Cross Roads

Wm Paul Young, Hachette

Wm. Paul Young, the award winning author of The Shack, ventures into surrealism and imagery as he follows the final days and hours of his fictional character Anthony Spencer.

This is a fanciful story about privilege, status, power, wealth, and prestige, gained from self-centredness and ruthless behaviour. It leads you to wonder whether all this can be changed in a state of limbo between life and death and if, by some miracle, others who have been dealt a cruel hand in life can be made whole.

Jesus makes a guest appearance as does the Holy Spirit as an elderly American Indian woman named “Grandmother”. Tony is also confronted with the desperate need of a dying girl who can only be saved by an act of self-denial on his part.

He comes to the realisation, “My whole life has been lived just for one person, me, and finally I am ready to not do that anymore.”

However, like me, you will probably remain dissatisfied, still looking for the answer.

John Atkinson