The Shack is a novel written by an Oregon businessman named William P. Young. This novel answers the lifelong question: “Where is God in a world that suffers so much pain?” It is a story that revolves around Mackenzie Philips (Mack), a father of five children. Four years before the story begins, Mack's youngest daughter, Missy, was kidnapped while on a family vacation. Missy's body was never found, but police found evidence in an old abandoned shack that led investigators to believe she had been brutally murdered by a serial killer called the "Little Ladykiller." At the beginning of the novel, Mack, whose life has been consumed by what he calls "The Great Sadness" receives a note written by Dad (who is later revealed to be God). In the letter, Dad invites Mack to come back to the old abandoned shack to spend some time together. Mack isn't sure what to make of the message, but he pushes aside his uncertainties and embarks on a weekend trip where he encounters many supernatural trials. Mack is subject to the appearances of the three persons of the trinity in human form. Pope (God), whose name is Elousia, appears in the form of a full-figured African-American woman. Jesus is a middle-aged man of Middle Eastern descent, and the Holy Spirit, called Sarayu, is a small, thin, diverse woman of Asian descent. Mack also briefly meets Sophia, who is the personification of God's wisdom. The reader learns that Mack has been given this opportunity to meet God so that he can learn to deal with his Great Sadness, overwhelming grief, and anger arising from the death of his daughter. There is very little action in The Shack and most of the book is dialogue. Most of the dialogue occurs as members of the Trinity communicate with… middle of paper… novel, “deeply subversive,” “scripturally incorrect,” and “dangerous.” While minister Steve McVey says, “A person discovers grace when he comes to the edge of his own self-sufficiency and realizes that he has been made acceptable through Jesus Christ and him alone. You can't score points with God." The Shack is a book of soul searching, hope and above all controversy. Through Mack's trials, he is able to find God and closure after the four long years of living in darkness after his daughters ' murder. This novel takes the historical message of Scripture into entirely new territory by providing insights into difficult theological concepts and questions, such as: "How can we know God?" Although hotly debated, the author does an exceptional job of laying out his personal views in a way that anyone, regardless of race or religion, can relate to..