Denise Hildreth's Will of Wisteria ~ Reviewed

The Will of Wisteria
Denise Hildreth
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 9, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595542094


Book Description:

Four headstrong siblings must satisfy their father's dying demands--or risk losing his fortune. Let the clash of wills begin.

Charleston blue blood Clayton Wilcott "got religion" late in life; so late, it turns out his kids never took to it. So he's left a provisional will delivered in a highly unorthodox way.

Now they're going to have to honor Daddy's commandments from beyond the grave--for a full year--or be cut off from their substantial inheritances.

The scent of wisteria lingers in the air as the four spoiled Wilcotts battle for their birthright. Told in

Denise Hildreth's trademark blend of humor and heart, this Southern tale is about learning to love, learning to live, and learning to bend.




REVIEW:





Family! Can’t live with them – Can’t live without them – or can we???Denise Hildreth gives you a sneak peek into a rich dysfunctional family at it’s extreme!!

Denise’s story unfolds through the children of Elijah Clayton Wilcott II Elizabeth, Jeffery, Mary Catherine, and Will, as they divide their fathers estates between themselves mentally after his death. Elizabeth is a successful attorney who owns her own business. She’s headstrong, passionate and full of hostility for her father and brother Jeffery. Jeffery is the oldest brother who is a very successful plastic surgeon. He is wrapped up in a world his of selfish desires and hasn’t a clue about family; how to be a husband or father. He doesn’t see the importance of either one. Mary Catherine is a woman born to travel. She fly’s around with her husband to experience new places and collect interesting and fun items. Work for a living – Not her!! Then there is Will the baby in the family who is a professional student. He is the president of his fraternity and may never graduate. Work ? He is having way too much fun in college. The babes love him. Fraternity parties now that’s where it’s at for Will.

Life as Elizabeth, Jeffery, Mary Catherine, and Will know it is about to be over after they are read the terms of their fathers will. Elijah Clayton Wilcott wants them to do the unthinkable for a whole year!! All the children think he has got to be kidding. This is some extreme joke. Not!! No money for any of the children that do not comply with their late father’s wishes. They can’t believe their father would do this to them. Who else could they talk to? There had to be away around these demands so they could get the money now. The Wilcott children all had money but their father had so much more. You can never have too much money was their mind set. There had to be a way to beat this! Each one was determined to find that way on their own.

Denise says this about herself “The one thing I believe the Lord has gifted me to do is to take the human relationship and strip it down to the place we all live”. She does this so well. It’s very true with this book and the others I have read by her. On the surface this seems like a light hearted fun book a no brainer. I felt that Denise had a way of piercing my heart and mind as I read parts of this story I felt uncomfortable as the Wilcott children struggled with the situations they found themselves in. I found myself searching my soul, my motives, hurts in my life and others around me.I walked away from this book knowing that in the middle of the “stuff” of life, (the good, bad, and the ugly). God sets us up for victory. Denise says “He surrounds each of us with everything necessary to win….Each of us will taste “life”. It’s inevitable. But each of us has been given every necessary tool for our refining, our taming, our potential” In the end it’s a matter of our will. Will we trust God with our whole life, our dreams, our heart or not??? This is a powerfully moving book!! It will change your life and the way you look at people and yourself if you let it. I highly recommend this book and the other books that Denise has written.





Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
Book Club Servant Leader