The Testament
by John Grisham

List Price: $30.00
Our Price: $0.01
You Save: $29.99 (100%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of The Testament

Book Review: Wonderful!
Summary: 5 Stars

Troy Phelan is an aging tycoon, in a great deal of pain during his last days on earth. His ex-wives, his children, and his grandchildren all await his death, to inherit a piece of his $11 billion empire. Knowing that they have squandered the gifts he has bestowed upon them, and knowing that none of them have proven to be of much worth professionally (or privately), he jerks the rug out from under them by writing and revoking, and writing and revoking, will after will. Finally, he calls them all together to witness what they think will be the final will and testament...but Troy, being the sharp-minded sneaky businessman that has amassed this great wealth - pulls another fast one on them, presenting a holographic will that proves to be his ultimate will and testament, as he commits suicide shortly after signing it.

Josh Stafford, Phelan's trusted attorney and closest business advisor, now must find the heretofore unknown heiress that Phelan has given the bulk of his estate to, with nothing but a name and a general idea of who she works for, and where she might be. Josh selects Nate O'Riley to go find Rachel Lane in the Pantanal region of Brazil; Nate just happens to be recovering in a private rehab clinic, and is due to be released soon. In choosing Nate, Josh points Nate towards his destiny, a journey through which Nate will never be the same again - a journey in which he finds redemption for his past.

The Testament is one of Grisham's few novels that have positive meaning that one can take away and apply to one's own life. If an addict and alcoholic like Nate can safely traverse the shaky terrain towards sobriety and abstinence, without having to "work the program", then so can we all. Granted, it would be ludicrous to suggest we all go to some jungle region and contract dengue fever or malaria, but there is something there in such a journey - literal or figurative - that will take us to the other side of life that is healthy and whole.

Kudos to Grisham for a "happy ending" for the characters in The Testament who strove to improve themselves.

Peace Out.

Summary of The Testament

Our hero, Nate O'Riley--a washed-up, alcoholic litigator with two ruined marriages in his wake and the IRS on his tail--is dispatched to the Brazilian wetlands in search of a mysterious heir named in the will. After a harrowing trip upriver to a remote settlement in the Pantanal, he encounters Rachel Lane, a pure-hearted missionary living with an indigenous tribe and carrying out "God's work." Rachel's grave dedication and kindness impress the jaded lawyer, so much that a nasty bout of dengue fever leads him to a vision that could change his life.

Back in the States, the legal proceedings drag on and Grisham has a high time with Phelan's money-hungry descendents, a regrettable bunch who squandered millions, married strippers, got druggy, and befriended the Mob. The youngest son, Ramble, is a multi-pierced, tattoo-covered malcontent with big dreams for his rock band, the Demon Monkeys. Will Nate get straight with Rachel's aid? Do the greedy heirs get theirs? What's the real legacy of a lifetime's work? The Testament is classic Grisham: a down-and-out lawyer, a lot of money, an action-packed pursuit, and the highest issues at stake. It's not just about great characters; it's about the question of what character is. --Rebekah Warren

Literature & Fiction Books

• Books > Subjects
• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Legal
• Suspense