Will and Testament

Siblings. The parents and four siblings in the dysfunctional family described in Vigdis Hjorth’s novel set in Norway titled, Will and Testament, will draw readers into their world and then leave us thinking about them for a long time. Often in the novel it seemed as if each individual were a member of a family different from the one described by any one of the members. Perhaps that is true on some level for all families: certain formative experiences provide the lens through which all family life is viewed. The lens for one sibling in this novel is the sexual abuse she suffered from her father, and some siblings and her mother do not believe it really happened. Hjorth explores matters of what we inherit, and the effort by parents to treat children fairly when it comes to their estate. What recompense, though, for abuse? How can incest be weighed against the value of holiday cabins? There’s an emotional punch delivered on many pages of this finely written novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Will and Testament from amazon.com.