BOOKS & STUFF

I expect to see ads selling T-shirts saying, “I Survived the Deep Freeze of 2019” any day now. That super cold weather was hard on people, animals and machinery, but it did “force” me to stay in and do more reading.

A friend at church asked me if I’d read John Grisham’s “The Testament.” I’ve read other Grisham novels but not this one, so I gave it a try. Now I have to figure how to share it with you in a concise way.

Troy Phelan Sr. is a self-made man. Over his lifetime, he built his business interests into an $11 billion empire. He also has three ex-wives, seven children and multiple much-younger lovers. Troy has had it all, done it all, and now he’s bored with life and ready for death. But first he must legally dispose of his billions.
Troy is in his camera-filled conference room with his longtime lawyer Josh Stafford, board Chair Tip Dubin and his houseman Snead. With his heirs gathered throughout the building, Troy is questioned by three psychiatrists to determine his mental fitness. As soon as they declare him sane, he makes a show of signing a multi-page will, but moments later he shreds that will and produces a handwritten replacement and signs it. Then he suddenly gets out of his wheelchair, rushes to a window and jumps to his death.

When Josh reads the new and final will, he notes that the heirs will receive only enough money to pay their current bills, nothing more. Troy Phelan had given each of them $5 million on their 21st birthday, and each of them has squandered every cent. If they couldn’t handle $5 million, what would those fools do with his precious companies?

Instead, the entire $11 billion will go to Troy’s illegitimate daughter, Rachel Lane. She’s somewhere in the Pantanal working with the Indians there. Josh must find Rachel and get her to make some decisions before one of Troy’s less ethical heirs can get rid of her. He sends recovering addict Nate O’Riley.
Josh has hired lawyer Valdir Ruiz to be his contact in Corumbá. Valdir hires an English-speaking guide named Jevy, and they begin the perilous journey to find Rachel Lane. It is the rainy season. The rivers are high and big storms roll in without warning.

After several mishaps, Nate finally finds Rachel and tells her about the will. She thanks him for coming but refuses to sign any agreement concerning the money. She tries to explain that she is happy. She lives to serve God and care for the native people.

To his great joy, the two become friends, and he begins to understand what makes Rachel tick. As he learns from her, his own needs diminish. But there is no happy-ever-after as Nate is struck by dengue fever. Jevy rushes Nate to Carumbá for medical treatment, and, to his great relief, Nate survives.
Meanwhile, Troy’s other children have learned the painful details of the new will, and they’re ready to fight for their “fair share.” Greed, cunning, anger and guilt all fuel their efforts to find a chink in Troy’s final will.

Josh Stafford is managing to stay two steps ahead of them as he awaits Nate’s return with a signed trust agreement. But when Nate calls from the primal Pantanal, his news stuns the unflappable Josh. Both men know that life has a way of sorting things out as it, like a river, flows on.

Authors like John Grisham make a trip to your public library a special joy. Their ability to create situations and characters that resonate with us is amazing. Each year new, talented authors appear, and their works are sitting on the shelves just waiting for us. Make use of your winter down time and check it out.

AT A GLANCE
BOOK: “The Testament”
AUTHOR: John Grisham
PUBLISHER: Dell
PUBLISHED: Dec. 27, 2011
PAGES: 560