In a time when, basically, everything seems bleak, when gas and food prices are soaring, the country remains at war overseas and your 4-year-old even knows the phrase "sub-prime mortgage crisis," folks are finding solace in a small, independently published paperback book by an unknown author from Gresham, Ore.
Mostly through word-of-mouth praise, William P. Young's Christian novel "The Shack" has found itself on numerous best-seller lists, even topping the New York Times' paperback trade fiction list. And after the Times ran a story about the book on June 24, it sparked even more interest.
"We were thrilled by the New York Times story," says Michelle Lara, general manager for the Borders book store in Union Gap. One of Lara's customers, Caleb Nowak, was quoted in the Times story.
What's special about "The Shack" isn't just its grass-roots success, but that it's a book people are finding so inspirational, so life-changing, that they are giving it to others to read -- and after those people finish "The Shack," they go out and buy armfuls of copies to give to their family and friends.
"They really do come in and buy copies for everyone they know," says Adam Jones, manager of Inklings Bookshop in West Valley.
June was the biggest sales month for "The Shack" at Inklings, and it's the independent bookstore's biggest seller of the year, notes Jones. It's even out-sold extremely popular books that have been on the shelves for years.
There are definitely books everyone comes in and buys, says Jones, citing Khaled Hossein's "The Kite Runner," but they aren't buying multiple copies to give away.
Which is what Nowak, who was interviewed by The New York Times, did. The 31-year-old maintenance mechanic at Central Washington University in Ellensburg was given a copy of "The Shack" from a friend who found it helpful in dealing with his terminal illness.
After Nowak, a devoted Christian, read it, he went out and bought 10 more copies to give to people he knew were weathering personal storms.
"To me, this book is the greatest hope to anyone going through tragedy," says Nowak, who attends the small New Life Church in Kittitas and will be at an open discussion of the book on Sunday at the Borders store in Union Gap.
"To me, it's a burden release," he adds.
At its heart, "The Shack" strives to explain why God "lets" bad things happen -- at all -- and in this particular case to an innocent child.
The story, set in Oregon with plenty of recognizable Northwest mentions, centers around Mack, a loving but stoic husband and father who's been overtaken by "The Great Sadness" after the abduction of his youngest daughter, Missy.
Years later, Mack receives a letter inviting him back to the scene of the crime, an old shack in the Eastern Oregon wilderness. The letter is signed, "Papa," Mack's wife's name for God.
Mack secretly goes back to the shack, where he's greeted by The Father, who appears as a gregarious black woman; The Son, a Jewish, Middle-Eastern-looking workman; and The Holy Spirit, a luminous woman with Asian features.
Here, at this site of horrific tragedy, Mack gets to truly know God.
The 200-plus page book moves quickly and is captivating, even for secular readers -- anyone can sympathize with Mack's guilt and heartache. And you don't have to be a regular churchgoer to follow along with God's explanation for why things happen the way they do, as well as his unquestioning, unwavering love for everyone.
"It's a parable," Nowak says about the book. "This is a parable that fits into today's world."
Young, the author of "The Shack," was born in Alberta, Canada, but spent his early childhood in New Guinea with his missionary parents. He eventually earned a degree in religion from Warner Pacific College in Portland.
Young wrote the book for his six children with no intention to publish it. But it was published, eventually, by Windblown Media, which was formed specifically to release "The Shack."
It, of course, has not been without controversy for its unconventional take on God.
Artistically and imaginatively, Amy Sonnichsen thought "The Shack" was ... well, interesting.
But from a doctrinal standpoint, it certainly didn't fit her image of the spiritual world.
"A lot of people I'm friends with are critical about the book," says the 26-year-old Sonnichsen, who attends Grace Fellowship church in Prosser.
Like many others, she was given the book by a friend who found it moving and powerful and thought it would be a great value to Sonnichsen, who read it earlier this year.
To her, though, it felt too "inclusive, modern and trendy," which is why she didn't find it unusual for the book to be among Amazon.com's top sellers. But she was surprised by the support "The Shack" has received from such major Christian figures as musician Michael W. Smith, and Eugene Peterson, author of "The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language."
That praise, plus all the word-of-mouth buzz, however, is making it a must-read. One Yakima women's book club recently selected "The Shack" -- and discussed it, appropriately, while at a member's cabin up at White Pass.
"What we discussed was how everyone who read it got something out of it," says Chris Waters, who suggested the book. "What we decided is we got out of it what we need to get out it."
Naturally, Waters first picked up the book through the recommendation of a friend.
"I absolutely loved it," says Waters, a 45-year-old media relations specialist for the West Valley School District who attends the Yakima Foursquare Church. "When I first read it, I thought, 'I can't wait to read it again.'"
Haven't been given a copy of "The Shack" yet?
The Yakima Valley Regional Library has four hardback copies on order and should get them in this month, says Linda McCracken, public programs and resources manager and adult services librarian.
But you'll have to wait if you want to check out "The Shack" -- 18 people already have it on hold.
If you go
WHAT: An open discussion of the Christian novel "The Shack" by William P. Young.
WHEN: 1-3 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: Borders, 1700 E. Washington Ave. in Union Gap.
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