This low-budget phenomenon shows no signs of stopping – its paperback release hitting No. 1 (again) on Amazon.com. Self-published by Oregon writer Young (he originally printed 15 copies for his friends), it’s a Christian story inspired by the author’s own inner “shack” in which he bottled up his childhood abuse. In the novel, Mac, a father whose six-year-old daughter has been murdered, is invited back to the scene of the crime by a handwritten note – from God. Of course, God is a black woman, Jesus is a Middle Eastern laborer and the Holy Spirit is an Asian girl. It’s been fervently embraced by evangelical readers who reject traditional churches and embrace unconventional paths to redemption.

The Shack

by William P. Young

Windblown Media