Will's War: A Novel

Synopsis

When Janice Woods Windle uncovered nearly 3,000 pages of original transcripts from the landmark 1917 treason trial of her grandfather Will Bergfeld, she knew she’d struck literary gold. Accused by the federal government of plotting to assassinate President Woodrow Wilson, Bergfeld became a national figure, and his trial became the Aaron Burr case of its day, exposing the anti-German sentiment that occupied much of this country during World War I. From those transcripts, and from her own family lore, this best-selling author of True Women and Hill Country has written another unforgettable historical novel. Will’s War is the compelling saga of Will Bergfeld and his fight for freedom-and of the three strong women who loved him and made sacrifices on his behalf. Will Bergfeld is a brash, high-spirited young man born and raised in Seguin (pronounced Sea-geen), one of Texas’s oldest German-settled towns. After moving west to Weinert, a new immigrant community, Will becomes a rural mail carrier. He is also a devoted advocate of workers’ and farmers’ rights at a time when robber barons such as Vanderbilt and Rockefeller trampled freely on the little man. As American involvement in the war in Europe became inevitable, its citizens back home turn a suspicious eye to anyone potentially involved in the conflict: This included anybody with a German surname or anybody supposedly involved in government activities. It is no wonder that the outspoken Will Bergfeld soon became a prime suspect. The story of Will’s trial is largely told through the eyes of the women who love him: his wife Virginia, his mother-in-law Bettie King, and his sister Louise. (Readers of Windle’s previous novels will recognize a few of these beloved characters.) Also in the mix are Anna Bennett, the lonely woman Will once jilted whose anger threatens to send him to his death; Bill Atwell, Will’s dapper defense attorney who must match wits with a formidable foe to make sure justice is done; and Tom Grimes, the brooding Texas Ranger whose conscience may help save Will’s life. Will Bergfeld becomes the scapegoat in a vicious witch-hunt spurred on by the same fear and misplaced patriotism that would later give rise to the Japanese internment camps of World War II and the McCarthy congressional hearings of the 1950s. Janice Woods Windle has effortlessly woven pages from the actual trial transcripts into her novel to create a courtroom drama full of false testimony, evidence tampering and governmental wrongdoing-made all the more remarkable since it is based on fact.

Copyright:

2001

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

374 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781563526398

Publisher:

Longstreet Press

Date of Addition:

07/31/21

Copyrighted By:

Janice Woods Windle

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

Yes

Categories:

History, Military, Literature and Fiction

Submitted By:

Larry Lumpkin

Proofread By:

Susan Lumpkin

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.