Die Free: A Heroic Family History

Television anchor Wills began pursuing her family history in the hope of settling issues about her long-dead father and to better understand her family's past. Instead, she traced her line directly to Sandy Wills, a Civil War veteran whose bravery was passed down to Sandy's descendents, along with a tenacity that has unfortunately been matched by tragedy. Cheryl's father Clarence, for instance, wrestled for years with demons before finally dying in a motorcycle crash, an event that greatly impacted all his children. In exploring her ancestry and her father's death, Wills attempts to draw a clear narrative path through America's history of slavery and racism and the African-American struggle for success. However, she also jumps from Sandy Wills to Clarence Wills and back again, repeating herself, meandering, and offering often-tangential commentary (speculating on how her immediate family would feel about Sandy's story, for instance). Wills has indeed uncovered an interesting family tale, but has yet to find the best way to tell it. (Jan.)