by John Grisham, 1999
Recommended by the church newsletter library writer, Wayne Clegern. Very interesting characters – page-turner. A billionaire leaves his entire estate, 11 billion dollars, to an illegitimate daughter, Rachel Lane, who is a missionary in the Pantanal of Brazil. Nate O’Riley, an alcoholic lawyer, is sent to find her. No one knows exactly where she is, even World Tribes, who she works for. He miraculously finds her, she doesn’t want the money. Nate gets Dengue Fever and almost died. She visits him in the hospital in Corumba, the nearest town, and miraculously cures him. She disappears. He looks all over Corumba for her and can’t find her. He goes back to the States and battles with the other 6 children, who thought their father would leave them all his money, who had it spent, who are despicable, with despicable lawyers. What finally happens is Nate, who has completely lost his demons and is a new man, exposes the 6 heirs in a deposition for what they are, along with Snead, the billionaire’s servant, who agreed to lie for 5 million dollars.
They finally settle out of court for 50 million each. Nate goes back to the Pantanal to beg Rachel to sign the new agreement. If she won’t, then the 6 nasty heirs get everything. Nate goes back to the tiny village in the Pantanal only to discover Rachel died of malaria. But she left a handwritten will giving everything to a trust to help the causes of World Tribes, with Nate as executor.