Will's War: A Novel

by Janice Woods Windle

From bestselling author Janice Woods Windle comes a compelling historical novel based on the life of her own grandfather. The protagonist is Will Bergfeld, a brash young man of German descent who is accused of treason and stands trial for his life in 1917, in the midst of the anti-German sentiment that ran rampant in small-town Texas during World War I.

Genres: Historical Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Carleene Hibbs Reeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a a book club pick and was honestly not sure if I would like it going into it. However, I was immediately captivated by the characters. I love the rich history that this book is based on and it shed some light on a part of history I hear very little about. I enjoyed the writing and the way the author broke up a heavy, tense court trial with chapters in between that give you more information and back story on our main characters. It helped to feel for their case and understand them better.

I really liked this book a lot and it made you contemplate your own moral conscience of right and wrong. I really liked that part. As the characters questioned morality, I also pondered these questions. Overall, very great book.

[Rashay Liedecke · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of court room drama this is a must read. I was first interested in this book because it was set in my hometown of Seguin,Tx. Many of the names I knew from listening to my grandmother and great grandmother. The places mentioned for the most part like the Kline Opera House are still standing.

[Stacia Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting Texas history novel written about a 1917 treason trial of author’s grandfather. Never knew the injustices the German community suffered during WW1.

[AlixJamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: This is a book about a trial, and I'm not really into law and courts and juries and all that let's-get-together-and-talk-for-days-and-months-about-opposing-sides-of-this-issue stuff. Not every writer can take that plot - especially in dealing with real people (Will Bergfeld is Janice Woods Windle's grandfather) - and turn it into a book that's not only interesting, but has chapter endings that make you almost unable to put it down. I always make the mistake of getting into a book a few hours before I should go to bed and then fudge it later and later to read just one more chapter. Every time I would get a little bored by the legal badgering and arguments, I would glance at the clock and say "I'll just finish the chapter and then go to bed" and then the chapter would end on a suspenseful note and off I'd go to the next one.

Likes: The story was compelling - and though it dragged at times - it was engrossing. It was downright frustrating to see the lies and treachery that went on and surrounded these poor people who had done nothing worse than founded or joined a farmer's union and bore a German surname. I had never even heard of these trials or was even aware that there was so large and so violent a movement against American-Germans during the beginning of WWI. Men arrested without warrants in front of their wives and young children? Forced to stay in prison for months for crimes they didn't commit as their homes fell into ruins and their families suffered? Made to stand trial and defend themselves for only wanting to make life better for their beloved wives and children? How could this stuff have missed the history books? I couldn't believe what I was reading.

I loved the fact that my stomach was actually knotted up with suspense at the last few pages. It's that dramatic and that good.

The fact that in places it was almost a Christian novel. These women were staunch and God-fearing and they didn't turn against God because of the trouble- they prayed to Him. And they were willing to sacrifice so much - health, family, home, comfort - to stay with Will and help him and the others who were arrested with him.

Will himself is a very interesting and capricious character. I like unpredictable people and enjoy reading about them. I don't like knowing what to expect or being able to predict what someone is about to do.

The dialogue and observations of the characters. They are well-written. The whole book is well-written.

Dislikes: The flashbacks can be a bit confusing until you realize that you must look at every chapter heading to ascertain the place and date in which the said chapter is taking place and understand that pretty much every other chapter is a volley from the present to the past. I rearranged the family who knows how many times before I grasped these two pertinent bits of information.

There were instances when interest lapsed and the legal jabber got, well, long. I had to skim to get through some of it. But since I was expecting most of the book to be skim-worthy, I suppose I oughtn't complain about two or three spots.

Conclusion: Will's War is sad, happy, funny, dramatic, inspiring, depressing, infuriating, frustrating, turns your faith in the goodness of man upside-down and then back up again. It's a tough read, but it's a good one. You get a history lesson and a story in a single dose. It could almost be a novel for the drama it contains. Truth is stranger than fiction. It really is.

One thing I would caution is that it does contain some adult content, but it's handled delicately and only used to make a point or highlight a character's actions or thoughts.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

book club selection
Tomorrow night, we'll be discussing this book as part of the museum's book club and I think it will be a great discussion. Years ago, we read one of Windle's other novels, Hill Country, but these two books are so different. In a way, Will's War is much tighter and has a kind of force to it that her other novels don't.
Like her other novels, she dives into family history to tell the sory of her grandfather, accused of treason during WWI. But is that accusation really just because of his involvement with unions, and more importantly, his German heritage? This book explores all kinds of issues of class and cultural identity--set in towns I'm familiar with. The trial scenes are riveting, and she does seamless job of exploring the family's backstory as well. Highly recommended.

[Edna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The period before WWI is very interesting as there are parallels to today. This book brings the capitalists (JD Rockefeller), labor and farmers in the context of the German communities in Texas around Sequin. I rated it more for Texans who are interested in our state history. The book was not available on the Kindle so I purchased a used copy and am happy to share it with my book friends.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because it is based on a true story and mostly set in and around where I live and work - the story itself and the writing style weren't overly remarkable to me, but it was very interesting to get a glimpse of how the community I live in looked close to a century ago.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much court dialogue.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this author. Her first novel was fantastic.