Notes & Bios
Foreward

“While Mack’s relationship with God is
wide, Nan’s is deep.”
Chpt 1 A confluence of Paths
a place where two rivers or streams join to become one
: a situation in which two things come together or happen at the
same time
Mackenzie,
It’s been a while. I’ve missed you.
I’ll be at the shack next weekend if
youwant to get together.
- -Papa
Chpt 2 The Gathering Dark
LEGEND?
 The Great Spirit? Is this God? Why is he so
MEAN?


( why do bad things happen to good
people…..)

“Out of the mouths of babes…. Kids have an
inherent sense of what is a REAL question”
Chpt 3
The back-story of the campout
continues. Mack and his kids became
friends with 2 other families they met
camping: the Ducettes and the
Maddisons.
 Tragedy before tragedy….The canoe
flipped and Josh’s lifejacket got pinned
to the canoe trapping him underwater.
 Josh is rescued

Chpt 4


Where is Missy?
Strong suspicion that a serial killer known as the Little
Ladykiller had abducted Missy. The ladybug had 5 dots on its
back indicating this was abduction #5. He specialized in
abducting little girls and none of the previous victims’ bodies
had ever been found.

Red Dress, torn & blood soaked

The trail on the killer turned cold; there were no other leads.

The story resumes with present day, nearly 4 years later. Mack
muses why the God would, if the note was real, ask to meet him
at the place of Mack’s deepest pain – why not somewhere else?
Chpt 5

The only person Mack did tell about the
trip was his friend Willie, whom he had to
tell in order to borrow Willie’s four-wheel
drive jeep for the trip.


Mack finds shack unaltered.
Missy’s blood still staining the floor, and no
one was there. After erupting in rage and
despair, Mack collapsed on the floor and
wept next to the bloodstains until he fell
asleep.
http://shepherdproject.com/th
e-shack-book-summary/

A large, radiant African American woman came from
inside and wrapped Mack in a huge bear-hug, all the
while calling out his full name with the feeling of a
long-lost love suddenly reunited. Also in the cabin
were an Asian woman who shimmered and whose
hair blew about as if in the wind, though there was
no wind inside, and a Hebrew man who appeared to
be a laborer. The African American introduced
herself as the cook and housekeeper whose name
was Elousia, but said Mack could call her ‘Papa’. The
man, who appeared to be in his thirties introduced
himself as Jesus and said he likes to keep things
fixed up around the place. The Asian woman tended
the gardens and said her name was Sarayu. All three
said, in unison, that they were God.
Chapter 6

Papa – it’s too familiar, Papa appears as a
woman and his own papa was such a
horrible memory. Lets break this down.
Papa reminds Mack that she is neither
male nor female and explains that she
reveals herself to Mack as an African
American woman in order to keep from
encouraging his religious stereotypes.
 Image of God?

Chapter 7

Bonding with Jesus.

Jesus the man vs. God- relatable, talk of
the trinity, nature etc.
Chapter 8

There is not hierarchy in the trinity.
God
 Son
 Holy Spirit.

Chapter 9

Working in the garden, poisonous
plants, healing properties.

Sarayu revealed that the garden was
Mack’s soul and that they had been
working together, uprooting with a
purpose, in his heart.
Chapter 10

Walking on water, a question of faith vs.
fear.

When love & trust overpower the fear
dissipates.