The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell

Illumination Book Award

Nautilus Book Award

Elijah Campbell is on the verge of losing his writing career, his faith, and his marriage when a recurring childhood nightmare drives him back to his hometown, Bradford's Ferry. There, his encounters with loved ones both past and present shed light on the reason his wife left him—and the meaning of his nightmare. However, beyond the light he begins to glimpse something even more terrifying—a decision he must make either to continue hiding the secrets of his past or unhide the only thing that can save his marriage: himself.

In psychologist Kelly Flanagan's non-fiction works (Loveable, True Companions), he drew from clinical insight to explore the spiritual depths of identity and relationships. Now, in this debut novel, he weaves a page-turning and plot-twisting tale that brings new life to those insights, along with fresh revelations about personal growth, spiritual transformation, and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships.

This visit to Bradford's Ferry will linger long after the final page has been turned, and a guide for group discussion invites further conversation about the story's themes of healing, grace, faith, forgiveness, and freedom.



Kelly Flanagan (PhD, Pennsylvania State University) is a clinical psychologist, popular speaker, and the author of The Marriage Manifesto, Loveable, and True Companions. He has also written for publications such as Christianity Today, Reader's Digest, and Huffington Post, and he has appeared on the TODAY Show with his daughter. He lives in Dixon, Illinois, with his wife who is also named Kelly, and their three children.



"From the first page you are immersed in the life and loves and losses of Elijah Campbell. A great story pulls you in and doesn't let go until you see yourself—this book is like looking into a mirror."



"Tuesdays with Morrie meets The Shack in The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell. A pitch-perfect page-turner of a story about one man's dismantling and reconstruction as he collides with his past. Authentic, heart-rending, absorbing, and wise, this book hits the bull's-eye of psychological and spiritual relevance. I closed the cover with new clarity, new conviction and, I hope, new capability to forgive and love."



"Stunning. Through eloquent prose and exquisite storytelling, Flanagan invites us into the unraveling of another's false self. Yet we enter not as strangers but as friends, caring deeply for the unhiding of Elijah, for the unhiding of us all. The scenes will linger with you, as will wise words to nourish the movement toward your true self. Recommended for all who seek to journey into the deep waters of their own transformation."



"A captivating story illustrating the power and redemption in knowing oneself and being known. Kelly Flanagan weaves together wisdom, humor, faith, and relationship to beautifully portray a path for Eli to wholeness and healing, and a path all of us need to take. Numerous times while reading this novel I was convicted regarding my own areas of hiding and the need to take additional steps into the light."



"Through the captivating and poignant voice of Elijah Campbell, Flanagan takes us to the depths of brokenness and on the slow climb toward healing. This story invites us not only to unhide from one another but also to see in every glory and specter of our past the grace-filled presence of the One who keeps company with us through it all."



"I knew from the first page that Elijah Campbell was a special character. Every chapter, paragraph, and sentence that I read proved me right. This novel is infused with gentle storytelling that reminded me of Wendell Berry, elegant prose that brought to mind Marilynne Robinson, and salt of the earth characters reminiscent of Leif Enger. The great delight that I found while reading, however, was what Kelly Flanagan brought to this story that only he could—a deep insight into what makes us human and how that makes us worthy of being seen and known."