The Testament

The Testament by John Grisham

When a wealthy billionaire dies and leaves a controversial will, it has his six known children in an uproar. These progeny are fairly useless members of society who were spoiled throughout their lives and would likely squander the fortune. The will indicates that the vast sum of his estate should go to a previously unknown child who happens to be a Christian missionary in the jungles of Brazil. The executor of the will dispatches one of his lawyers to find this heir. The lawyer goes through adventures flying in small planes, going down little known tributaries of rivers in Brazil, and interacting with native Indians there. He eventually finds her but she is uninterested in the inheritance having come to peace with living with the indigenous people there and sharing Jesus with them.

Grisham succeeds in making her a sympathetic character whom the reader might like to meet in real life. The lawyer goes through a process of re-evaluating priorities in life and healing from past addictions and mistakes. One would consider him to have become a born again Christian. This is evidenced in his change in attitude and interests in helping a neighbor pastor and talking with God as well as reconnecting with his broken family. I'll not give away the ending but recommend the book as good fiction in addition to being a good way to examine priorities in life.