I’m glad I found this book buried in all the others on my Kindle I’ll be looking at some other title from James L. So what did I learn from Rooms? It’s hard to pinpoint one specific thing, but I do have a lot rolling around in my mind. Those are some heavy questions, but they show one of the many ways that Christian fiction is different from so many other titles on the shelves: they can teach you lessons about yourself and your faith if you’re open to the possibility. What kinds of dreams or hopes did I have years ago that have been forgotten in the busyness of “adulting”? What if I could sit down and literally have an out-loud conversation with the voice in my head? Whose voice would I be talking to? And then there’s the biggest question of all: If I could walk into a place that represents my heart, what would it be like?

But while Rooms was a good read, it also was good fodder for some personal reflection. My review: I’ll be the first to admit that I read fiction for fun and as an escape, not necessarily to dig deep and think about things in my personal life. But as he slowly discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But Rick will only say the house is spiritual. When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new friend, Rick, the town mechanic. And after meeting Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the beach every weekend. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a stunning brand new nine-thousand square foot house. It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside out. Rubart, which is a bit of an oldie on my bookshelf (published in 2010), but still worth the read.īack cover copy: On a rainy spring day in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic, twenty-five-year-old letter from a great uncle he never knew. What if you walked into a home and found physical representations of your soul – even the parts you thought you’d hidden away or dealt with long ago? What if you also realized that the more you explored this house – which you’re drawn to in so many ways that you can’t stay away – the more pieces of the life you’re happy with fall away?

Rooms by james rubart