Will Power

People speak from the grave and Susan Goldenberg brings their stories to life. * Gordon Henderson, author of Man in the Shadows * Susan Goldenberg has done a remarkable bit of research to unearth unusual provisions people have written into their wills. Then she's surrounded the facts with legal and historical context, and a dose of human psychology, and the result is an enlightening and entertaining read. * Mark Bulgutch, co-author of How Canada Works * Will Power gives us compelling stories of wills that were questionable, wills that left legacies to communities, and wills that were just plain bizarre in their intent and in their outcome. Who would have thought that legal reading could be so entertaining? * Michael Hill, author of The Lost Prime Ministers * The delightful collection of case studies illustrates the range of wishes by benefactors in distributing their fortunes, from very modest to enormous. Through outstanding research, the author has unearthed stories of charming generosity alongside examples of shocking racism and gender discrimination, as her subjects sought to honour or punish their families and colleagues. At the same time, the reader and future will-designer learns much about legal principles that govern the settling of wills in Canada. This is a timely and entertaining account of the role that wills have played in Canadians’ lives. * Sharon Anne Cook, author of The Castleton Massacre *