The Shadow Taker By Blaine M. Yorgason, Carl J. Eaton Deseret Book, 1985. Hardback: 125 pages. ISBN: 0-9708008-2-7 Suggested retail price: $8.95 (US)
Reviewed by: Jeff Needle

The Shadow Taker is the story of a man whose name is never given. We meet him driving through the San Juan Desert in Southeastern Utah. His vehicle breaks down, causing him to start out on foot, looking for water and help. He is simply "the driver" through most of the book. I'm guessing this is a device used by Yorgason to indicate Everyman.

He meets an old man, in appearance a Native American, who, through some methodology unknown to the driver, causes his life to pass before him. It isn't a pretty sight. The driver, an insurance salesman, has not been an honest dealer, despite his position in the Church and his own deluded image of himself.

Prominent in the story is Homer Bean, another insurance salesman and close friend of the driver. Homer, who serves in the Bishopric of his ward, plays straight, doesn't cut corners, and thus makes few sales than our driver. The driver tries his best to get Homer to change his ways, deal dishonestly, get ahead so he can better support his family, but Homer hangs tough.

The old man, showing the driver his life, includes many scenes between the driver and Homer, including the driver's behind-the-scenes machinations that result in Homer's being denied a district manager's job. And while the driver continues to insist his way is right, the old man continues to parade his sins before him.

Finally, the old man reveals himself to be something of an Angel of Death, there to explain why the driver's mortal life is ending. Repentance is then quick, but not lasting. It all ends as Homer learns of the driver's death and forgives him and everyone else who had done him wrong.

I worked very hard at trying to figure out the message of this book. If you were to read it with a doctrinal bent, the idea is as follows: live your life as a rat, and, at the moment of your death, you'll have a chance to review it all, repent, and move on. All is well. But if you say you're going to repent at the point of death, and you fail to do it, you're sunk.

And here I thought that Mormons didn't think much of deathbed repentance.

The Shadow Taker tries to be a morality tale, and I suppose there are some thoughts here of the importance of dealing honestly with others. But much is left unsaid here. It is said that the driver dealt poorly with members of his own ward, had made no secret of his cut-throat methods in his business, but yet he maintains a prominent position in his ward. Why didn't his bishop ever try to convince him to change his ways? It's left to poor old Homer to do all the remedial work, and it never seemed to have taken.

Equally puzzling is the role of Carl J. Eaton, the co-author. Normally, when I read the word "With" in a title, it generally indicates a ghost writer. But why would Yorgason need a ghost writer?

I've enjoyed other Yorgason books more than I did this one.