The Will of Wisteria

by Denise Hildreth Jones

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.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Book Club, Romance

342 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Denise Jones is a southern girl who loves Jesus, SEC football, family, friends, good food and cold Coca-Colas. She is the mom of one shih-tzu, the bonus mom to five kiddo's and the husband of one Mr. Jones. She spends her time leading Reclaiming Hearts Ministries in her home of Franklin, TN. And every now and then she writes a few books.

You can email her at:
denise@reclaiminghearts.com

Reviews

[tj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the book not realizing it was Christian fiction, and there were a couple of hints that it wasn't standard fiction. But what sets this book apart from other Christian fiction is that it doesn't beat the reader over the head with its message. It's a natural, somewhat subtle progression, and the characters don't sit around talking about their faith all day. The quality of writing is also much improved over other faith-based novels I've read.

The characters are a bit broadly drawn - even main characters. The four siblings are almost cartoonish at times, very stereotypical, but I think this is a side effect of having to take four main characters through a major life change (or not) in a year. It's a lot of material to cover, and I think the solution might have been to split this up into a series of four books.

Still, I enjoyed this book tremendously, and couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I really enjoyed the southern setting in this book. (I have a weakness for live oak trees, spanish moss, and descriptions of salt marshes, and this story placed me right there, among that beauty.) The plot was one that felt fresh to me, and I enjoyed watching the growth in the main characters. Although I enjoyed this novel, I would not recommend it to everyone. Even though it was published through Thomas Nelson, it reads much more "edgy" than the typical Christian read. I feel like I needed this read, at this time in my life, though. It reminded me that there is always room to love better, live happier and live with a purpose with others in mind. I am looking forward to trying more books by this author. My slightly lower rating is because I wanted to see stronger character development for the first half of the book and I wish the "revealing of the executor" was written with a stronger finish, more of an impact on the characters and the reader.

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

We do not travel along the paths of our lives so that we can pretend they never happened. We travel them so that when we encounter others on the same journey, we can comfort and help them.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four self absorbed and spoiled rich siblings are waiting to find out what their father has left them in their will. When they hear the stipulations that he has placed on their inheritance, they are all outraged to find that they will have to completely change their lives for an entire year and do as instructed if they want to be eligible to find out what he has left them. With the stakes being so high, they plunge into this new year of their lives and in the process enormous changes take place. How will the year end?

This book has been out for several years but I just finished reading it. I must say that I am completely impressed. If you have read many of my recent reviews you will know that I have been somewhat disappointed with several of the new offerings in the Christian fiction market. They just seem to be making lip service to God and do not make a real impact for Christianity at all. This book is different.

Here you have a fantastic tale of pain, remorse, greed, desire, selfishness, heartache and redemption that will keep you captivated and intrigued from page one. All four siblings are spotlighted with a close-up description of their choices and actions throughout that year. The ending will keep you glued to your seat and is completely satisfying. The story is great—the spiritual lessons are even greater. This is one book that truly provides a great story while teaching a valuable spiritual lesson as well. If, like me, you find yourself tired of the contrived and false plots of so many of the new books, do yourself a favor and read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - I laughed, cried, got angry and cheered the Wilcott family on. This was a good Christian book and I could hardly put down. While I wasn't reading, I was thinking about it. I even kept my husband awake and night discussing what was going on in the book (he found it interesting, as well) This book is one that should be owned. I will probably go back and read it 5-8 years down the road and I don't usually re-read anything.

The only issue I had was towards the end after the year was over with when the second part of the will was read. When only One of Jeffery's sons was mentioned, as if the dad was around during the year (after his death). If it was supposed to be written as it was from his dad - his father would have mentioned all 2-3 of his grand-kids not just one - because he wasn't alive. This discontinuity bothers me ;)

Other than that small thing I LOVED the book. DO NOT let my nitpicking keep you away from this
book. It is totally worth the read!
I am about to hit up "Flies on the Butter" then "Secrets over sweet tea" then "Hurricanes in Paradise" and the other Savannah books. I read "Savannah from Savannah" 7-8 YEARS ago and I must read the rest of the series.

Denise Hildreth Jones has just stepped out as one of my top 10 favorite authors! Being from Birmingham, AL I LOVE the Southern-isms :D - I need a sweet tea, a coffee and a Coke ASAP with all of the books I am about to read ;-)

[Jennifer Fluegge · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I like this author's writing, I felt that she added some things that are not necessarily appropriate for a novel categorized as Christian. Other than that, I felt she accurately portrayed the consequences of our sinful choices.

[Nora St Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 though the children of Elijah Clayton Wilcott II.

