How hard do you think it is to tell a story to someone, make them believe that it was real and write a book about it that millions will buy? According to one young co-author, it is not that hard. In “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven” Alex Malarky explained that when he was in a coma after a car accident, he crossed over to heaven and was sent back to tell his story. A story that was put into book form and easily sold like hot cakes.
Recently, the book is being pulled off shelves and apparently the reason is that Alex admits that the entire story is a lie. The book was written by Alex and his father back in 2010 and as soon as it was printed it sold millions of copies while moving to the top of the New York Times best-seller list. Alex has made remarks recently that he did not die while in the coma, did not go to heaven and did not experience “miracles, angels and life beyond This World”.
Alex wrote to Christian bookstores that picked up the book to sell to customers that have faith in the other side. That letter stated very clearly that the book was a lie that he made up to get some attention and that the Bible is the only source of truth about the afterlife. Since the news about the letter has been making the roads, bookstores all over the country have been pulling the book and now Tyndale House Publishing has decided to stop making the best seller.
This is not the first time that a story that makes its way to the best seller list is admittedly fake. In turn, the stories make millions, the authors make the talk show rounds for a year and lie right to everyone they bump into about the books. Bringing the story of a lie to life and getting it to sell is one thing, but story has brought about a change to bookstores all over the world.
In wake of the recent events surrounding this book, Christian bookstores all over the globe have decided that it is time to evaluate every book they are going to sell. Lifeway Christian Stores is taking the necessary precautions to examine all titles that it plans to sell in the future. The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven is not the only book about heaven out on the market and now this news has others wondering if these “real” stories are actual events that took place.