Thy Father’s Will

A historical novel based on the true story of a family forever altered by the damaging consequences of decisions made for all the right reasons Stoic and commanding, Joseph Marvick is a wealthy businessman and respected leader in the Norwegian immigrant community of Story City, Iowa. He supports the Norwegian Lutheran Church, believes men control their destinies by the choices they make, and lives by the values of respect, resourcefulness, and responsibility. Confident in his judgment, he controls the lives of his children, who love, honor, and obey him, trusting he will ensure their prosperity, health, and happiness. When decisions he imposes on his only son Severt and favorite daughter Ida have unintended, harmful consequences, Joseph spares nothing in his attempts to save them. A widower, Joseph faces his fallibility alone and, at the end, condemns himself. In death, as in life, his will is done. Based on true events that occurred between 1907 and 1918, Thy Father¿s Will is a heartbreaking story of family love, control, and guilt, of lives forever altered by the damaging consequences of decisions made for all the right reasons.