Steven Rogers. Into the Room. Elk Lake, 2021.

Into the Room was a pleasant surprise to this reader. There are two things going on in the story. First and foremost, we read about Ben Cahill and how alcohol has made a mess of him and his life. Second, we join him on a tour of the biblical sites of Israel. We also meet the tour guide and other members of his tour group.

The police had to intervene as his booze-fueled rage threatened his wife and daughter. His wife tells him to leave. He does not know what to do or where to go. His brother happens to know that this group from a local church—Ben calls them the Holy Rollers—is traveling to the Holy Land. It might be good for him to get away.

As I began reading this, I was not sure whether I would like it. It had a cute situation. There were echoes of The Screwtape Letters or Clarence the Angel from It’s a Wonderful Life. It seemed like Brian was on his way to getting “saved” in what is almost a stock testimonial.

However, the addiction to alcohol was real. Ben was surprised that none of the Holy Rollers looked down on him because he drank. In fact, a few of them joined him at hotel bars, though he always had more than they, and he had three beers sent to his room each night.

We also have a chance to go on a little New Testament era travelogue. Brian went to Sunday School as a kid, so he has some recollection of stories that happened in some of places. In many places he notes that they cannot be the verified location, but they are traditional spots.

So Brian sees what may have been Peter’s house in Capernaum. He sees the Sea of Galilee, whether or not this specific beach is where Jesus met the disciples after his resurrection. Ditto with the Jordan River, even if it is not the exact location where Jesus was baptized. The Garden Tomb and Golgotha are reasonable guesses, even if we are not a hundred percent sure. But Masada and the Dead Sea Scrolls are certain as is the Garden of Gethsemane.

Readers themselves get a little tour of each of these places. We see them from Ben’s perspective, but he tells us what others say. That includes their Jewish Christian guide Avi, the Bible-quoting but sweet Gerri, Pastor Marcus who leads this church group, the vacationing nurse Addy, and his roommate and bus seatmate Joseph.

The plot appears to be going in a certain direction. In some ways it does continue, but it becomes more realistic. We see this is not a pat testimonial, but a real man dealing with real demons. As the travelers go into the desert, it seems that Ben is having his own desert experience—far from God and not close enough to the comfort of ethanol.

Without giving too much away, this becomes a fascinating psychological study. Maybe we understand the alcoholic some, but we also understand the underlying guilt and shame that often gets concealed behind the bravado. Let us just say that the ending is realistic. No, we cannot say everyone lives happily ever after, but we do get a sense of direction and a sense of hope.

What is the room in the title? It is a place that many people enter. Perhaps they get there because of a dark night of the soul. Perhaps they have been looking for it. Perhaps it just appears before them. But there are other rooms, too. Many who see the room or enter it, decide that it is not for them.

To allude to another Lewis tale, it may be like the place behind the wardrobe door, but it may take the person to the door at the end of The Last Battle. Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen.” And we don’t really know who’s who till the end of the New Testament story. So it is with this one, but readers will get caught up looking Into the Room even if they avoid taking the step themselves.