Levi’s Will
By: W. Dale Cramer
Reviewed by Pat Beaty
“God is love, love is the proof of
God, and forgiveness is the proof of love.”
“Levi’s
Will” is fiction. It is a Christian novel by a writer with considerable skill
and depth of feeling. The story
actually begins with Will, Levi’s son, running away from his Amish farm and his
strong-willed father. In
subsequent passages, the author explains the reasons for Will’s unhappiness,
not only with his father but also with the constraint of Amish life.
Our
main character and a younger brother, Tobe, who accompanies him, have some exciting
adventures out in the “English” world; and when World War II begins, Will finds
himself in the middle of Belgium repairing tanks for the U.S. Army.
This
intriguing story carries our hero into a marriage with a Georgia woman and
through the lives of his sons and the lives of his many Amish relatives. He does not return home to his Amish
roots in Ohio for many years. When
he does, he finds that his father has not forgiven him. He visits his father’s home a number of
times over the years, never receiving the forgiveness of his father.
There
are many moving episodes in the story, leading up to a dramatic understanding
by Will regarding love and forgiveness and his relationship with God. This book is a learning experience and
the reader will find it spell-binding.
You may wonder – does the title refer to Levi’s son Will, his strong
will in controlling his children, or his last will and testament? You’ll have to read it to find out.
