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Charlene Rack reviews Catholic author Kaye Park Hinckley's latest novel.


Shooting at Heaven's Gate is one of those rare novels that drew me in from the very beginning, and never let go of me until the very end (and, still now, has a hold on me as I continue to ponder it, many days after finishing the book.) The portrayal of human frailty, the gentle kindness of strangers, pain and suffering from childhood that can continue to haunt people for years, choosing between good and evil, and responding to the healing nudge of the Holy Spirit, calling us to new life. All of these thoughts and more keep coming back to me, making me realize how powerful the message of this book truly is.

 

Shooting at Heavens Gate

 

Before I started reading, someone mentioned to me that the author could be thought of as a modern day Flannery O’Connor. That worried me a little, because I never liked O’Connor’s books. (I hear the collective gasp, and I apologize to all of her fans, but I could never follow the symbolism, nor did I enjoy the joltingly shocking way many of her stories ended.) This book by Hinckley does have a rather startling climax, but because I’d spent so much time with the characters and came to know and understand them all very well, I was not surprised when things went terribly awry.

The strong faith of most of the characters helped me get beyond the chaos and misery that was wrought by those who regularly flirted with evil, or even worse, tried to drag others into their evil web. This is what our world is like. Evil is never content with itself, but must draw friends, loved ones, and the population at large into the dark side of refusing God’s love and healing power, so I found none of it hard to believe. Kaye’s story regularly reminds us of God’s love and light and perfect Will. His love and mercy is NEVER too far away from us.

I was greatly encouraged by the highly visible portrayal of faith, trust, and God’s grace as the only way to get through the craziness we see all around us. Shooting at Heaven's Gate has come into the public eye right when it was meant to be, and I hope that many of the lost, scarred, confused, and lonely will read it, see the truth within it’s pages, and turn to the only source of eternal life and joy. Good and evil are here to stay, and we can only choose one way. Kaye Park Hinckley paints a vivid picture of both “sides,” and lays out life-giving choices in her latest book.

 

God wants order in the world, not chaos. He wants order from every human being. (You have) the freedom to choose between order and chaos, good and evil. (190)

 

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Copyright 2022 Charlene Rack
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