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 of his 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’s 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 had to be 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 a way 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 in this book and the others I have read by her. On the surface this seems like a light hearted fun book, a no brainer. But after reading a few chapters I felt that Denise had a way of pirecing my heart and mind as I read this story. After a while I started to feel uncomfortable as I read about the Wilcott children struggling with the situations they found themselves in. I found myself searching my soul, my motives, hurts in my life and the lives of 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.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four spoiled adult children look forward to tomorrow's reading of their deceased father's will. Attorney Elizabeth Wilcott expects the inheritance of millions to give her power and influence in commercial real estate. Dr. Jeffrey Wilcott is a renowned plastic surgeon, known for making women beautiful. His family life is a mess, but money will give him breathing room. Mary Catherine Bean, the closest to their father, has not done much with her education or followed a career. She spends most of her time traveling and purchasing antiques. She and her new husband plan more traveling with the money. Will Wilcott is president of his fraternity and party-boy extraordinaire. He looks forward to the inheritance buying him even more freedom and friends.

Then, everything changes. All four siblings are masked and whisked off to an unknown location. There, they are confronted by the executor of their father's estate, who reads the will to them. Their father's requirement - in order for each of them to inherit their share of a billion dollars - is to leave their current jobs, avoid traveling, and work for a new job for free for a year. Their trust funds are cut off, except for basic living expenses. If they choose not to complete this task, the trust fund and inheritance will no longer be available to them. What do these selfish, spoilt adults do? Are they up for this giant challenge?

This is an intriguing, well-written novel. The plot is unique and each sibling's plight is unusual enough to cause readers to think and ponder different situations in their own lives. Each character has issues they are dealing with, and as these things come to light, they also take stock of their lives spiritually. I really appreciated the realistic direction of the plot as well. As with real life, not everything in the novel works out perfectly for every character. Some choose not to make the right choices and they suffer the consequences of their actions. But even those who choose a righteous path don't have everything sewn up neatly and tidily.

The Will of Wisteria never preaches, and doesn't come across as heavy handed in its spiritual message. Though it may seem like regular readers would have nothing in common with these spoiled, wealthy characters, their issues are universal. The author includes just the right amount of humor to keep the plot from becoming too heavy. The balance between lesson learning and entertainment is ideal. The Will of Wisteria is an excellent novel, filled with life lessons and interesting circumstances that will keep readers turning pages. This is one for the keeper shelf, and would make an excellent choice for a discussion group, as questions are included at the back of the book.

[Emelia Hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a pleasant, if predictable, non-challenging book. It is a good read for when you want something that is certain of a happy resolution. It fulfilled the need of the genre, a pleasant unchallenging read that assures the redemption of the characters who seek it and a happy ending for most.

There was some casual and abusive use of alcohol. I know a lot of people may object to casual social use of alcohol in a Christian book but there are many Christian denominations that do drink socially. The definition of Christian is not "one size fits all". Some Christians do drink socially, even at functions at church. There are characters you know have a history of sexual promiscuity but you never have to witness any of it. It was a slightly less "safe" Christian book since there are some references to alcohol, drugs, sex and sexual abuse. Nothing is explicit but the book does not exist in a completely sanitized world of denial about the some of the unfortunate realities in the world.

My difficulty with it is the editing. The book is set up in a chronological pattern. The story begins in August and ends the following August. We reach the section labeled "February" and find a section discussing plans for Thanksgiving and even mention decorating for Christmas. Who proof read this? I can't imagine how the writer turned the book over the editor with this sort of error and that the editor missed it as well. I can only assume the section was meant to have been in the section labeled "November" and ended up being moved for some reason associated with balancing scenes for each character. Perhaps they should have edited it to discuss the upcoming Easter dinner instead of Thanksgiving. Also, the scene seemed to suggest there was going to be a pivotal scene in which a new character in one of the plot lines would be introduced to the others in the book, a scene that would move the plot forward at Thanksgiving. We never saw it. It never happened. There never was an actual "holiday" scene in the book. I had the feeling the book had been written in a hodgepodge of scenes which were eventually, cut or glued and pasted together without bothering to make sure it all still made sense and flowed as it was meant to flow.

I found the writing style easy to read in short bursts, in a doctor's office, for picking up in a hotel room on a trip before falling into bed, for reading in the car rider pick up line at school. This was a "nothing special" book but was interesting enough to keep reading. The book is pleasant. I keep coming back to that word. It is pleasant and that is about the extent of it. Sometimes all you need at stressful times is for a book to be unchallenging and comforting with just enough plot to keep going, a literary Hallmark Channel offering.

