The Shack (Deluxe Edition): Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity

by William Paul Young

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published August 4, 2026

About the author

Wm. Paul Young is a Canadian author. Young was the oldest of four. He spend the majority of his first decade with his missionary parents in the highlands of Netherlands New Guinea (West Papua), among the Dani, a tribal people. When he was six he was sent to a boarding school.

The manuscript, that later became The Shack, was intended only for his six kids and for a handful of close friends. After multiple rejections by publishers, Young and his friends published the book under the name of their newly created publishing company. The Shack was one of the top-selling fiction books of 2008 and will be a major motion picture in Spring 2017.

Young lives in Happy Valley, Oregon with his wife and has six children and several grandchildren. He is also the author of Crossroads, Eve and the non-fiction book, Lies We Believe About God.

Reviews

[Anouk LeBouthillier · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️⭐️ BUT this one is partly on me because I didn’t look into it beforehand and assumed it was a thriller 😅

The beginning really hooked me with Missy’s disappearance, so I expected more mystery around what happened to her. Instead, it became much more spiritual, focusing on grief, forgiveness, and Mack’s relationship with God…

I found myself getting lost in the long conversations with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and they just didn’t hold my attention. I can see how this could be a very meaningful book for the right reader ❤️‍🩹

…but it just wasn’t what I expected or personally enjoy!

[Upnorthsarah Taylor · Rating 1.25 out of 5]

Yuck - maybe it’s the audio version but this book gave me the ick.

[Jenny R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book before the movie came out. This deluxe edition is a beautiful representation and tribute to the characters in the book. Thank you so much to the publishing house that sent this beautiful edition to me. I hope everyone enjoys the deluxe edition that comes out in October.

[Jodie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely hated this book. Had I known the religious context, I never would have started it. I got a couple chapters in and passed it along.