Accidental Heaven, by Michael McKinsey

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Outskirts Press in exchange for an honest review.]

In the forward to this novel, the author claims not to be a great writer but claims to be inspired by a great idea, namely the idea of the reality of heaven. This book does not have hidden agendas, as some do; its agendas are open and obvious and easy to understand. Enough real names are used (the author’s first name, that of his second wife) that it is clear that this particular work is taken heavily from life. If I was the author’s adulterous first wife, I would be pretty unhappy about the detailed and pointed look at the breakdown of a marriage from the perspective of a straightforward and straight-shooting man. And make no mistake, this book is written by a man’s man, someone interested in quirky technology, an evangelical tempted by suicide in darker moments of loneliness and isolation, and deeply concerned with making sure that people are saved. So much of this novel seems so personal and is so heartfelt and sincere that to critique the relentless straightforwardness of the novel would be as unfair as to criticize the same sort of muscular prose in a writer like Hemmingway [1].

In terms of its plot, the novel looks at a middle-aged contractor who has a near-death experience that convinces him of the reality of heaven. In attempting to share that reality and use it as encouragement for others, he ends up encouraging a young subordinate who attempts suicide after the death of his girlfriend in a car accident. The protagonist hears occasional voices and indications about what to do by God concerning money, finding support for the doctrine of tithing in the money given and the money received. The author also finds out that his first wife, whose family background is troubled, struggled with intimacy and unpleasant conversations and engaged in several affairs, discovered through what amounts to hacking. Fortunately, for the author, he meets a lovely divorcee during the process of his divorce, and they end up married (at least by implication), and his own misguided suicide attempt ends up bringing a paramedic to commit to Christ, at least as an evangelical would understand it, making many aspects of the novel appear to be strong cases of divine providence.

This is not a novel that is particularly refined, or filled with clever references or an elegant style. It is straightforward, has an accurate ear for dialogue, and has a few quirky elements, including a bizarre fictional technology with a female name (something that men tend to do). There are a few elements that are particularly notable and worthwhile about this novel on a larger scale though. For one, this novel represents a particularly strong evangelical perspective, one that is worthwhile to understand, as it helps to put the behavior of the narrator in a greater perspective. Additionally, this novel is true to life, and barely qualifies as fiction. When I was in high school, and in my adult life so far, such writings of mine tended to cause offense because the people being referred to often did not like my portrayal of them. Hopefully the real life equivalents of Dane and Ruth are more forgiving of the author’s use of his richly complicated personal life as the foundation of a compelling and worthwhile novel about a life of imperfect but sincere faith.

[1] Ironically, this is the second such self-published novel that I have read recently. See:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/book-review-the-church-of-golf/