[Melissa Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh... it is set in Charleston, SC which I have visited once in person and several times in books. Reading this brought back to mind all those hot muggy days we were there, but also I could exactly picture where the characters were. It is different than her other books, but now after having read all of them, I see what a diverse fiction writer she is. The first ones I read were the Savannah series, which had me rolling in laughter the entire time. The First Gardener had me tears the whole time. Hurricanes in Paradise had me set right in my dream place in the Bahamas. This one, however, took me a little time to get into. I mean, yeah, getting kidnapped in the middle of the night and ending up in a dark room with your estranged siblings, it does "grab" you, but I just kept trying to decide if any of them really understood what was at stake. Once the book got rolling, though, I'm pretty sure I read it in about 4 days because there was never a place to stop and leave these folks ... I HAD to see what was going to happen next!!!

Thumbs up for this one, and actually anything my by good buddy!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a wealthy man dies, his four grown children are told at the first reading of his will that they have one year until the final reading. In that year, the attorney, doctor, antique lover and student must work pro-bono with no contact at their current businesses. These spoiled adults are stunned and at first try to see if it's a hoax. Eventually, three of them wizened up and start making positive changes in their lives. The student, and youngest, however, never stops thinking it's a fraternity prank or some such thing. Although some aspects seem a tad predictable in the outcome, how it gets their is simply good writing.

The characters are believable and watching them grow in understanding is good reading. This is one of her earlier works, and I count it one of my favorites.

[Paige Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. But overall it was just ok. What initially drew me in was the plot- it felt different and intriguing. But alas it was a bit of a let down. I felt as though there were a lot of plot holes. I found myself constantly looking back confused because of big jumps in the timeline and parts of the storyline that just were not explored at all which was disappointing. It felt like it had all the makings of a great story but fell kind of flat. There were definitely parts that I enjoyed and parts that made me laugh but overall I walked away with a frustration that there was much left to be desired.

[Michael Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drama's supposed first rule is that characters must change. That is what this novel is about.
Characters do change, however reluctantly, and sometimes their changes seem at least a bit artificial or even contrived -- but so what?
Thomas Nelson published Denise Hildreth's novel -- she must have added the "Jones" afterward and I hope "Congratulations!" is appropriate -- and there are certain standards for that imprint.
The story is involved, even complex, and there are sorrows to go with the joys.
However, overall a reader surely will come away pleased. I certainly did.

[Della Tingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I’ve read this book, and it is a very memorable, unique read! A father dies leaving behind four grown children. What will their inheritance be, and what will they have to accomplish in order to receive it?

“We do not travel along the paths of our lives so that we can pretend they never happened. We travel them so that when we encounter others on the same journey, we can comfort and help them” (310).

“We are never completely ready…But we must always be available” (310).

[Heidi Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book a lot. It was a pleasant, captivating story line with well rounded characters. And I appreciated that the author didn't have to use a bunch of swear words or graphic sex to tell the story of this modern day family. This book is considered a Christian novel but if you aren't looking for it, it won't slap you the face over & over, which was another reason I enjoyed it.

[Sandra Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most fabulous books I have ever read. A book of found faith that captivates and draws you in so deeply that you care about the characters, their choices, & their lives. The characters are so real and written so honestly I couldn't help but be affected by their life choices. Oh what a story! Thank you Denise Hildreth for letting me read your powerfully moving story.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was refreshing to read a book simply because. I would not rate this book a true four rating. More like a three and a half. It seemed like it took a bit before the characters became interesting to read about and authentic. This was a light weighted beach type of read on a cool, autumn week.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an excellent story that very closely resembled James Garner’s last movie that I believe came out around 2006. It involved a will and 1 person instead of 4 but all the rest was eerily similar. Although we’ll written I had to give it a 3 for lack of originality.

[Alice Rosenhagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just happened on this book. And I couldn’t put it down. I grew to despise the characters but the author does a great job of bringing the book to its wonderful conclusion. In the end, it was an uplifting story filled with redemption.

[Sheila Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! A must read!!!!

[Lmstclair3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. The story keeps you interested to the end.

[Sharon Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good, I couldn’t put it down. Just seeing how the children reacted to their fathers will and how their lives changed was remarkable. I highly recommend this book.

[Tracie Berghaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice easy read. No real surprises.

[Connie Mae Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line, flows effortlessly, worth reading

I've never picked up a Denise Hildreth Jones book before, but now I will look for more. Everything about this story is enjoyable!

[Leslie Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing topic. Enjoyed this book. Would have liked more on the connection of the Executor in the end, but still loved the book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marked as Christian fiction and it’s a story of redemption for some of the main characters who have broken lives. It’s a story that kept me engaged.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preachy and predictable.

[Susan Thomasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most memorable books I've ever read. Amazing story and concept. Emotional and powerful.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a terrific read. Lots of deapth to the characters with a lesson to be learned from each one.

[Susan Featheringill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the interaction between family members. An interesting twist on the power money has over people.