Mister God, This is Anna (1974) by Flynn

🧍🏻‍♀️ Flynn is a pseudonym for Sidney Hopkins, the author of Mister God, This is Anna. It is a spiritual and philosophy novel centered on the character of five-year-old Anna, who has a very intimate relationship with God - or Mister God, as she always calls Him. The story is told from the POV of Flynn, a young man of about nineteen to twenty who lives in London in the end of 1930s. Anna's background was unknown throughout the story. She was found by Flynn one foggy night, as he was wandering near London's Dockland, sat still and alone; apparently having been neglected - and most certainly been badly abused - by her parents or family. Anna never told Flynn about her past, and he never insisted.

🧍🏻‍♀️ Anna instantly clang to Flynn from their first meeting, so Flynn brought her home. His mother used to brought runaway children to their house, so she instantly took care of Anna without question. From then on Anna and Flynn were inseparable. Anna is "as busy as a bee, as inquisitive as a kitten, and as playful as a puppy." and has an uncanny way to analyze new things in out-of-the ordinary view. And, as she has a firm love to God, she somehow always manages to apply either mathematic or scientific formulas into the characteristics of God, or into the way human being perceive God and religion. Flynn's love of mathematic and science help nurturing Anna's obsession of investigation and experiments.

🧍🏻‍♀️ And so, the whole book consists of these observations on philosophy or religion or spirituality, from Anna's point of view.

"...Mister God is different. You see, Flynn, people can only love outside and can only kiss outside, but Mister God can love you right inside, and Mister God can kiss you inside, so it's different. Mister God ain't like us; we are a little bit like Mister God, but not much yet."

"...You see, everybody has got a point of view, but Mister God hasn't. Mister God has only points to view."

🧍🏻‍♀️ During the three years of her stay with Flynn, Anna is able to learn more about God and God's way better, perhaps, than an adult who's been to church every week since childhood. 

"Anna searched for Mister God and her desire was for a better understanding of him. Anna's search for Mister God was serious but gay, earnest but light-hearted, reverent but impudent, and single-minded and multi-tracked."

🧍🏻‍♀️ I loved how the story ends. World War II was looming, and Anna was beginning to distressed over the impeding war. Although her stay with Flynn was short, she had managed to wrought a beautiful friendship with him. Not only that, she had changed many lives too, touched many souls with her beautiful soul and firm devotion to God. Even her Mister God would have been touched deeply by her simple love. In short, this is a beautiful book about finding God through everything you could come across - a pure reminder for our battered souls. Though it feels rather redundant sometimes, just continue on, you'll get gems every now and then.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2