Room of Marvels

By James Bryan Smith

Book Overview

In one tragic blow after another, accomplished Christian writer Tim Hudson lost his mother, his close friend, and his two-year-old daughter. Now he's on the brink of losing his faith. Room of Marvels takes readers on a silent spiritual retreat with Tim where he is swept up in a dream vision of heaven and given a guided tour by those he has lost. Reminiscent of the C. S. Lewis classic, The Great Divorce, the book carries a contemporary voice that made Library Journal declare it "a good companion to Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven." Remarkably, Room of Marvels mirrors author James Bryan Smith's own heart-wrenching season of loss when his mother (Wanda), close friend ("Awesome God" singer Rich Mullins), and two-year-old daughter (Madeline) passed away within months of each other. Updated with a new cover design and epilogue by Smith, the 2007 edition of Room of Marvels will continue to comfort those touched by grief and stir the hunger for heaven in every reader. Endorsements "A delightful fantasy." -- Cecil Murphey , coauthor, 90 Minutes in Heaven "If you've ever felt the sting of death from the loss of one you love, Smith's book will lead you into a warm, inviting room." -- Knight Ridder "One of those profound, special books that only comes along once in awhile." -- InfuzeMag.com

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805445633
• ISBN13: 9780805445633
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
• Length: 197 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

Add this to your library!

James Bryan Smith has done a wonderful job of putting our fears of death to rest and reminding us that as followers of Christ we are to simply love. This book touched my soul and indeed renewed my hope. This is a book that you want to keep handy so that on those days when things seem hopeless you can be reminded that a better place awaits us all.

Random Acts Of Kindness

I've read Dante and I've read Lewis; Smith is better. This is one of the most inspired works you will ever read. If you or someone you know is groping with the doubts and anger which so often accompany grief, then this novel will comfort like no other. Buy it. Read it. Give it to all your friends. And remember that your random and seemingly insignificant acts of kindness may resonate throughout all eternity. For in the end, the only true treasures you will ever know are the people you love.

Read it one night. Give it to a friend the next day.

I read Room of Marvels in one night and knew right away that it was going to be a great passalong book. It's short, sweet, deep, inexpensive, creative, memorable. A couple of my friends read it as well, and we had a good time talking about its theme: what Heaven might be like and how we should live on Earth with an eternal perspective. Definitely a conversation starter. It's a special little book that I don't think I will forget.

Room of Marvels is a new classic and great comfort

The two most famous works that have given the world a peak into an enlightened mind's vision of heaven, Dante's Divine Comedy and C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, are now joined by a third - James Bryan Smith's Room of Marvels. More inspiring than Dante and more touching and personal than Lewis, Smith's writing draws readers into his heaven and makes them never want to leave. Room of Marvels is a perfect combination of scripture-based theology and a powerful, semi-autobiographical story to which every reader can relate. This book is enjoyable, enlightening, and an invaluable comfort and guide for anyone who is currently struggling through or has ever struggled through the grieving process. An inspired and life-changing book that everyone must experience.

A Book of Marvels

This book is amazing!! Smith is an incredible writer with a huge gift! I was sucked in by the first page and literally could NOT put it down until I was done! Reading this book really helped me realize how much God loves me...enough that He has ALREADY created a space for me in heaven. While reading this book I laughed and I cried. It's a must read.