Summary: A man who has fooled himself into thinking he has it all together, comes to understand himself once his wife leaves him.
I like novels that are about something. But I also don’t like novels “about something.” It is easy to joke about books that are doing the classic after school special, “on a very special episode of…”
The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell is a fiction book, but one that is largely about spiritual formation and counseling. I don’t object to fiction books dealing with harder things like a marriage falling apart or a man coming to deal with the ways he had repressed his emotions. I do object to the speed of the healing.
I don’t think it is suprising that Intervarsity Press, which also has a series of fiction books on spirituial formation with a group of women has another book that is similar, but written from a male perspective. The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell is different, but I have a similar objection to both, in that a fictional book often wants a cleaner ending and faster resolution than what happens in real life.
But I also was solidly engaged with the book. I thought it was well written. I thought the unfolding of the story worked well, even if too fast. And that there is real value in helping to illustrate what counseling and internal work can look like for Christians who take their faith seriously. There is always a problem with Christian men’s books that want to show what “real men” are like and just growl and “take charge”.
Elijah Campbell isn’t in touch with his emotions or his family history. He has been encouraged to repress things and his family of origin is a significant factor in that unhealthy patterns. I also think that it is a not insignificant that Elijah is a “successful” professional Christian who has done what he can to look good to others without dealing with the internal. But the main point here is that he should be involved with his emotion and that this is the path forward to becoming healthy enough to be a good husband and father.
I am a bit ambivalent about this The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell. On the one hand, I was engaged and devoured the book. I alternated between audio and kindle (both of which I picked up on sale, kindle is still on sale as I am writing). I finished in three days. But I also think that the story can be a bit heavy handed at times and is too neat and tidy.
The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell: A Novel by Kelly Flanagan Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook