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"Come quick. Digger is dead." These words summon Matthew Thomas, a theological professor, to his childhood home to mourn the death of his old friend. Stricken by Digger's sudden unexplained death, Matthew and another old friend, Luther St. Johns—an accomplished artist in multiple disciplines, begin an exploration into the event and the strange word the deceased spoke with his last breath: "Anima." As they investigate further, the two men discover that more and more people have been perishing with that word on their lips. Even stranger are the ones who remain—shells of their former selves, as though the life were sucked out of them. The search takes the two old friends to an ominous old church, recently reopened and rumored to deal in souls. But what is the church's goal? To uncover the truth behind their friend's death, Matt and Lute are determined to find out—no matter what.
This tale is a parable about souls and what happens when humans go against the word of God. To create this allegory, the author uses simple language and clear symbolism. The world described in the book is viewed in black and white; there are good people and bad people. Bad people do harm to others, have impure or violent thoughts, and care little about consequences. The message is crystal clear: the sinners will be punished. As Matthew and Luther get closer to the truth, they delve deeper into the strange occurrences at the church—and what it may mean for mankind.