‘The Shack’ author Paul Young returns with a sequel set on Death Row

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(RNS) — Two decades ago, William Paul Young was a publishing rock star.

His novel “The Shack,” which was originally self-published, was a blockbuster New York Times bestseller, selling more than 20 million copies. It sparked devotion and controversy for its depiction of God as a Black woman named “Papa” who helps a grieving father cope with the loss of his young daughter, who had been kidnapped and murdered.

When he wrote “The Shack,” Young was in his early 50s and struggling to make ends meet. His family had lost their home to bankruptcy, and he was recovering from years of addiction, grief and memories of childhood sexual abuse. The shack was a metaphor for the place he hid all his sorrows.

The book changed his life.

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But not in the way you might expect. Sales of the book helped pay the bills and led to speaking gigs across the country. Wherever he went, people would share their stories of pain and loss and tell him how the book had helped them heal.

“It offered me an invitation to walk on the holy…