Software magnate Micah Taylor receives a mystifying letter from a long-dead uncle he never met, informing him that a house has been built for him on the Oregon coast. Sounds perfect, except the location is one that haunts his past, and Micah has vowed never to go there again. But the house draws him, and continues to draw him back again and again. Something is happening in that house, something strange and compelling and frightening. Something Micah can’t walk away from, even though staying may very well cost him everything he holds dear – his whole life.
Rooms, from debut novelist James L. Rubart, is one of the most imaginative and insightful novels I’ve read in a long time. As Micah confronts devastating incidents from his past, we see the hand of a powerful and loving Savior at work. As he chooses between what he knows is right and his own self-serving desires – sometimes with heartbreaking results – we are treated to a vivid demonstration of the very real impact of our own choices. Most of all, we see the hand of a loving God who alone has the power to heal and restore.
Rooms is not a quick read. You’ll want to draw it out, savor the experience, pause to think about passages before you move on. And it’s one of those reading experiences that will stay with you long after you close the book. It will have you unlocking doors in your own life and stepping into rooms you didn’t even know existed. I loved it!
Thanks to B&H for providing a review copy.