Levi's Will

A Descriptive Look into the Amish World

Levi's Will, by W. Dale Cramer, is a novel about an Amish young man and his journey through life banned from everything he knows. It delves into the psychology of how our upbringing can shape our lives, and the lives of those around us, whether we know it or not.

We first meet Will at what we find out later is his father's funeral. The book jumps back and forth between the present day setting of the novel and the years leading up to that time. The author cleverly weaves his story teasing the reader with little bits and pieces that, in time, will add up to the whole, and give the reader the understanding of what events shaped his life. This was a remarkably told tale that did not let me get ahead of myself as, I confess, I am prone to do. I am always trying to "figure out" the ending, but this lead me in several different directions that kept me off balance for the majority of the book.

While it is not meant to be a whodunit book in anyway, I enjoyed trying to figure out the little bits and pieces that made Will who he was and explained the reasoning behind the choices he made. My heart ached for him as time after time he tried to reconcile with his Amish family, but every time was turned away by the patriarch.

All in all, Levi's Will was a well-crafted book that kept my imagination held the entire time. Then to read the acknowledgments at the end and know that this was, in part, his father's story, was heart-warming as well.

This book is a definite must-read for anyone, especially those who love Beverly Lewis' amish books.

This book was provided for review by Bethany House Publishers.

review

Mr. Cramer has impressed me again. Our family first read his Summer of Light, and I say our family because after repeated laughing out loud I started reading it to my husband. My Grandma, with whom I always share books I enjoy, later told me she read it out loud to my Powpow. Then my Mom- read it to my Dad, without any of us sharing that until we were done.

This was an interesting picture of Amish shunning. Completely different from his other book I read, but again interesting and at times side splitting funny. In the afterword the author shared how it was loosely based on truths from his own family history.

This is a story of generations, men who repeat the same mistakes they experienced through their own fathers. The relationships shared in these pages are realistic, and easy to relate to. This is a story of forgiveness with eye-opening truths.

Levi's Will

Levi's Will was an excellent read. Spanning 40 years, the book tells the story of Will, an Amish boy, who leaves behind his Amish life (including his pregnant Amish girlfriend). Keeping his past a secret, he enters WWII as a soldier, marries, and begins a new life. Levi believes that he can move forward; however, he begins to discover that he desperately desires his father's love and forgiveness. Will patiently seeks his father's forgiveness over a span of 30 years. During that time Will is learning much about fatherhood as he raises two boys of his own. The author, W. Dale Cramer sums up much of the book in one simple sentence 2/3 of the way into the book. ".every man's failure dips its roots into the previous generation and drops its seeds into the next." Levi's Will is the story of one man's realization of how that truth is working out in his own life.

The story line switches back and forth between different time periods and at first seemed like it would be confusing. I must admit that after ending each section in one time period, I was anxious to get back to another time period to see how Will was faring there. Will is not a perfect character; he made poor choices many times. The author shows that God doesn't always work in the way we think He should and that there are consequences along with our choices. I will be looking for other books penned by W. Dale Cramer.

Levi's Will

Reprinted with a new cover, and a wonderful afterword W. Dale Cramer's book Levi's Will will reach out and grab your heart strings.

Will Mullet, aka Will McGruder, was born Amish, and brought up Amish. However he chaffed at some of the Amish ways, especially the ones he felt were designed to trap Amish children into never leaving home. Having sinned against the church and his family, Will runs away. He spends the rest of his life looking for forgiveness and for his father's approval.

Will he ever find either? A story of redemption, a story of the curse of the father, and a story of deep love and commitment Mr. Cramer has brought us a beautiful story. A story with roots from the true story of his father's own life.

Messed up kids, anger issues, drugs, and war. All things not common to Amish families, however the root of these issues are connected to the roots of Will's Amish upbringing. Follow Will Mullet McGruder as he learns that true forgiveness comes only from God.

Most definitely a read over and over book, and a book to share with friends and family. 398 pages $13.99 US 4 stars.

A book for everyone

This book is so real and touching. Just the way it happens in real life. The messages are clear. God has a hand in this.

Awesome Writing!

W. Dale Cramer is truly a talented writer. What a treat to actually read a well written story. I had forgotten the 'joy' of reading until I picked up this treasure. He took a simple story and turned it into a captivating story that was not at all simple. Wow!

A Prodigal's Story

Levi's Will is a masterfully crafted story that captures you from the very beginning. Not only does it pull back a curtain to artfully portray the Amish way of life, it gets to the heart of broken relationships in a way that transcends culture or religion. Cramer has created believable characters and shown us their hearts, making us care very much about the outcome. And through it all he teaches a valuable lesson about love and forgiveness.

Levi's Will is my Pick of the Year

Next to the Bible, only one other book I¿ve read has moved me like Levi¿s Will. I really had no expectations about the book when I bought it, aside from the rave reviews from others. I knew it had something to do with the Amish, but my knowledge of the Amish is limited to the cake-like bread we buy from them in the fall when we go to see the covered bridges in Parke County. W. Dale Cramer¿s book changed all that. He¿s sneaky with his descriptive story-telling, never letting me know he¿s being descriptive or telling me a story. Switching from past to present tense, Cramer keeps me just ahead of his words, though not in the sense that I could in any way predict what¿s about to happen. It¿s more like he¿s pushing me along as I grab at pieces here and there, until in the end I put them together to get the whole picture. This is an important story, and one that will leave you re-examining your own values. If you can only buy one book this year, let this be the one.

A book to be savored.

There are some books that must be savored; the kind of books that make it hard to pick up another book because you know everything else will be lacking in flavor. Levi's Will is such a book. Strong characters, beautiful prose, and an understanding of the relationships between fathers and sons that is seldom so well spelled out. I'm looking forward to Dale Cramer's next book.

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No text was provided for this review.