About the Book
Book: The Thin Space
Author: Dann Stouten
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Release date: May 28, 2021
When Psychologist Rocky Devos lost his wife to cancer, he also lost his faith in the fairness of God. For over a year, he lived in the thin space between his love for God and his hatred for what he believed God did. Each night, he banged on heaven’s gate demanding an explanation.
“Why Rachel, Lord? Why would you let her suffer like that? Why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you give us a miracle?”
The longer his prayers went unanswered the more frustrated he became. Eventually, he meets God’s silence with a silence of his own. But then, a year and four months later, the answer arrives disguised as a homeless vagabond who claims to be the apostle Paul. Clearly, Rocky believes he was delusional. But in their court-appointed sessions, he finds a kindred spirit. As Paul unpacks the pain of losing his wife in childbirth the two men connect. Rocky believes he’s there to help Paul. Paul believes the opposite.
The book explores the thin space between faith and doubt. Rocky’s questions are our questions. At some point we will all lose someone we love. When we do, we will find comfort in the company of those who have walked the path of suffering before us. Rocky invites us to join him on his journey of redemption. His conversations with Paul will not only change the way he thinks about God, they may do the same for you as well.
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About the Author
DANN STOUTEN (DMin, Western Theological Seminary) is the pastor of Leadership and Teaching at Christ Memorial Church in Holland, Michigan. Dann has always been a lover of stories. He believes if we write about hope, it’s because we have found hope. If we write about tragedy, it’s because we have experienced tragedy. If we write about love, it’s because we have been loved well or want to be. If we write about faith, it’s because we have wrestled with our doubts and come out on the other side. Doubt is the enemy of faith and nothing stirs up doubt like death.
When we lose someone we love, our faith is either strengthened or strangled. That death will drive us closer to God or drive us farther away. We find ourselves in The Thin Space between wanting to believe and wondering if we do. For a time, faith and doubt play tug-o-war with our souls. In the end, whether we chose to believe or not is often decided by the stories we’re told. My prayer is that my words might bring people comfort and bring them closer to God.
Author Interview with Dann
Q: Do any of the novel’s characters hold a special place in your heart?
Dann: I have been a student of Paul and his letters for much of my adult life. The character in The Thin Space who believes that he’s the apostle Paul is someone I’d like to spend some time with. Whether he’s delusional or not really doesn’t matter, I just love the way he looks at life.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this novel?
Dann: One of the lines that I really like is this one, “Like a really good book, the best lives are always too short, and we’re never quite ready to have them end.” I’ve certainly found it to be true. There are people I’ve loved and lost that I really want to spend more time with.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from this novel?
Dann: Even the most ardent atheist hopes that they’re wrong when they stand at the grave side of someone they love. They ask themselves the same questions we all ask at times like that. My prayer as I wrote The Thin Space was simply that it would bring people comfort and bring people closer to Christ.
Q: If the novel was made into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character?
Dann: I think that I’d cast Ben Afleck, Ryan Reynolds, or Matt Damon, as Rocky. Paul’s a little harder. My first thought is Tom Hanks would be great if he could master the middle eastern accent. Other choices might be Oded Fehr (from the Mummy), or Jonathan Roumie (Jesus in the Chosen).
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?
Dann: I was a terrible student in High School. I even failed the ninth grade. It wasn’t until I was in college that I finally was diagnosed as being dyslexic. Words and letters would get transposed. You might read the sentence, “I saw the cat,” but what I read was, “I was the cat.” You can see how that might make understanding difficult.
More from Dann
There is a thin space between faith and doubt, and when we lose someone we love, the lines can sometimes get blurred. Unanswered prayers hang heavy on our hearts, and grief can even cause us to question God. In those moments of uncertainty, we often find comfort in the company of those who’ve walked the path of suffering before us. Their story and our stories intertwine. The Thin Space invites us to walk alongside of Rocky DeVos as he tries to navigate life’s most challenging moments. It is honest, comforting, and dares ask the questions we so often are afraid to explore. It will challenge the way you think about God and is a must read for anyone who’s lost someone they love.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 9
Texas Book-aholic, December 10
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 11
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 12 (Spotlight)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 13
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 14
Beauty in the Binding, December 15 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, December 15
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 16
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 17
For Him and My Family, December 18
Splashes of Joy, December 19 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, December 19
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 20
Spoken from the Heart, December 21 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Dann is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
I enjoyed the post, thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and The Thin Space sounds like a great book! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a wonderful holiday season!
ReplyDeleteInteresting interview! It's inspiring that a dyslexic person can be a good author. I know what he means about reading, because I have several sons who are the same.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.