Presented through the eyes of Tim Hudson, the book begins with Tim going on a personal 5-day spiritual retreat in a secluded New England monastery. Tim is an established author. He shares with his spiritual director about the loss of his mother, his friend Wayne, and his young daughter Madison. He was at the point of losing his own faith in God despite previously writing books like "God's On Your Side." He describes the mundane daily activities like eating in silence; sitting in silence for hours in his room; pacing the floors; reading Scripture; eat, sleep; and dream. He asks questions about the efficacy of prayer. He seeks a personal voice from God. He tells of a dream about him even interacting with animals, seeing his barber friend Ernie, and various snippets of heaven. There Tim works through some theological struggles in his interactions. In heaven, he meets his old friend Wayne and continues with questions and curiosity about his life after death. These conversations reveal the deep friendship between Tim and Wayne. In heaven, Tim meets his great-grandmother, his mother, as well as his daughter. At his personal retreat, his spiritual mentor challenges him with snippets of spirituality gleaned through the wisdom of CS Lewis and Dallas Willard. He poses questions many of us would ask. Questions like:
How to forgive ourselves?
What do we do when we feel our prayers aren't getting through to God?
What do we do with our anger, especially against God?
Why did God allow pain and suffering?
How do we heal from our hurts?
What about life after death?
Can God speak to us via dreams?
Is it God's will to give some parents a handicapped child?
What does grief look like over time?
.....
My Thoughts
This book reminds me of the importance of friendships. In the story, Tim and his good friend Wayne were able to reconnect and continue their friendship even after the death of Wayne. While it is imagination through a dream about heaven, we are reminded that as far as love and friendship are concerned, time is no barrier. Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but good friendships like love will last forever. Friendships are everywhere in this book. His barber Ernie, his spiritual mentors like Brother Taylor, his friend Wayne, and also good friendly conversations with his own family members. These relationships go beyond the superficial layer of acquaintances. Friends are those who are able to share our hopes and dreams. Perhaps, the biggest test of any friendship is how we walk with one another as we face our fear of death with hopes of life. The "Room of Marvels" is a guide to how one person grieves his loss of loved ones. We might not write as the author did, but we can learn to creatively craft our own poems, prose, or parables in our own unique ways. This book inspires us to do that.

Even though this is a work of fiction, the characters and events present a haunting resemblance to the author's own tragedies. Within months, he had lost his mother, his close friend Rich Mullins, and his two-year-old daughter, Madeline. Sometimes, expressing grief is best done indirectly. Through fiction and storytelling, there is no inhibition in citing sources or ensuring factual accuracy. The focus could be on the themes and the underlying emotions behind the questions. The author could freely pose questions of faith and doubt without having to justify his own stances. Grief has a way to test our deepest struggles of faith. For readers who are curious about the relationship between the fictional character Tim and the author, read the epilogue.

First published in 2007, this new edition comes expanded with discussion questions for readers. This guide brings together a number of meaningful themes of spirituality that turns a work of fiction into a practical guide for Christian Living. Plus, we learn how good literature can bring about a special sense of healing. For anyone who struggles with the issues of death and dying, grief and grieving, seeing how Tim works through these issues gives us the strength to do the same in our own way.

James Bryan Smith is the author of The Good and Beautiful God and the Apprentice series. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

While all of life and all of literature has something to teach us, a moral tale is a straightforward teaching device designed to combine entertainment with information and instruction.

I would put Room of Marvels clearly into this category alongside other works of literature like Pilgrim’s Progress, A Christmas Carol and Dante’s Inferno. To be honest, it is not a genre of literature that I particularly enjoy. I prefer a subtler story that, as C.S. Lewis puts it, sneaks past the watchful dragons.

A Room of Marvels does have value within its genre and it is born out of the author’s own journey with God. If you appreciate a straightforward teaching tale, Room of Marvels could be a book that would challenge you to think deeper about the love of God and His good eternal plans for His children in the light of grief and loss.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unlike most books that fit neatly within fiction or nonfiction, this sits between the two. It's a work of fiction, but the afterword makes it clear that it is largely based on very real events/people/stories. Though I'd like to give it more than three stars, the dialogue is very, very rough. It's the weakest part of the book and that's quite unfortunate, as it's a large portion of the book.

Following in the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and The Shack, Room of Marvels fit in nicely.

I would recommend that every reader keep a box of tissues nearby as they follow Tim on his trip through heaven. The book is a work of fiction but it finds its roots in a series of daydreams the author originally had some 20+ years ago. Within a short period of time, the author had lost a close friend, his mother, and his disabled daughter through death - a series of devastating losses. The daydreams helped him process his grief; he made notes of the dreams and eventually published his story in September 2007. Now, 13 years later, it is being re-released by a new publisher, Intervarsity Press.

In the book, Tim meets the three people who died and others - and begins to understand what God was trying to accomplish through those tough times of his life. He begins to process his grief. One of the gifts that the book offers is a detailed explanation of how the people Tim meets in his journey to heaven are closely connected to the people in the author's real life. He then reflects on the growth he has experienced since writing the original book 13 years ago. The book concludes with a series of study questions for individual or group use. It is a spiritual journey of his walk through grief both as the events transpired and as he has continued to grow. In the end, it offers the reader HOPE in multiple ways.

For those experiencing grief, for those who work with those experiencing grief, the book will find a home. It belongs in the church library. And, again, keep tissues nearby.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book about the Christian hope of eternal life in heaven is definitely beautiful and comforting for those who grieve a loved one. Grief can damage our faith if we don't change perspective.

The author himself has found consolation in these images and wants to help readers change perspective.

“I could now see clearly how heaven changes everything we suffer in this life.”

I find books like this difficult to review, because when it comes to spiritual truth, what is black and white to me (based on Scripture) may not be so to someone else. With that said, it is important to note that this is a work of fiction, not a memoir, although the author does say it is partly based on his own experience. But remembering that it is fiction helps me not get completely caught up in what I may not agree with theologically.

First, what I liked: This book is honest about grief and its relationship with faith. I think this aspect could be very comforting for someone walking through a season of grief. Secondly, the theme of hope and how the reality of Heaven brings hope was beautiful. Third, I liked the idea of the room of marvels, but it would be a spoiler to explain what the room actually contains.

My biggest concern with this book on a theological level was on the issue of forgiveness. The characters not only discuss forgiving of self, but forgiving God. I do not find that to be at all faithful to Scripture. There are other parts that I would not completely agree with, but again, in a work of fiction there can be some creative license.

This book just wasn’t for me. However, if you enjoyed The Shack or even It’s a Wonderful Life, you may find some similar themes here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Smith takes bits and pieces of stories of his own tragic experiences - loss of a child, of family members, and the death of his good friend Rich Mullins (a topic he discussed in depth in his biography of Mullins) - and produces a fable about doubt, faith and what happens when we feel like our suffering may outlast our faith. In the end, he gives not only inspirational answers, but ones that can withstand life's harsh realities, and shows faith can outlast the harshest storms.