship with God reinforcing the knowledge that His presence is evident in every blade of grass, in the eyes of a newborn and everything in between…a spiritual closeness that comforts and shines on you even on cloudy days…like tranquility in the midst of chaos.
In closing, we are appreciative of everyone who participated…for your compassion, insight, respect, and thoughtful preparation. For some it was a painful exercise, but we hope you gained some perspective and peace through the process.
Happy Reading,
JoDee
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