Paul Young wrote The Shack as a Christmas gift for his six kids. He photocopied 15 copies at Office Depot. It went on to sell 25+ million.
But the story behind the story is harder than the fairy tale suggests: a missionary kid raised by an abusive father, sexual abuse starting at age five, and a three-month affair that nearly ended his marriage. What followed was an 11-year rebuild — the ground The Shack was written from.

In this conversation, Paul opens up about:
– The real origin of The Shack (and how it accidentally became a global phenomenon)
– Why forgiveness doesn't require trust — and why that distinction matters
– His 9+ year friendship with men on death row, and what "proximity changes everything" really means
– Making peace with his father at 80, and the two photo albums we all keep inside
– Living in the present moment as the only real world
– Return to the Shack, releasing October 6

Paul's honesty about grief, healing, and what it means to be human is worth sitting with.

Follow the show and let us know what landed.

Timestamps
01:06 Meeting Paul Young
01:49 The affair that changed everything
04:37 Writing The Shack as a Christmas gift
09:02 From 15 copies to a phenomenon
16:30 Barnes & Noble comes knocking
20:29 Why forgiveness became his message
23:30 Releasing his father from expectations
28:48 Friendship with men on death row
36:47 "Proximity changes everything"
41:23 Being present as the only real world
47:20 What awestruck by Jesus looks like
55:15 Grief, healing, and not building identity on pain